You did not do it to me.
Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.
I know many of you heard about the “true angel in Buffalo,” Sha’Kyra Aughtry, who with her partner, Trent Alls, Jr., rescued a man standing outside their home in a raging blizzard at 5 a.m. on Christmas Eve. Joey White, a 64-year-old mentally disabled man, became disoriented and lost while walking home from his movie-theater job that evening. He was on the brink of severe frostbite when Sha’Kyra looked out the window and saw him staggering in the elements. They took him in and nursed him until a band of Good Samaritans could make their way in a 4X4 truck to the Emergency Room two days later.
I share this story with you because of what Trent said to David Begnaud of CBS Mornings when David surprised them with Superbowl tickets courtesy of the NFL and Delta Airlines. Trent confessed that he may not have opened the door if Sha’Kyra hadn’t prodded him.
What really convicted me was his confession, “Before this incident I only wanted to help people when it was convenient for me.” That sentence and sentiment hit me hard. Convenient for me. How many times have we seen people in need and kept walking or driving down the road? I have even said to myself, “Surely someone will help them. I can’t today. Too busy, too much going on.” And then I am wracked with guilt. How about you?
“Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” Friends, let’s commit to taking risks and becoming “helpers” this Lent. It’s not about getting treated to the Super Bowl or Disneyland for our good deeds—it’s what Jesus calls us to do.
prayer
Omniscient God, guide us, nudge us, protect us as we open our hearts and minds to serve those in need. May we trust Christ Jesus in you to always lead us where we need to go and how best to love our neighbor. Amen.