Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46 – “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that 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.’” (NRSV)
As people of faith, one of our most important questions concerns salvation. Will we find union with God in heaven in the age to come or does our life end with oblivion or worse? For some, this is the primary motivation for living a religious life, for coming to church and reading the Bible. There are many passages in the Bible about how humility, faith, and charity will lead to eternal life. However, I believe that too much of an emphasis on heaven can rob us of our calling to serve God in this life.
In the teaching of the sheep and the goats, the Son of Man, representing the God who comes to judge the world, separates people into two categories, likened to “sheep” and “goats”. The sheep are granted eternal life, but the goats are sent into eternal punishment. To listen to some Christians, the difference between the sheep and goats is that the sheep have taken Jesus as their savior, and the goats have not. But in the teaching, faith in God or acceptance of the divinity of Christ is not mentioned. Instead, salvation is based on one’s attitude toward the “least” of God’s children: the hungry, the stranger (who might represent immigrants, refugees, or minorities), the poor, the sick, and the incarcerated. The Son of Man says that a kind deed done to them is done to him, and ignoring their needs is the same as ignoring him.
We see this same emphasize on charitable action across the bible. For example, in the First Letter of John, we hear about abiding in God’s love, another way of talking about salvation. John says, “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” Love and charity, more than proper understandings of faith, are what mark us as saved.
Now, we will never do enough to fix the problems of the world or avoid slipping into thoughtless behaviors from time to time. That is why salvation ultimately depends on grace. The response to the grace that we accept through faith is then to show love to the world as much as we can, and not simply to assure ourselves of our salvation as the world burns around us.
So, if you have the means, and means does not just mean money, you are called to help. This is our vocation as Christians. And as Christian author and theologian Frederick Buechner famously wrote, vocation is where “your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” You are passionate about something, and the world needs something, so match them up!
In our churches, there are so many ways to help. Our congregation is allied with “Gifts to Give”, which takes many types of donations to distribute to those in need. We are always looking for other ways to help as well. There are other local groups like the Greater Fall River Community Food Pantry that feed those in need. The United Church of Christ has ministries of charitable giving home and abroad as well as advocacy ministries for justice and peace around the world. There are many ways to give and many places to help. Which is your vocation? Where is your greatest gladness? Answer God’s call and you will find not only salvation in the world to come, but love, justice, and peace all around you.
Prayer: God, help me to better serve you beyond my fear and into your hope. Amen.
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