Matthew 25:31-46
For those who have or know youth in High School or young adults in college or post-graduate studies, the season of final semester exams is just around the corner. Final projects or papers are soon due as quickly as you can say “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.” The weeks before Christmas are spent not trimming the tree or baking holiday cookies but cramming in intense study sessions -dreaming not of a White Christmas but of straight A’s. I see my son holed away in his room, poring over his computer as he works to finish final projects- complete his final exam - before he receives his degree in computer science at the end of December. Go Andrew!! (Sorry, that's the mom in me speaking!)
I remember a time when I was in seminary. A renowned professor noticed how the number of students who went to the chapel to pray peaked during study week. One evening in the dining hall she saw fit to comment. She said in all her time she noted that that the power of prayer to influence performance on an exam diminished as the test time approached. Her advice? Pray early and make study your prayer.
Our gospel lesson from Matthew today appears to be the final exam of a student’s heart. Jesus not only gives the questions that will appear on our final test on Judgement Day, but he gives the answers as well. Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Visit the sick and imprisoned. Clothe the naked. Welcome the stranger.
Wait - it gets better than that. Not only do we have the answers ahead of time, but Jesus gives a test that anyone, yes, anyone, could pass. Jesus does not say, “cure all illnesses.” “Eliminate prisons.” Provide clean water to everyone.” While these are worthy and just pursuits, Jesus keeps the final exam basic. Within everyone’s reach. Visit. Feed. Clothe. Welcome. What could be easier than that? Jesus is so self-effacing he puts the welfare of others above any claim to be worshipped as Christ the King, the feast day the church has us observe today. Instead, Jesus just says serve the least of these; like he did. What we do for them, we do for Jesus. Period. End of discussion.
What is amazing then, with a test so basic and within anyone’s grasp, why do we seem to fail so miserably? why do we have almost 80,000 homeless persons in our City? Why do approximately 15 percent of New York City’s children live in poverty? Why is it in a land of plenty that the number of soup kitchen and food pantry recipients have sky-rocketed? How could 250,000 youth be at risk of deportation? How is it that one child every two minutes dies somewhere in the world because of unsanitary water? Why are the sick and imprisoned so often left alone and friendless? Why is loneliness now the new epidemic in our Country? It seems like our Judgment Day exam is not so easy for us after all.
We all face tests through life. Health challenges. Financial worries. Relationship problems. Our Saviour Church now faces a big test of moving into a new future without Pastor Bob at the helm. And today, you know what - we have aced the first part of the test. How’d we do that? Do you know how? We aced it by just showing up. You past the first exam by not giving in to despair or sadness or cynicism. You past the exam by trusting Jesus, who promised to be with us always– and as a result you came to worship in church. That’s how things are done. How change is accomplished. We step into the unknown, one baby step at a time. As the saying goes, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” We have taken that first step today. And that’s how it goes with anything in life – 90% of life – of success – just showing up. Yay church! You made the first step. You passed the test.
But let’s look at our challenge from Jesus from another angle. This Tuesday is called “Giving Tuesday” when we are called to support charities that help the poor and needy. However, it follows “Cyber Monday” - tomorrow – when we are encouraged get busy and crammed the internet with buying, buying and more buying. This also follows yesterday’s “Small Business Saturday,” challenge, when we were advised to give a nod and purchase presents from the local merchants in our midst. And what came before that? The high holy day of commerce - “Black Friday” which usually starts now in the evening of Thanksgiving. Today, this Sunday, we’ve already gotten halfway through this marathon of buying. People have gotten into fist fights, road rage, into shoving matches, just to get the best deal, save a few bucks and get all those Christmas gifts on our list. It’s tragic that “Giving Tuesday” – the day we are supposed to help people in need - is placed at the end. When we’re all spent out. After shopping has brought out the worst in us. Giving our current social context, giving and serving has become an afterthought. This demonstrates the distortion of values: giving should go first. It should be at the top of our list. The test of Matthew 25 reminds us: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger and visit the sick and imprisoned. Let’s say it again: That should be at the top of the list, not the bottom.
Think of what a different perspective we would have if Black Friday was Giving Friday. What if people lined up in the early hours near their closest food pantry, or prison? What if we spent six hours visiting the sick instead waiting in line for the best bargain? Giving first: that’s the way to ace the Judgement Day final exam of Jesus.
The good news however is that even if we don’t do a good job at first, we can ultimately ace the exam Jesus gives us. Jesus let’s us start over, and over again every single day. Let us make giving a daily habit of the Advent and Christmas season. Where will we line up to give? How will we face the test here at Our Saviour? Let’s say it again – let’s begin giving, serving, by just showing up every week for worship and prayer.
What’s on your list this season? Are you making a list, checking it twice? It’s said, show me your list, and I’ll show you your habits and priorities. Let’s make giving to the poor and needy a priority, not an afterthought. Let’s memorize those answers to the final exam Jesus that has reviewed with us today. Let’s commit them to heart. What are they? Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger. Clothe the naked. Visit the sick and imprisoned. With all that looms ahead of us here at Our Savior, let’s keep it simple - Let us show up for worship, every Sunday this Advent and Christmas season and thereafter. Let me amend my professor’s advice: pray often – and make giving to the needy, make church attendance your prayer. If we do so, rest assured, we will pass this this final exam with flying colors, to the Glory of our Sovereign Lord. Amen.