Devotion • November 26
Today’s Scripture Reading
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 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.’ 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 who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that 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.” (NRSV)
Reflection
Usually when I hear this passage I run through a mental checklist. I’ve donated to the food bank so I’ve given food and something to drink. I’ve gone out of my way to welcome people who are new to the company. I’ve donated clothes to Goodwill. I take care of my kids when they’re sick and send GrubHub gift cards to friends recovering from surgery. And there was that one time I went to sing at a prison as part of Fourth Church’s music ministry. So check, check, check, check — I’m totally good, right?
Reading through the passage this time, I realized that’s an oversimplified interpretation. As with so many things, this is probably supposed to be somewhat metaphorical and representative. After all, there are many, many things God wants, and expects, us to do to help each other that aren’t listed here. For example, people talk disparagingly about classmates or colleagues who just want attention. I’ve had those thoughts. Heck, I’ve been that girl who just wants attention.
But what if we thought about it differently? What if instead of being judgmental because someone’s being a drama queen, I stopped to think about the underlying cause? It could be a deep sense of loneliness or insecurity. And honestly, what’s wrong with needing attention? Humans are social creatures. We have a deep need to feel like we are valued and that we belong somewhere. Do we always go about filling that need in the healthiest ways? No. But maybe if healthier options were available, we’d make better choices.
The next time a friend, family member, or colleague is making bad decisions or causing drama, consider that they may be attempting to fill loneliness or assuage insecurity. Ask them to go to lunch, grab coffee, come visit for the weekend, have a Zoom date, whatever. In other words, take care of them.
Prayer
Lord, help me remember that your commands are not a checklist but rather guidance for living a righteous life. Amen.
Written by Nicole Spirgen, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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