“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘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 drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”
Matthew 25:34-35
A meditation moment by Robert Campbell
As the temperatures start to slide down the thermometer and we anticipate the crisp mornings of fall, with the yellow, then orange, and finally red leaves we open ourselves up to a season filled with anticipation, one filled with love. We are about to enter the holidays and their rapid-fire cadence. Before you know it, it’s Halloween. Then the trees are bare and it’s Thanksgiving, then Black Friday, followed by trimming the tree, the JOY of Christmas, followed quickly the celebration of the outgoing and incoming New Year. Wow, I can hardly wait.
We are also called to remember those who won’t celebrate the way we do. Who have much leaner and meager hopes and dreams. They hope to have shelter, food and the love of a friend or companion. Let’s not forget them. Let’s fill that empty seat at the dining table, wrap another gift just in case or open our hearts to a stranger.
It’s the season of love.
And, God is love. He spoke it, he taught it, he modeled it, he is love.
The place Jesus puts us, is to follow Him! 20 times in the Gospels Jesus ask someone to “follow him” and his key message is to “love one another” a message he models. When he cured the sick, raised the dead, washed the feet of his disciples. There’s this one thing we don’t talk about often, but we need to remember that he washed Judas’ feet. Just hours before Judas betrayed him.
Then I thought about who we are, here at VOA and what we do in our communities and was led to the following scripture. This is at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, in chapter 25, starting at Verse 31.
1 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[f] you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
We do it all year long, but this Holiday Season, let’s give just a little bit more….. Love.
This Holiday season, let’s challenge ourselves to truly love one another. Challenge yourself to step a bit outside your comfort zone and help someone, give to someone, Love Someone, who least expects it and probably most needs it.
Have a Blessed Season of Love.
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