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.’
(Matthew 25:40)
Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
It seems like every day we hear news of yet another group of
people mistreated and/or blamed for the problems of society. Often, these groups are people who have
little, if any, status or power in society.
They are refugees, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness – all
people displaced from their homes. These
people are blamed for the ills of society, and often extreme measures are taken
to keep them out: walls, barbed wire, fire hoses, harsh policies. Those with power and status tend to walk all
over these people without status. All
too often, the least of these of our society have no one to speak for them and are
not allotted the power to speak for themselves.
In the time of Jesus’ ministry, society in the Roman Empire
was all about status, honor, wealth, and increasing those three things however
possible. To accomplish this, people
would try to hang around those who had higher status, and treated those with
higher status well. Hopefully, this
would lead to an increase in their own status as well. People who had power were expected to wield
that power for themselves and those who were above them. They were to raise the status of those to
whom they were beholden. In that
society, there was no point in looking out for those with lower status, because
nothing (honor, power, or wealth anyway) was gained from doing so.
Jesus reminds us that God cares about those who have
no status in society. In fact, God is
present in the least of these in society.
Efforts to keep out the least in society also end up attempting to keep
God out. Thankfully, when we work to
include and care for the least in society, we are actively welcoming God. Our congregation does a good job with
this. Through programs like Family
Promise, through our financial mission support (which, in part, supports
organizations like Lutheran Immigration and Refugees Services), and our
quilting group which creates quilts for Lutheran World Relief, we are welcoming
God and God’s Kingdom into our church.
What other ways can we welcome God into our church?
God’s peace be with you,
Vicar Mike
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