WATCHWORD:
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 creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:34-40
Meditation:
Batteries Not Included
It is Christmas morning. Your children or grandchildren are all excited. The presents, clustered around the Christmas tree, are so inviting. But they wait. The time comes and the melee begins with squeals of laughter. Your oldest daughter or granddaughter has just unwrapped the gift that was at the top of her wish list, and now she is holding it, with tears of happiness! You help her overcome plastic shrink-wrap and then your eyes see that terrible phrase: Batteries Not Included. Oh, no. You hadn’t expected that and now you are faced with her impatient disappointment. You quickly rummage in the pantry and, thank goodness, you found what was needed and peace is restored.
Batteries not included. The gift needs energy. It occurs to me that there may be a life lesson here. God has gifted us royally. We have everything we need to act on that gift and carry out God’s plan. Everything has come to us freely, no strings attached, just a wonderful grace-filled gift. Now it is up to us. The commitment comes from us. The energy comes from us. It’s God’s plan, but it’s our hands.
It really does come down to us and how we walk our Christian walk. In my church, above the door where we exit the sanctuary, is a sign that reads: “You Are Now Entering the Mission Field.” Maybe we see it each Sunday, maybe not. But the sentiment is important, and it is always there. We are not called to be active only within our church. Our mission is also on the other side of the church door, on the street, in our town, in the local hospital, wherever God’s love and grace is needed.
God gave us our marching orders in the Matthew passage: “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me…I say to you, as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me.” Jesus says to us today, “go and do likewise.”
So, you are in a supermarket line, in front of you is a young mother with three small kids and a cart full of food. She is struggling to make up the different between her food stamps and her supply of cash. Do you have any doubt what Jesus would have you do at that moment?
A friend’s health has been declining for many years and his wife works hard at being the loving caregiver. But things are difficult and you can only imagine how good it would be to see your smiling face. What were Jesus’ words? Yes, “I was sick, and you visited me.” What does that mean to you? How would you act that out?
The opportunities to use our God-given gifts are all around us. We need eyes that really see, and ears that really hear, and a heart that moves us into action.
I started this meditation with a poor analogy…“Batteries not included.” The gifts of God are all complete, and while the energy does come from us, the heart of a Christian is driven by love, love is that energy. In any given circumstance, it is helpful to consider: What would Jesus want us to do! Remember “as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me.” That is pretty personal, isn’t it? So be it.
Bulletin Board:
Funnies for all you kids out there —
What do you get if you deep fry Santa Claus? Crisp Cringle.
What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus? Claustrophobic.
If Santa rode a motorcycle, what kind would it be? A Holly Davidson.
What did the grape say to the raisin? ‘Tis the season to be jelly.
Closing Prayer:
Lord of all, you are a God of plenty, a Lord who provides for us in our need. As we begin these early days of Advent help us to believe that you know what we need and have provided for it. You have given us an abundance, grant us a heart of charity to share against the needs of the community around us. Give us the courage to listen to your voice and the freedom to open our hearts to the graces you are offering us to place our trust in you. We offer our prayers in the name of Your Son, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
