This weekend we have the infamous Matthew 25:31-45. This Gospel is one my favorites as it addresses my ontological understanding of myself as a Christian and my calling to be a Deacon. In other words it is the reading that I feel most defines my calling:
31 “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. 32 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, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 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; 35 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, 36 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.’ 37 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? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 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,[a] you did it to me.’ 41 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; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 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.’ 44 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?’ 45 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.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
So “Sermons from a Postulant,” are sermons from one who has been approved by the Bishop to pursue Holy Orders for a particular office (Deacon or Priest). The office I am being called to is that of a Deacon in the Church (Episcopal). This reading epitomizes my ontological understanding of my vocation and my role as a baptized Christian. It is in this Gospel we clearly see a message that transcends cultural and historical boundaries; we hear a very clear message: Christ is found in other people, God is found in other people…when we serve the least of among us we serve Christ himself. When we neglect, abuse, mistreat these people we do the same to our Lord. The opportunity to serve God in very real way is shown in this Gospel, and it lies and reinforces the core of our Baptismal Covenant as Episcopalians and the vocation of Deacon in the Church.
In our Baptismal Covenant we are asked several questions that deal with this issue of seeking and serving Christ in other persons, and respecting the dignity of all human beings. These questions are:
Celebrant: Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
People [of the Covenant]: I will with God’s help.
Celebrant: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
People [of the Covenant]: I will with God’s help.
In both our Scripture and our Tradition we are called as the people of God to ensure the dignity of all human beings in service to Jesus Christ. There can be no separation in being faithful to God and working to meet the needs of others. You cannot “love Jesus” and neglect your neighbor.
One way to live out this love and faithfulness is to maintain the dignity of every human being regardless of the judgements of human systems. The Gospel mentions the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger (?!?!), the naked, the sick, and those in prison. This is NOT a metaphor; this is the searing-hot command from Christ and the Spirit. And who else has lost their value and dignity because of human judgements, actions, and systems? When you seek and serve Christ in Muslims, migrants, porn stars, the mentally-ill, the drug addicts, the prostitutes (both male and female), the homeless…you serve Christ Himself. This IS the very radical “up-ending” of the Kingdom of God.
In my examination and vows Scripture and our Baptismal Covenant is echoed:
“My brother, every Christian is called to follow Jesus Christ, serving God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. God now calls you to a special ministry of servanthood directly under your bishop. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are to serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick and the lonely…You are to make Christ and his redemptive love known, by your word and example, to those among whom you live, and work, and worship. You are to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world…At all times, your life and teaching are to show Christ’s people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself.”
Certain questions are then asked that are unique to the Deacon including:
Bishop: Will you look for Christ in all others, being ready to help and serve those in need?
Answer: I will.
Bishop: Will you in all things seek not your glory but the glory of the Lord Christ?
Answer: I will.
I can only understand my Ordination Examination and Vows through this Gospel lens. The vestments don’t matter (gasp), the processions don’t matter, dare I say the buildings and the liturgy they are all subordinate to this one particular task: That my people continue in the redemptive work of the Messiah by showing love and mercy to the least of these; by taking the radical act of loving all persons regardless of their worldly status; by being a constant loving presence in this fast-paced cold and isolated world. By treating the stranger and the neglected as our brothers and sisters and friends. In this way we will help save the world. In this way we will meet our Lord in the flesh on earth, and make his love known…and in the process by giving to others, we will receive more than we could have hoped or imagined.
It is not pretty work…if it were, well, we wouldn’t need a Savior would we?
I call on all of us as people of the Covenant, to serve our Lord directly...by seeking out those who are the least among us, and love them. “Truly I tell you, just as you did to the least of those who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
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