Reflection
Will this Be on the Final?
Reflecting on Congregational Care
Sunday June 25, 2023 - Pastor Richard Reaves
Matthew 25:31-46
INTRODUCTION
Our current emphasis "Sabbatical Reflections"
Today our theme is Reflecting on Congregational Care.
This sermon centers on God's individual care for each person and emphasizes the role of the Congregational Care Team in supporting the congregation during the sabbatical year.
As a student in high school and university I'd occasionally hear this question being asked of the teacher. Will this be on the final? Will this historical incident, mathematical equation, philosophical thought be something I have to know because I'm going to be tested on it later or, can I just forget about this one and move on?
Jesus doesn't force us to guess what will be on His final exam. He tells us plainly in Matthew 25. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats is one of a number of parables He shares to inform us about what is the nature of the end times and what is on the heart of His Father. Without it, we would be left to guess concerning what's on the final exam. With it, we see the nature of the person who God wants to see enter through the pearly gates.
Matthew 25:31-46.
The criteria for a passing grade
In Matthew 25 Jesus shares several parables concerning the end of the world. When He returns in power to claim His rightful place of power will we be ready? What criteria will He use to judge all of humanity?
The wrong answers
A lot of people may be shocked to discover the criteria that won't be used!
- Not faithful worship attendance
- Not astounding Bible knowledge/theology
- Not religious piety or a sense of self-righteousness
- Not the amount of generous financial gifts given to the church
The right answer
The final exam will contain one question: How much did you care for the needy?
The bad news: some of us are only good at one or more of the criteria listed above. We are good at showing up, Bible knowledge, self-righteous activity, generous giving.
The good news: all of us can be good at caring for others.
William Barclay: "There never was a parable which so opened the way to glory to the simplest of people." You don't need to be a Rhodes Scholar, an ascetic hermit, or have memorized the entire Bible to pass God's final exam.
The Surprise
Now, having seen this, we must not fall into another trap. Having read these words, we could easily suppose that God's final exam is based on the number and extent of our "good deeding." This would also be mistaken.
The OT had already set a precedent for this kind of thinking
He who oppresses the poor reproaches his maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him. Proverbs 14:31
He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 19:17
Even though this Old Testament truth would be known to them, the sheep express surprise at Jesus' revelation.
The sheep are not the only ones to experience this surprise. The goats also express a note of surprise. They are surprised as well by the fact that they missed seeing Jesus.
Such verbiage reveals a selfish orientation. We would have helped you out, Lord; because we know that helping you would be more advantageous for us. We would certainly want you to be comfortable. We certainly want to get on your good side.
Such self-serving acts of kindness were present in the religious systems of Jesus' day. It was a balancing act between one's good and bad deeds.
In the Egyptian Book of the Dead the recently deceased man boasts self-confidently, "I have given satisfaction to God by doing that in which he delights: I have given bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothed the naked..."
True charity isn't thinking about what it can get in return for its efforts. It is uncalculating. There is no computing what a particular good deed might be worth later on. Jesus tells us that when we give it should be to those who can't repay us in kind. Loving acts of service must be freely given away if they are to be true gifts of love.
As Jesus told His disciples right before He sent them out on their own evangelistic mission Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8b (NIV)
Jesus died for us because He loved us, nothing more nothing less. True salvation begins with receiving Christ's free gifts of love, forgiveness, and salvation. It is truly transformational.
The true criterion then to earn a passing grade is really to develop a loving heart. It's a heart that has been transformed from selfishness to selflessness, from getting to giving, from "What's in it for me?" to "What can I do for you?"
What does congregational care look like today?
In this church we have a group of people who have committed themselves to this kind of service towards the rest of our church family.
Who is on this Team?
- Maxine Cintas
- Jerri Cooper
- Rosa Flores
- Steve McLenegan
- Trudy Kroll
- Greg Robbins
- Pastor Valui
- Me & Susi
Examples of what we do
- Going to see a senior citizen and having to write on a erasable tablet because she's deaf
- Taking someone to Stanford oncologist appointment because nobody should go alone
- Making contacts and encouraging those who have missed
- Arranging for financial assistance from the Congregational Care fund
- Weeding and feeding cats at a senior's home
- Setting up home care for a member while her regular caregiver is on vacation
- Visiting someone in the hospital
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be able to perform these acts of kindness.
True disciples of Jesus will respond this way when they encounter those in need. They will give of themselves freely to others. They will see the need placed in front of them and act accordingly.
After this last vacation, I think I have a chance of passing Christ's final exam
If I can do it, so can you. Freely you have received, freely give to all of God's creatures and knock that final exam right out of the park!