Keith, I go to church every Sunday but during the week I seem to rush from one activity to my next appointment. How can I find God during the week?
After several busy years of public witnessing and teaching as a new Christian, my spirit turned gray. I felt less and less intimate with God. One day, as I read the dramatic account of the judgment day scene in Matthew 25, I got a simple picture about how I might spend more intimate time getting to know Jesus.
The “Son of Man” Judge/ King divided the judgment day crowd into two groups: the sheep (the good guys) on his right and the goats (bad guys) on his left. He told the sheep they would be with him forever because they had cared for him, clothed and fed him, and visited him. The good guys said, “Sir, we don’t remember doing any of that for you.” The Judge replied, “Oh yes, when you did those things to a specific person who was overlooked or ignored, you did them to me.”
Then to the goats he said, “Get out you worthless goats. You didn’t feed me when I sas hungry, or care for me in any real way.” The goats objected, “When did we see you hungry, thirsty, sick or imprisoned and not respond?” The Judge replied, “When you didn’t do those simple things for someone overlooked or ignored, you overlooked and ignored me!”
Jesus seemed to be saying to me that morning, “Keith, I’m with you Sundays at church. But during my work week, I live with people who are poor, lonely, sick, imprisoned, or feeling marginalized—especially any such people who are at the end of their rope. If you want more intimate time with me between Sundays, that’s were you can find me.”
Soon after that, I visited a friend in the hospital, dying of cancer. As I listened to him share his experience of dying, I began to picture Jesus sitting inside my friend, cradling his heart. I could almost see the Lord smile and mouth the words silently, “Keith, I’m glad you came…I’ve been waiting for you.”
“I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.”
Matthew 25: 40 (The Message)
Dear lord, thank you for offering us on the job training for heaven with you…learning your quiet ways of loving the little ones you died for. Amen
