How We See

11.26.14

Matthew 25.37-39 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ – Jesus, describing the righteous (ESV)

Like many, I came to Christ in a moment of crisis – I was at my wits end (that’s how I felt) and I didn’t know what to do, so I sought out this guy who seemed to know how to help. He was a crusty former Air Force sergeant with a tough exterior but a wise interior. And he could see. He could see that what I thought I wanted was not what I needed and one day he asked me: how’s your spiritual life? I had been raised in church and couldn’t answer the question. I finally muttered: I don’t have one. To which he replied: would you like one? I said I did.

From that moment on things changed. I fell in love with Jesus but I also became quite attracted to religion and all I knew of religion was: you work hard to impress God at how hard you work. Enter Matthew 25 – the sheep and the goats. I was terrified by this place in the Scripture; I wasn’t able to see the hungry, the strangers, the sick, or the prisoners. I couldn’t see them. All I knew was I had to, in order to impress Jesus. I wasn’t doing a very good job of impressing and to this day I’ve never been in a prison to visit prisoners. Sorry Jesus, it’s true.

The point of the parable is not works. I get that now. Thirty-one years ago I didn’t get it. All those years ago all I knew was Jesus was keeping score and my scorecard was blank. But His teaching is not about works – it’s about how we see.

Four times in this brief passage Jesus focuses on seeing. He points out that those who see and respond are the ones who are blessed by God. How we see, means seeing beyond myself. Seeing properly, means seeing through God’s eyes the needs of people all around me and recognizing that everyone has needs. And then meeting the needs of those I see. No score, just responding. When I see how I’m supposed to see, with God’s eyes, then my natural response is how can I help you? Or better: here bud, here’s 10 bucks, let’s get you some lunch.

The needs are everywhere and the righteous see and attempt to meet those needs. The righteous see how to help and attempt to do so. It isn’t welfare, it’s worship. Sickness, hunger, imprisonment, loneliness come in a vast array of different shapes and sizes. Imprisonment may mean literally in jail…or it may mean being caught up in a mindset that prevents one from coming to the Ultimate Help: God Himself. I can meet people’s needs but if it’s only to fill some divine scorecard, then I think the meaning and the effectiveness are lost.

Father, the man sang it in my office last night: Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart; I want to see You! I want to see You. To see You high and lifted up shining in the light of Your glory, and shining through the sick, the imprisoned, the lonely, the rejected, and the hungry. Through their needs a light shines that should move me to act in love. Lord, open the eyes of my heart; may I see properly. Amen.