In both of the readings today, Leviticus 19: 1-2, 11-18 and Matthew 25: 31-46 we are given what God expects of us. Leviticus spells out the 10 commandments. The Gospel tells us that if we minister to, or do not minister to, those who are hungry, sick, naked, in prison, do not welcome a stranger, or give drink to the thirsty we do minister to, or do not minister, to Jesus. In God's Kingdom, those who did not minister to Jesus here on earth will be separated from God in heaven, that is, they will be imprisoned in hell. To those who helped those in need, the doors to heaven will be opened.
It is the clear! We are here to minister to others, to serve others, to make life bearable for others, to lift burdens, to treat others with justice and kindness and love. And in doing so, we are serving God, lifting God's burdens, treating God with kindness and love. The Trinity, Christ himself with the Spirit and the Father, live in each person and what we do that person we do to God. The love and the justice we withhold from others we withhold from God. Love and justice triumph in heaven and those of us who failed here on earth to heed Jesus' world will suffer the consequences in heaven: separation or alienation from God for all eternity, an eternity of hell!
You and I, all humankind, are empowered to treat others with respect, to be just, to love others as God loves us, to respect others as brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. How did that come about? Jesus became sin for us and suffered the consequences of sin on the cross. In dying for our sake, for our salvation, Jesus rose to new life. Death had no power over Him and has no power over us. In rising to new life, destroying the death of sin, Jesus took us with Him in His resurrection so, in cooperation with grace, we, too, are empowered to rise above sin and live for God and for others!
What an awesome God! What a caring God! What a forgiving God. What a merciful God!
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