Will I Pass the Test?

During the week before his death, Jesus shared his very last parable, “When the Son of Man comes in all his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

Wow! This is powerful! Important! Riveting! All the nations are gathered before Jesus. I try to picture the diverse massive crowds. People of every culture, tribe, language and color. Humanity crammed together. So many they disappear from all sides of the horizon. It’s the final judgement. My heart is beating fast. I’m on pins and needles. A cold sweat is permeating my skin. What kind of criteria is he going to use to separate us? Will it be church attendance? Tithing? Righteousness? Correct theology? Abstaining from evil? The right political affiliation? The right religious affiliation? This is it. There is no going back. My ears are ringing as I try to listen to what it will be. Will I pass the test?

Jesus continues, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”

Really!!? My inheritance? His kingdom? They’ve been prepared for me since the creation of the world? And it has to do with my care for Jesus when he was hungry and thirsty and needing shelter and clothing and when he was sick or in prison?

Hmm? When I was growing up in church I was told I would pass the test by staying away from evil people and not doing bad things.

But wait? First of all, I didn’t know Jesus needed these things. Second of all, I’ve never really met Jesus, physically I mean. I’ve committed my heart to him. I’ve prayed to him. I’ve asked for his guidance and forgiveness. But He has never appeared to me in physical form, so I’m not sure I qualify for this inheritance. I’m not sure I pass the test.

And then he clarifies what he means to a confused crowd, to a confused me, as he shares, “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Wait a minute! You mean to tell me Jesus has been physically all around me the whole time? And they are my brothers and sisters who are struggling? They are my brothers and sisters who have been forgotten, judged, marginalized? Well, that means I have had opportunities, virtually every day, to meet, serve and hang out with Jesus.

Again, I was taught I might meet Jesus through a really cool church service or a worship song or a well written book or when I send money to the preacher on T.V. who has fancy suits and big teeth. But even then, it was more theory than reality. More fiction than fact. To be honest, it seemed the more I tried to find Jesus with one more sermon, one more song, one more book, in many ways he seemed to get further away.

But the truth is, and how exciting is this, Jesus is all around me. He is near me and I have the opportunity to be with him intimately everyday. I have an opportunity to live in his kingdom today. I just need to remember where I can meet him. I need to remember the answer to the test.

Ken and C. J. lived and ran a deli in Bodega Bay. Bodega Bay had one homeless man, a man named Garland. Garland dressed poorly and acted a little strange and slept in the city park. But Ken and C.J. befriended Garland and always offered him food and kind words.

When their store was broken into, everyone in town accused Garland. But Ken and C.J. knew it couldn’t have been their friend. In fact, they prepared a very expensive gift basket for Garland and gave it to him. The next morning the police showed up with Garland, who was holding the expensive gift basket, certain they had caught the burglar of their store.

Ken and C.J. to protect Garland from embarrassment said, “Oh, Garland! Thank you for bringing your basket back. We forgot to put some things in it we wanted you to have. And by the way, here’s the change I forgot to give you.” And Ken made up a number. In front of the police he opened the cash register and gave Garland $38.67. 

The police let Garland go without saying a word.

A few mornings later Garland died in the park in his sleep. Ken and C.J. were called to the attorney’s office. They were told Garland had made them the sole heir in his will. He wrote “The entire contents of my travel bag are yours.”

Inside the bag was a bag of birdseed, a Bible and a bankbook. The names on the savings account were Garland and Ken and C.J. The last entry in the savings account was the day before for $38.67 bringing the balance to well over three million dollars.

The bankbook had been used as a bookmarker in the Bible. Garland had put it in a unique place, Matthew 25:35 and the verse underlined was, “I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home and you invited me into your house.” 

Garland had hidden wealth that nobody knew about.

When Jesus Christ walked this earth, very few knew how wealthy he was. He was God. He was the creator of the universe and He owned everything.

Where is Jesus? How do we meet him?

He’s the homeless man looking for shelter.

She’s the abused mom looking for safety.

He’s the leper looking for someone to care.

She’s the prostitute begging for intimacy.

He’s your co-worker deeply depressed.

She’s the mother of three in a Syrian refugee camp wondering how she is going to keep her children safe.

She’s the invisible, forgotten widow barely getting by on her social security check.

He’s your neighbor facing bankruptcy and losing his home.

She’s the elementary student abandoned by her father.

He’s the drug addict looking for another fix.

She’s the foreigner facing another day of prejudice.

It’s Garland who leaves you 3 million and 38 dollars and 67 cents.

Author and Speaker Tony Campolo implores people of faith, “Jesus never says to the poor come find the church. But he says to those of us in the church, go into the world and find the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the imprisoned.”

This is where you find your inheritance. This is what it means to live in God’s kingdom. This is where you meet Jesus. This is how you pass the test.