the weblog of Alan Knox

The least

Posted by on Dec 16, 2008 in blog links, love, service | 2 comments

John Santic at “Toward Hope” recently published this in a post called “The Least of Who?“:

I was hungry,
And you formed a humanities group to discuss my hunger.
I was imprisoned,
And you crept off quietly to your chapel and prayed for my release.
I was naked,
And in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick,
And you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless,
And you preached a sermon on the spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely,
And you left me alone to pray for me.
You seem so holy, so close to God
But I am still very hungry – and lonely – and cold.

This reminded me of “Scripture… As We Live It #16” which I wrote a few months ago:

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food you made a profession of faith, I was thirsty and you gave me drink you were baptized, I was a stranger and you welcomed me you faithfully attended church meetings, I was naked and you clothed me you joined a Bible study, I was sick and you visited me you gave your offerings to the church, I was in prison and you came to me you even gave to the building fund.’ (Matthew 25:34-36 re-mix)

May God teach us to actually care for the least.

Related posts:

  1. The least of these…
  2. What kind of fruit?
  3. Replay: What Kind of Fruit?
  4. The poor do not need your money

2 Comments

Comments are closed. If you would like to discuss this post, send an email to alan [at] alanknox [dot] net.

  1. 12-16-2008
    Sam says:

    While you were writing this one, I was commenting on the “one anothers” along similar lines. Isn’t it sad that your revisions to Matthew 25 reflect what really happens in most churches?

    I’ve been in leadership in several churches and find it next to impossible to change any of this. Perhaps you will understand why I spent part of my Sunday morning picking up trash in the neighborhood.

    If you want to find Jesus, hang out where He hangs out – with the hungry, the prisoner, the naked, the sick, the homeless, the lonely, the widows, the orphans, etc., etc. It is easy to find Him there.

  2. 12-16-2008
    Alan Knox says:

    Sam,

    I agree that it is impossible for me to change anyone so that they start caring about the poor – “the least”. However, I also know that it is definitely possible for God to change people. I know this is true because he changed me.

    -Alan