Christ = The Least?
Beth at “Coffee Klatch” wrote an excellent post last week called “There Goes Christ“. She questions the wisdom and the meaning behind a phrase like “There, but by the grace of God, go I”. Here are some of her comments about this phrase:
[It] doesn’t connect people. It divides them. Even though it seems to acknowledge our similarities it says that by the grace of God that person is less than me and thanks God that I am not like him. Maybe instead of saying “There, but by the grace of God, go I.” We should say simply “There go I.” And remember that the needy brother or sister at our side is no different than us and we are no different than them. Or maybe instead we should say, “There goes Christ.” Remembering that whatever we do to the least of these we do unto Christ himself.
Last week, I saw a 16 yr old boy who was trying to take care of himself as well as his younger brother and sister. Last weekend, a man in a wheelchair interrupted our lunch asking for food. Did I see them as myself? Did I see them as less than myself? Did I see them as Christ?
I have been thinking on a related line of thought over the past few days. I heard part of a sermon this week about the emphasis people have on their personal relationship to Christ, i.e. how we relate to God, by getting to know Him through prayer and studying the scripture. However, he noted that relating with “the least of these” was also an essential part of our personal relationship with Christ. When we are pursuing “the least of these” then we are also pursuing Christ.
Renata,
Your comment reminded me of this Scripture passage:
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20 ESV)
I think Christians often make too great of a distinction between loving God and loving others.
-Alan