Today is World Communion Sunday, and it reminds us of missions and the communion we have with Christians around the world – many of whom do not look like us or even live in cultures like ours. Our Scripture lesson today reminds us that all of us, all over the world, are linked by a love for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, which the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is all about!
The Scripture reminds us who is the one in charge, and it reminds us there is a coming Judgment Day. We are ruled by a generous, forgiving, loving, and grace filled king. That king is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is righteous and holy and we are not. And He is the mighty judge on the coming Judgment Day. And in this powerful parable He again tells us what he values most of all, after our allegiance – how we live in the way we treat others. Remember the great commands He gives to love others as yourself and to love one another. Well, he is always consistent – and He tells this parable to drive the truth home to us.
This parable starts on judgment but it then flows into compassion. The compassion comes when we learn what the sheep did to inherit the kingdom. Let’s be clear again, there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven but if you remember last week we need to live into our gift as well. In the parable of the talents,
Jesus reminds the disciples that they will receive a tremendous gift, the gift of salvation. We are told that we need to share that gift with others and it will come back to us with a 100% return. We can’t do anything to earn salvation but we do need to do something once we have. To live a life with Christ means you have to go where Christ is and that is what the rest of the parable is about.
Each Sunday, when we gather here, we celebrate the resurrection. Each Sunday is a break to be still and enjoy the presence of God, remembering the resurrection. We call it the Lord’s Day for that reason. We, as Christians, believe that Christ is all around us. We just need to have the eyes to see him. “I heard a story at the General Assembly from a missionary to the inner city of Detroit -- one morning when the volunteers who would feed the hungry gathered early to get things ready for the long line of homeless folk that stood outside waiting. Someone asked one of the workers to pray and she prayed, “Jesus, help me to see your face when you come through the line.”
When we look at the people around us we need to be on the lookout for Jesus. When he is talking to the sheep he tells them that they were the ones who had compassion on the least of these around us. The hungry, they gave food. They thirsty, they gave them something to drink. The sick, they took care of. The naked, they clothed. The stranger, they welcomed them in. The prisoners, they visited. They took care of the members of our family, the other children of God.
A professor from Utah State University has reduced the world’s population proportionately from 6 billion to 100 people. If the entire world’s population was 100 people then:
57 would be Asian
21 would be Europeans
14 would be North and South Americans
8 would be Africans
70 would be non-white
50% of the world’s wealth rests in the hands of the 6 US citizens.
70 would be unable to read
50 would be malnourished
80 would live in substandard housing
Only 1 would have a college education
We have to constantly remind ourselves that the world is a lot bigger than what is in front of our eyes each day. There is life outside Burt and Kossuth County and Iowa and even outside the United States and our television channels.
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