Full-time Sheep-hood

20/11/2020

A Reflection on the Gospel for November 22nd, 2020:
The Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

MATTHEW
25:31-46

"When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

God speaks to us.

As a graduate student, I spent a year studying the life and influence of Florence Nightingale. In her writings, Florence Nightingale claimed that God spoke to her and called her into His service. At the time, I thought it an unsound claim. Decades later, it seems entirely probable to me — predictable even, albeit amazing.

God speaks to us in ways each of us, as individuals, are most likely to hear: through music, personal experiences, the experiences of others, Scripture; the list goes on.

Recently, God spoke to me. He suggested it was time for me to abandon my dual role as both the sheep and shepherd of my own life, and instead allow Him to be the Shepherd and I the sheep. I agreed and have embarked upon full-time sheep-hood. It is, like all of God’s plans, the best way forward.

I realize I have a lot to learn about being a sheep, so I was particularly interested in the Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats, which is the Gospel for the Feast of Christ the King. In it, Jesus is clear: for anyone seeking to be a sheep at the right hand of the Son of God (as opposed to a goat on the left), omitting to do bad things is not enough; you actually have to do good things, and do them out of love.

Jesus provides examples of the good things we must do: feed the hungry (whether they are hungry for food or understanding), give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned. I must do these things not to look good in the eyes of my neighbours or to gain salvation points with God (which is simply working for a reward for myself), but out of love and mercy for those who are oppressed.

We don’t perform acts of mercy merely to earn a place in heaven. The truth is we can never do enough good works to earn a place in heaven. It is God’s love alive within us that will save us, and God’s mercy that will make us sheep and not goats when we stand before His “glorious throne.”

When Jesus became human, it was to “proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18). He became human to be an example that would change our hearts, from selfish hearts to hearts that break for those who are oppressed. In Saint Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus identifies Himself with the oppressed: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

When we serve the least among us out of love, we serve Christ. If we show Christ’s mercy to the least among us, Christ’s abundant mercy is ours.

Donna Davis

9 Comments

Alana

20/11/2020 06:27:26 am

Thank you Donna. Beautiful reflection. Dear Lord, thank You for Your abundant love and mercy. Because You have given me everything, help me share to share It all and especially You with others. Amen 😊🙏🏻💕xo

Donna Davis

20/11/2020 12:27:23 pm

Bless you, Alana. There was a time when I was a reluctant sharer of my "stuff." Now. through the mercy and patience of God, I am learning that whatever I give, God blesses me with more. And not just "repaying" me for what I've given, but giving me more than my own gift. Quite literally, investing in God's enterprises has rewards. The Parable of the Talents is real.

Suzanne LeBlanc

20/11/2020 08:17:04 am

Thanks for this thoughtful reflection! May I always find the grace to be grateful for having my needs met and the grace to love others so that my only wants are to share what I have been blessed with.

20/11/2020 12:35:31 pm

Bless you, Suzanne. Gratitude is such a game changer. Thanks for reminding me to pray for the courage and grace to be generous in all things.

Lisa Matheson

21/11/2020 07:39:39 am

Wow, so much of this reflection spoke to me today. Thank you Donna! The part about not just omitting the bad, but actively doing good out of a true desire to love:
“ I must do these things not to look good in the eyes of my neighbours or to gain salvation points with God (which is simply working for a reward for myself), but out of love and mercy for those who are oppressed.”

I am scared that sometimes I do things to “look good” in the eyes of God. Lord, take away my pride and my ego and help me to love others the way You love. 🙏💗

22/11/2020 07:08:28 pm

I smiled when I read your comment, Lisa. I also have to question my motives. When I do a good deed, sometimes I'm tempted to grumble to myself if I haven't been thanked. What I need to remember is that it's okay to not be rewarded. While on earth, Christ was so often not thanked - more than just not thanked. And yet he was always patient and humble, and He loved us to the end. What an example to keep before my eyes. Peace, sister. I'm glad we're all in this together.

Lori

22/11/2020 07:19:56 pm

Dear Donna,
(That should be a column of its own!)
I have read and re-read this reflection many times this week. Because of the way our paths are aligned toward this full-time sheep-hood gig, I wanted to drench as much wisdom out of it as I could. My word of the year is "follow". I think God spoke this word over me because I have this embarassing tendency to put the cart before the horse. But as you've so beautifully laid out here, Jesus must be in the lead, and it must be by His conviction that we act.

I loved this bit: "He became human to be an example that would change our hearts, from selfish hearts to hearts that break for those who are oppressed."

May we continue to ride in the back of the cart, until the Good Shepherd has given us the reigns.

26/11/2020 02:26:51 pm

Lori, I cannot believe I ever doubted that God speaks to us, to me. He does in so many ways, but the primary way is through Scripture and sharing our reflections on Scripture. So, this sheep-hood thing is about leadership. Who's the leader (or, in the cart analogy, the driver)? Am I the leader? Well, I have a tendency to act as if I'm the leader, if I'm being honest. And what is it that informs my leadership decisions? Desire for approval and the path of least resistance, or God's direction? Here's what Paul said to the Galatians in my WordWeb reading for this week: "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." So, there you go, Sister. Now, scooch over and make room for me in the back of that cart.

26/11/2020 02:29:30 pm

Haha! Yes!!! I’ve already warmed up the seat for you, girl!