Have You Fed Me Today?

In heaven one day, when all the righteous and unrighteous are gathered before our Jesus, He will ask a question.  A question coming from the holy lips of a Saviour.  Imagine.  A question that will rise from the throat of gentleness and thunder across eternity. 

And my good is given to one - but then to the other?  I give evil?  Yes.  And evil is not just a blackness of hate or hurt, but a simpleness in the hoarding of my time and talents to meet a need, a holding back of my smiles or gentleness.  A judgement based on an opinion gained by eyes.  Eyes scaled. 

And I justify.

I justify what?

Dislike, evil, or indifference?

And His word, His word says . . .

"When He finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all His angels with Him, the Son of Man will take His place on His glorious throne.  Then all the nations will be arranged before Him and He will sort the people out . . .

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me."

Do I know Who I am receiving?  And I say it is just a person.  And I calm my heart, beating loudly and wildly because my soul knows, and I back turn and make no room. 

But He is saying that in the face of that person is the face of God.  The face of God.  If I receive that one, I receive Jesus. Receive that one and I receive the One Who sent Jesus.  And in Matthew 25 I learn Who.

Do I know who is sitting next to me?

"I'm telling you the solemn truth:  Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me -  you did it to me."  Matthew 25

He did not say we do it for Him.  And I'm hearing and I'm trying to listen.  For my mind and heart to not just hear but to listen . . . 

He did not say I do it for Him.  But I do it to Him.  To my God, my Jesus, my Guide.  I am doing it to God.  If I hurt or neglect or forbid care . . .

I am doing it to my God.

And it couldn't be clearer.  But I muddy my mind with urgencies, burnish the surface of my cups and bowls so they sparkle while the insides are maggoty with greed and gluttony.  I manicure my grave plot, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh,  my Jesus says to me.

And as my Jesus said these things to the Pharisees in Matthew 23 He speaks them to me.  Am I a snake thinking I can worm my way out of this?  That I will not have to pay the Piper? my Jesus asks me.

And do we tremble at the face of God? 

Have I fed Jesus today?