Good Friday

​Date: Friday, March 29
Contributor: Elizabeth Stoltz
Lectionary Link https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearABC_RCL/HolyWk/GoodFri_RCL.html
 
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, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
 
 
And Jesus will answer as the King to the questions put to him.  I believe that this is the most important message for us Christians.  It is a message of love, and we have been given this message to follow in the length of our lives.
 
 
In ancient Greece, the people believed that hospitality was of extreme importance.  The gods they believed in could take the form of their neighbor, a visitor or an important person.  So they never knew if it was a regular person or a personification of a god whom they encountered.  That mystery has been solved for us with these words of Jesus.  He IS the person who is naked, the person in prison, your crabby next door neighbor, your political leader, the immigrant at the border.  We are asked to treat each person we know, and those we don't know, as if they are Jesus.  How changed our lives would be if we would see the Jesus-like person inside of everyone. 
  
And when we don't see, Jesus is there on the Cross, suffering, saying I will take the weight of your inaction, your lack of compassion, your unwillingness to see, myself.  And I will forgive you.