Christ in disguise
This is a challenging passage of Scripture. I think everyone who cares about being a disciple of Jesus hears these words and feels a little twinge of fear wondering if we are doing all we can.
Jesus is going to judge all of humanity, and what is the basis on which he going to judge humanity? He is going to judge humanity on the basis of how they treated him when he came to them in a kind of disguise. He is disguised as the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned.
There are a couple of ways we can interpret this passage. To the original hearers they would have probably heard Jesus speaking about his disciples going out to the nations. Jesus speaks about the “least of these my brothers and sisters”, which would most likely refer to his disciples. You might remember that when Jesus sends out his disciples in Luke chapter 10 he gives them directions saying,
“Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, … Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ … And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide” (Luke 10:4, 5, 7).
The disciples were very much reliant on the hospitality of those they met. What this passage is saying is that how his disciples were received or not received is experienced by Jesus very personally. It’s as if Jesus was in the clothes of his disciple experiencing being accepted or rejected.
Think about Paul before his conversion while he was still persecuting Christians and then Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus. Paul asks, “Who are you, Lord?” And Jesus says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). Jesus says that what Paul was doing to his followers, he was actually doing to him. Jesus didn’t say “you are persecuting my people” he says that Paul was persecuting him.
As his disciples go out to the peoples of the world to share the gospel they will be treated hospitably or not. So at the end of the age all the peoples of the world will be gathered together and they will be judged on the basis of how they received the followers of Christ. … if you are a follower of Christ and someone has mistreated you because you are his follower it is taken personally by Jesus. He takes it so personally that what has been done to you he considers it done to him personally.
This is both good news and quite challenging for us. It is good news in that it means that Jesus has our back. As we try to follow him and minister to those around us- as we try to be Christians in the world for the sake of others- Jesus sees himself as right there with us. For those who receive us, Jesus sees them as receiving him. For those who reject us, Jesus sees them as rejecting him. … Jesus is with you in a powerfully intimate way. It shows the deep identification Jesus has with us.
This is also challenging for us though. It means that how we treat our fellow Christians is how Jesus sees us treating him. If we gossip against a fellow Christian we are gossiping against him. If we quarrel with a fellow Christian, we are quarreling with Christ. If we ignore a Christian teenager, or get upset that a child in church is a bit noisy- Jesus sees us as doing that to him. This goes across denominational lines as well. How do we feel about Roman Catholics, or Baptists, or Pentecostals? If we look down on other kinds of Christians because of their style of worship, for example, Jesus sees us as looking down on him. If Christians in other parts of the world are being persecuted, as they have been under ISIS, and we ignore their cry, then we have ignored the cry of Christ.
On the other hand, when we serve fellow Christians across the world, especially when they are in trouble, Jesus sees us as serving him. When we bless and love our Christian brothers and sisters in other denominations, then Jesus receives that love as being directed to him. When we treat our brothers and sisters in our own church with honour, love, and respect, then Jesus sees that as being directed to him. … So in this interpretation of the “least of these” as the disciples of Jesus we can feel both the good news and the strong challenge.
The second way we can interpret this passage is to see the “least of these my brothers and sisters” as the suffering of humanity. This is the way Mother Teresa has interpreted this passage. She often called poverty the “distressing disguise” of Jesus. The Rule of St. Benedict directs the monks to welcome every stranger as if they are welcoming Christ (Chapter 53). While the first reading would be a more accurate reading historically, reading “the least” as being the poor in general is also in line with the call of Jesus, and in line with the thrust of the Scriptures in general.
Often throughout the Old Testament the prophets call judgement on the people for the way they have treated the vulnerable. In Isaiah 58 we read,
Think about Paul before his conversion while he was still persecuting Christians and then Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus. Paul asks, “Who are you, Lord?” And Jesus says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). Jesus says that what Paul was doing to his followers, he was actually doing to him. Jesus didn’t say “you are persecuting my people” he says that Paul was persecuting him.
As his disciples go out to the peoples of the world to share the gospel they will be treated hospitably or not. So at the end of the age all the peoples of the world will be gathered together and they will be judged on the basis of how they received the followers of Christ. … if you are a follower of Christ and someone has mistreated you because you are his follower it is taken personally by Jesus. He takes it so personally that what has been done to you he considers it done to him personally.
This is both good news and quite challenging for us. It is good news in that it means that Jesus has our back. As we try to follow him and minister to those around us- as we try to be Christians in the world for the sake of others- Jesus sees himself as right there with us. For those who receive us, Jesus sees them as receiving him. For those who reject us, Jesus sees them as rejecting him. … Jesus is with you in a powerfully intimate way. It shows the deep identification Jesus has with us.
This is also challenging for us though. It means that how we treat our fellow Christians is how Jesus sees us treating him. If we gossip against a fellow Christian we are gossiping against him. If we quarrel with a fellow Christian, we are quarreling with Christ. If we ignore a Christian teenager, or get upset that a child in church is a bit noisy- Jesus sees us as doing that to him. This goes across denominational lines as well. How do we feel about Roman Catholics, or Baptists, or Pentecostals? If we look down on other kinds of Christians because of their style of worship, for example, Jesus sees us as looking down on him. If Christians in other parts of the world are being persecuted, as they have been under ISIS, and we ignore their cry, then we have ignored the cry of Christ.
On the other hand, when we serve fellow Christians across the world, especially when they are in trouble, Jesus sees us as serving him. When we bless and love our Christian brothers and sisters in other denominations, then Jesus receives that love as being directed to him. When we treat our brothers and sisters in our own church with honour, love, and respect, then Jesus sees that as being directed to him. … So in this interpretation of the “least of these” as the disciples of Jesus we can feel both the good news and the strong challenge.
The second way we can interpret this passage is to see the “least of these my brothers and sisters” as the suffering of humanity. This is the way Mother Teresa has interpreted this passage. She often called poverty the “distressing disguise” of Jesus. The Rule of St. Benedict directs the monks to welcome every stranger as if they are welcoming Christ (Chapter 53). While the first reading would be a more accurate reading historically, reading “the least” as being the poor in general is also in line with the call of Jesus, and in line with the thrust of the Scriptures in general.
Often throughout the Old Testament the prophets call judgement on the people for the way they have treated the vulnerable. In Isaiah 58 we read,
“Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, … if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday” (Is 58:5-7,10).
Psalm 68 says that God is the “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows” (Ps 68:5). Exodus explicitly commands, “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child” (Ex 22:22). Deuteronomy 10 says, God “executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing” (Deut 10:18). God rescues a group of slaves and makes them the people of God. We could go on, but I think we can see from a few examples that God has a particular care for the vulnerable. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t care for the rich and powerful, but there is particular attention given to the poor and vulnerable that live on the margins of society.
Jesus too was particularly concerned with those on the margins who fell through the cracks- those who had been rejected or written off. Women were often not treated well in the ancient world, but Jesus’ treatment of women was incredibly generous in comparison to the societal norm of his day. Children were often ignored and treated as a nuisance. When Jesus finds out that his disciples are trying to keep the children from bothering their master he tells them to let them come to him. In Matthew 18 Jesus,
Jesus too was particularly concerned with those on the margins who fell through the cracks- those who had been rejected or written off. Women were often not treated well in the ancient world, but Jesus’ treatment of women was incredibly generous in comparison to the societal norm of his day. Children were often ignored and treated as a nuisance. When Jesus finds out that his disciples are trying to keep the children from bothering their master he tells them to let them come to him. In Matthew 18 Jesus,
“calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt 18:2-6).
Jesus often directs people to help the poor and even commands us to do good even to our enemies. So clearly a second way of interpreting the “least of these my brothers and sisters” as being the vulnerable and needy of humanity is not out of line with Jesus and his teachings. It has actually been an ancient way for Christians to interpret this passage.
What is Jesus saying with this teaching? He is saying that he comes to us in need but somehow disguised and we help him or we don’t and we will be judged on that basis. It is about how we treat Jesus in the other person. I suspect Jesus is concerned with our character and how willing we are to love the other. If we didn’t know Jesus how would we receive Jesus on the basis of our character. Have we developed into the kind of people who would receive Jesus and help him if he came to us and we didn’t know him? If we lived in ancient Palestine when Jesus was roaming around the countryside preaching, how would we receive him. Would we bring food out to him and his disciples, or would we see him as a nuisance and a distraction from our work? Paul doesn’t seem to have ever met Jesus, but he definitely persecuted the disciples of Jesus, and in that action Paul exposes himself as the kind of person who would have also persecuted Jesus.
We could interpret this passage to say Jesus has a mystical connection with his followers or the poor and vulnerable, but I suspect what Jesus is really getting at is what kind of a person is being exposed when we encounter those in need. Is a loving, hospitable heart exposed? Is it the kind of heart that would receive and serve Christ if he were to come to us? His words to those who gather will be “come… inherit the kingdom” or “depart from me”. Those who welcomed the presence of Christ will receive more intimacy with Christ in his kingdom. And those who rejected the presence of Christ will get more of what they wanted- they will depart from the presence of Christ who is the source of all good things.
So may we recognize Christ in each other. May we recognize him in the stranger. In the refugee. May we see Jesus in the teenager at church who is always there but we have never had a conversation with. May we serve Christ in the shut in. May we love Christ in the poor and rejected. May we receive the stranger as if it is Christ himself walking through our doors because it just might be him- in his distressing disguise.
What is Jesus saying with this teaching? He is saying that he comes to us in need but somehow disguised and we help him or we don’t and we will be judged on that basis. It is about how we treat Jesus in the other person. I suspect Jesus is concerned with our character and how willing we are to love the other. If we didn’t know Jesus how would we receive Jesus on the basis of our character. Have we developed into the kind of people who would receive Jesus and help him if he came to us and we didn’t know him? If we lived in ancient Palestine when Jesus was roaming around the countryside preaching, how would we receive him. Would we bring food out to him and his disciples, or would we see him as a nuisance and a distraction from our work? Paul doesn’t seem to have ever met Jesus, but he definitely persecuted the disciples of Jesus, and in that action Paul exposes himself as the kind of person who would have also persecuted Jesus.
We could interpret this passage to say Jesus has a mystical connection with his followers or the poor and vulnerable, but I suspect what Jesus is really getting at is what kind of a person is being exposed when we encounter those in need. Is a loving, hospitable heart exposed? Is it the kind of heart that would receive and serve Christ if he were to come to us? His words to those who gather will be “come… inherit the kingdom” or “depart from me”. Those who welcomed the presence of Christ will receive more intimacy with Christ in his kingdom. And those who rejected the presence of Christ will get more of what they wanted- they will depart from the presence of Christ who is the source of all good things.
So may we recognize Christ in each other. May we recognize him in the stranger. In the refugee. May we see Jesus in the teenager at church who is always there but we have never had a conversation with. May we serve Christ in the shut in. May we love Christ in the poor and rejected. May we receive the stranger as if it is Christ himself walking through our doors because it just might be him- in his distressing disguise.
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