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Transcript

Every Christian is a Servant 5

Father Peter Farrington

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In the last meditation on service for this week I want to think about the words of the Lord Jesus when he is talking about how we will be judged in the end of things. He says,

Whatever you did to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did for me.

These words can and should be understood in two ways, by those who are Sunday School servants, or have another service in the Church, and by all of us in the Church, called to serve God and one another. When we serve others in this service, what a wonderful thing to have in mind that we are serving God. This child, and this young person, is Christ to us. Our service to them is not only seen by God who calls us and equips us, but it is received by Christ as a service personally and directly to him.

Can we imagine that Christ is sitting in our Sunday School class? How would we prepare and how much attention would we give to the service if our Lord Jesus was there and would hear us and participate in the lesson? When it becomes harder for us to keep committed, or when a child or youth is showing challenging behaviour, it is helpful for us to remember that Christ is in this child and we are serving Christ as we give our time and live to others.

But if we are serving Christ in each of these then the mistakes we make, our harsh words, our laziness, our jealousy of others, our complaints and grumbles, these are also what we are doing to Christ. Do we want to think of ourselves as complaining about Jesus Christ, or being lazy or distracted in our service to Jesus Christ. Or even being jealous and envious of Christ. But this is what is happening when we are like this with our fellow servants and the children and young people we are serving. Each of these is Christ to us. What you have said and done and thought about the least of these you have done to me.

Of course these are not only things that we should think about if we are a Sunday School servant. This applies to us all. We are all to be servants and we are all to understand that everything we think and say and do about and to others is actually what we think and say and do to Christ.

If we are critical and complaining about someone it is the same as if we are criticising and complaining about Jesus. If we are envious and jealous, it is the same as us we are envious and jealous of Christ. If we gossip or undermine someone in the Church, it is as if we are undermining and gossipping about Christ.

Yet it need not be like that of course. If we are kind and thoughtful, if we are patient and tolerant towards others in the Church, this is also as if we were kind and thoughtful to Christ. If we say something encouraging it is as if we are saying something encouraging to Christ. If we are generous with our time and income and abilities, then it is as if we are generous to Christ.

In our service and in our life in the Church this is always the choice. Everything we think and say and do to others is said and done to Christ, and this is a matter of great comfort and blessing, as well as a cause for repentance and judgement of ourselves.

To see Christ in every person in the Church, especially in our service, is to discover the value of each one, their eternal worth in the eyes of God.

What you have said and done to the least of these, you have done to me.

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