Loving God, you call us today to recognize your continued presence in this world through the Spirit of Jesus. Teach us to think and to act as representatives of Christ and to recognize him in others; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

There's a story that's been making the rounds on the Internet for a while that goes something like this: One Sunday morning, a man comes to visit a local church. When he pulls into a parking spot, somebody comes up and taps on his windshield and says, "You took my place! I always park there." Obligingly, the man moves his car to a different parking spot. Once inside the church, he goes to attend the adult Bible study. He takes a seat, and soon a woman comes up and says, "You took my place. I always sit in that chair." So the man moves to a different chair. When it comes time for the worship service, the man goes into the sanctuary and sits down. Once again, a man comes up and says, "You took my place. I always sit in that pew." At this point the man stands up and his whole appearance changes. The wounds and the crown of thorns soon become visible as he says to everybody, "I took your place!" Then he disappears from their sight.

There are a number of messages to be found in this story, including the question of how welcome Jesus would be in his own church. It also raises some other questions for us: What difference would it make if we treated every person who walks into this church as if they are Jesus? What difference would it make if we treated every person we meet as if they are Jesus? Today's gospel focuses on welcoming those who belong to Christ as if they are Christ himself. Other gospel passages focus more on ministering to the needs of others as if they are Christ himself (Mt. 25:31-46). Could it be that we meet Jesus almost every day, and possibly don't even know it?

Abraham and Sarah entertained angels without knowing it (Gen. 18-19). Some disciples in the village of Emmaus welcomed the risen Christ for dinner and didn't know it (Lk. 24:13-35). There are also some stories in Italian legend about a day when Jesus and his disciples traveled through Europe and Africa. Invariably, those who welcome Jesus and his disciples and treat them well are blessed as a result of this experience. However, those who are willing to welcome Jesus only after finding out who he is manage to turn that same blessing into a curse. [Source: Stories for the Journey by William R. White, pp. 75-78]

In these busy, individualistic times we seem to have lost the art of welcoming strangers or even brothers and sisters in Christ into our homes. One church in Dallas, Texas, however, tried to put this very thing into practice through something called the "Dallas Project." [Source: The Wittenburg Door, March/April 2005, p. 47] The Dallas Project involved families taking homeless people into their homes. This church had done some calculations and figured that if every church, mosque or synagogue in the U.S. gave shelter to only one or two homeless people, there would no longer be any homelessness in the country. Although many people in this particular church did get involved and did take people into their homes, the organizers were greatly discouraged by the response of other churches who didn't wish to get involved. Yet, is not giving food or shelter or clothing to one of the "least of these" the same as giving it to Jesus (Mt. 25:40)?

We are challenged today to continue thinking about welcoming and ministering to Jesus as we welcome and minister to the people around us. Yet, at the same time we are challenged to think about Christ's presence in and through us. Did you notice how it was phrased in the gospel for today? "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me" (Mt. 10:40). Whoever welcomes you or I is welcoming Jesus. In other words, we are representatives of Christ! We are Christ for others. Christ is present in this world in us and through us, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Can there be any greater calling?

Many of you are probably aware of the ongoing campaign that asks, "What Would Jesus Do?" It is an important question to ask, especially when we realize that we are the representatives of Christ in this world. It is also a question that can only be answered as we are familiar with the Scriptures and with what we know about Jesus through the Scriptures. We cannot be representatives of Christ without first knowing Christ as intimately as we possibly can!

That being said, there is a good example of what it might mean to be Christ for others that is shared in the video study, "What's So Amazing About Grace?". Ann Spangler tells about an incident at the pregnancy counseling center that she had started in order to try to dissuade women from seeking abortion. On one particular cold winter day, a group of pro-choice protesters had gathered outside the counseling center. She and some other board members asked themselves what they should do as followers of Christ and decided that they would take out some hot coffee and donuts to the protesters. Of course, the protesters didn't quite know what to do with this gracious act, but some actual conversations and some increased understanding resulted between protesters and board members. In the context of the study, this act is seen as just one example of how we can be dispensers of grace in this world.

Now, of course it's easy to start thinking that these people are somehow better than we are or more gifted than we are. It's easy to say, "I could never do that." It's a scary thing to think of ourselves as representatives of Christ in this world. Yet, there is not a special set of skills that is required or a large amount of faith. The only thing that God needs from us is an openness to allowing God to work through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's one of those things where we only discover what God can accomplish through us once we step out in faith and allow the Spirit to work through us.
And so, God might use us to minister to another person in a time of need, or to pray with somebody, or to share the good news of God's grace and love through Jesus Christ. In any of these things, we do it only by the power of the Holy Spirit as we are sent out as representatives of Christ in this world.

The truth is that what role we are in is going to change from day to day and from time to time. Sometimes we are the people who are being sent out in order to be the presence of Christ in the world. Sometimes we are the people who are being welcomed and ministered to because we are followers of Christ. However, sometimes we are the people doing the welcoming, and ministering to others as if they are Christ.

Whatever role we might be in, we do it by the power of the Holy Spirit and in response to what Jesus has first done for us: Giving his life in loving service in order that we might have life rather than death, forgiveness rather than condemnation, and union with God rather than separation from God. Let us then live to the praise of his glory. Amen.

Proper 8(A) Matthew 10:40-42
June 26, 2005
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore

? 2005 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved