April 6, 2025 ~ Fifth Sunday in Lent
Rev. Beckie Sweet ~ Drink from the Fountain of Grace
During this season of Lent, our worship services have centered around the theme “Drink from the Fountain of Grace” with each service focusing on the image of a CUP from which we would draw that drink. We started on Ash Wednesday with the Cup of Fasting, and then proceeded with the Broken Cup, the Cup of Living Water, the Cup You Choose, and the Cup of Discipleship. The images of these cups have been drawn from Scriptures which remind us that God sustains God’s people in the most basic of human ways. We are reminded of our humanity and God’s divinity, of our human thirst and God’s abundant fountain.
Today, we examine the Cup of Compassion. “Compassion” is a relatively old word, having originated in the 14th Century which the Miriam Webster Dictionary defines as: “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, often preached about and taught that Compassion includes Works of Mercy, and Works of Mercy are motivated by Compassion, and both are a means of God’s GRACE.
Since we are in a place of anticipating the arrival of a new pastor in July, I thought I would share with you an old story with a different twist. You see, a couple of decades ago there was a congregation that was anticipating the arrival of their new pastor. The pastor had been introduced to a small committee, but the rest of the congregation only had a verbal description of this new pastor. Likewise, the new pastor knew little about the congregation that HE was being sent to serve.
In anticipation of the Sunday in which this pastor was to be introduced in person, the pastor devised a plan to learn more about the congregation. Three weeks in advance, the pastor quit shaving. Two weeks before the day of the introduction, he quit showering. The week prior to his introduction he quit combing his hair and brushing his teeth. And the night before the introduction he picked out his most despicable clothing: torn jeans, a stained and smelly t-shirt, sneakers with holes in them, and a dirty baseball cap.
An hour prior to worship, he took his place, sitting on the front steps of the church with his head hung low. Most, as they arrived at church that morning, walked as far away from this man as possible. Some muttered derogatory comments to others. One woman brought him a cup of coffee in a “to go” cup. A few decided to use a different door. A child gave him her pinwheel. After the organ began to play, the chair of the Board brought the man in to sit behind the pulpit, from which he was introduced as the congregation’s new pastor.
His greeting to the congregation ~ “We have many ways in which we can grow as Christ’s disciples, and I will make that journey with you.”
We are called to see Jesus in other people, knowing that Jesus shows up to us in the faces of people we meet. Jesus is asking us to treat people like fellow beloved children of God.
Today’s scripture text from Matthew’s 25th chapter is just a short portion of Jesus teaching during his final week with the disciples. Here, he addresses the “Judgement of the Nations” and tells the story of the separation of the sheep from the goats. This passage is not just about helping people. It is about the judgment of whole communities and systems. Jesus is talking about what it will be like at the time of judgment and what kind of kin-dom or realm Jesus would like his followers to create and maintain. Both the sheep and the goats ask the question, “When did we see you…hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick or in prison?” The sheep embody God’s teaching while the goats just keep a “safe distance.” The sheep have cared for Jesus without even realizing it, by caring for those in need. The goats, on the other hand, wonder, “when did we see you.. and NOT take care of you?” If they had known that Jesus was present in the “least of these,” they would have taken care of him. Jesus wants everyone to be compassionate to others simply because they are human beings in need. That is the way he wants his kin-dom to operate.
What Jesus asks of his followers is pretty basic and straight forward: a drink, a meal, a visit, some clothing. The “cup” this week is a more literal one than in previous weeks. This is because one of the many things we focus on in Lent is our humanity, which includes our very human needs. What is important to Jesus in this passage is a very practical caring for the physical wellbeing of others – not just as an act of charity here and there, but as a way of living, or being compassionate in all our encounters.
In the midst of my research this week, I came across a meme on the Salvation Army website. It was a sign with two words and images that offered definition. The two words were COMPASSION and JUSTICE. It read: COMPASSION – When we see someone is drowning in a river and you respond by pulling them out. JUSTICE – When we go upstream and help people keep from falling into the river in the first place.
We are living in an age and culture when and where there are many reasons to act with compassion, because we see so much need around us and feel called to do what we can to alleviate the suffering. And there are times when we are called to address the systemic problems which perpetuate the suffering in the first place. Whether we are showing Compassion or seeking Justice, as followers of Jesus, we are called to see Jesus in others, in ALL others, and move from doing nothing to doing something about the suffering all around us.
So, I want you to do an experiment. Pick a day, any day when you will be out and about, and intentionally look for Jesus in every person you meet. Observe: does seeing Jesus in others change how you treat that person? How? And Why? Then, consider with others, how you felt compassion for those you encountered. Remember, Compassion is mercy in action. How might you take action to show compassion and to work toward systemic justice? How is God calling you to share the Cup of Compassion?