What about the Boy?

Another photo pulled from the walls of Facebook.  At first, it appears well intended.  An honorable request to stay grateful for the things we have access to.  Clean water, food, and healthcare.  This is good, to remember that we have it so much better than anyone else in the world.  But this is just another one of those Facebook photo's that is best left in the photo gallery.  Unless you want to write a blog about what you do after your prayer of forgiveness for being ungrateful.

I will say that the person that posted it where I got it not got step one complete, which is recognize the needs outside their home, but actually pack up and go help fell those needs.  And I can tell that they'll never be the same again.  This photo was just one part of their story.  I'm just here to take that photo and provide blog fodder.  I just want to be clear, I'm not talking about anyone that may have posted this photo.  I've seen several.  I'm going to talk about what I think when I see it.  In a very blunt way.

So it's ok if the boy drinks from the mud puddle as long as you are grateful for what you have?  This photo says nothing about your heart being broken for what breaks Jesus's heart.  So you ask forgiveness for being ungrateful.  Now what?  You are grateful for what you have.  Not really.  You didn't pray for God to help you be more grateful of what you have.  You prayed a forgiveness prayer, not a prayer to change.  However, it says "if" I'm ever ungrateful.  Almost like it's ok to live in our comfort, but should we ever be ungrateful....forgive me.

What about the boy?  What does Jesus say if we see someone thirsty and do nothing?  What about someone hungry?  What about the naked, cold and lonely?  What happens when we do nothing?  Nothing happens and Jesus denies us when we deny Jesus.  He says the hungry are him.  And those that ignore the least of these are ignoring him.  So what do you do when you see people eating mud cookies?  Yes.  People that have nothing to eat are forced to eat mud cookies just to fill their bellies.

I'm beginning to think there is truth in "sell everything and follow me".  That's all for today.

Matthew 25:31-46 The Message 

The Sheep and the Goats 

 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’

 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

I was homeless and you gave me no bed,

I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,

Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”