Monday of the First Week of Lent
I am amazed at how much my day to day life of discipleship is influenced by my thinking. This may sound simple but have you ever noticed how one thought, given a chance, can grow in your mind and govern your whole attitude and way of seeing the world for an entire day—or longer? There are times when I realize I have allowed a conflict or resentment or a judgmental thought to grow in my mind and take over my thinking. Before I know it, my behavior is affected. When this happens, I find myself far away from God. I find I have taken control and I find myself justifying that thinking and the subsequent behavior. I also find I am restless and unhappy and very self absorbed. If I have accepted the call of Christ I must realize that it begins with first aligning my thinking with Jesus. When I “think” like Jesus I find am very close to God. I surrender control to him and let him “justify” what I am doing. Also, I realize that this is when I am able to live “other absorbed”—caring for and about others, much less concerned about myself and my agenda, and I am at peace.
In today’s Gospel passage from Matthew Jesus is describing the last judgment. The Son of Man seated upon his throne separates the righteous from the unrighteous—the sheep from the goats. To the sheep on his right Jesus says, “Come, you blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Mt 25:34). To the goats on his left he says, “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41). The criteria Jesus uses here are the corporal works of mercy—feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the stranger, visiting the sick and imprisoned.
These are straightforward acts of charity that all authentic Christians strive to accomplish in their life of discipleship. What is striking in this passage is the nearly identical response of both those on his right and those on his left to Jesus when he gives them their final judgment. The “just” on his right ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you drink? Or when did we see you a stranger and took you in? Or naked and covered you? Or when did we see you sick or in prison and came to you?” (Mt 25:37-39). Similarly, those on his left asked Jesus the same. And Jesus response to both is the same: “Amen I say to you, as long as you did it (did it not) to one of the least of my brethren, you did it (did it not) to me” (Mt 25:40, 45). What is it that the just and unjust do not see? It seems that there are two completely different ways of thinking presented in this passage. The just on Jesus right hand are surprised that the works they have done have gained them eternal life. They seem genuinely puzzled that the way they lived their lives of faith merits this reward. So also, the unjust on Jesus left are equally amazed that their lives have merited eternal punishment.
It seems to me that even if I have believed Jesus and professed my belief in him, it is meaningless until that faith is proven genuine by expression in the works Jesus describes. You see, I believe this is directly related to how I am thinking. When I think like Jesus (put on the mind of Christ) and am aligned with God, I feel compelled to be “other absorbed”, loving my neighbor in whatever circumstances I find myself. Opportunities to engage in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy will be evident to me with no effort on my part. The world will be teeming with neighbors in need and my response will be automatic and motivated by love—not by hope of reward for myself. Just so, when I do not think like Jesus, not aligned with God, I am much more likely to find I am self absorbed and motivated to execute my personal agenda, unaware of and unconcerned about the needs of others. How can I possibly live as a disciple with this type of thinking?
Among the many gifts I am given by God, one of the most powerful is the ability to use my will to direct my thinking. In all things I must pay attention, capture my thoughts, make a decision, and direct my thinking to Christ. My only hope to “talk like Jesus and act like Jesus” is to begin here—thinking like Jesus. It is only from that point all else in my life of discipleship will flow. I pray I may I remain constantly aware of this basic, simple challenge on my journey of faith.
Holy Father in heaven,
Place the desire in me to think as your son Jesus.
Remove any fear or habit of thinking that keeps me
from putting on the mind of Christ.
Help me to live “other absorbed”,
responsive to the needs of my neighbor.
In Jesus name, I pray
AMEN
Gail Lyman