Seeing the Face of Jesus in “the Least of These”

When I first came to Christ in the “Jesus Movement,” following Jesus as the Way on the Way meant dropping out, having long hair and wearing sandals (“Jesus boots”). While that may be an extreme example, it’s not uncommon for people to have a fairly superficial version of what “the Jesus Way” looks like. What does it look like for you? Is it wearing (or not wearing) certain kinds of clothes? Is it avoiding (or listening to/watching) certain kinds of music? Movies? TV shows? Is it the nature of your vocabulary? Your political party affiliation?

First of all, let me make be clear in pointing out that “the Jesus Way” is a supernatural way of life. It cannot simply be imitated or scheduled. It has to be informed by Scripture and empowered by God’s Spirit.

That becomes increasingly clear as well consider the life, ministry and teaching of Jesus. Jesus had a unique perspective that resulted in a unique response to people and circumstances. One of the clearest examples is found in “the Parable of the Sheep and Goats” (Matthew 25:31-46). In this story Jesus contrasts the values and life-decisions of his “sheep” who have chosen to follow him and the goats who have chosen to go their own way and do their own thing. There are so many amazing things about this story so let me point out just a couple of them: first of all, Jesus provides a consistent list of behaviors that pertain to both groups – giving food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, inviting the stranger (alien, foreigner) in, providing clothes to those who need them, looking after the sick, and visiting those in prison. (People were imprisoned for a variety of questionable reasons in those days and no attempt was made by the prison system to care for the incarcerated.) In every case, these behaviors are aimed at those who do not have the power to care for their own needs; they are the relatively powerless in society. It is assumed that the “sheep” have sufficient resources themselves and that they are sensitive to those who are under-resourced. Those who are following Jesus in “the Way” have learned to see “the least of these” the way Jesus sees them, and share his response to them, finding meaningful ways to empower the powerless.

But the perspective (and response) of Jesus goes even further: Jesus begins his list of Kingdom responses and behaviors by saying, “I was hungry . . . I was thirsty . . . I was a stranger . . . I needed clothes . . . I was sick . . . I was in prison.” Both the sheep and the goats failed to understand this claim of Jesus. “When did you see you hungry . . . or thirsty . . . a stranger . . . needing clothes . . . sick or in prison?” The reply of Jesus to this question is the central point of the parable: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.” We know it is the primary point because Jesus begins it with, “Truly I tell you” (literally Amen, I say to you). Jesus fully identifies himself with his brothers and sisters, with those the Father has created. Remember Paul’s statement that Jesus is “the firstborn over all creation,” that all things have been created “through him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-17). Every human being is a unique creation of God, designed with eternal significance; every person, not just Christ followers, has a unique relationship to Jesus. He sees everyone as a member of his (created) family. In fact, Jesus has such a profound and complete solidarity with every person, he sees himself in them – and he invites his followers to see his face in every person. Only then is it possible to respond to every person in the same way Jesus responded to them.

Furthermore, scripture confirms the fact that Jesus has a special relationship with “the least [smallest, most insignificant] of these.” Perhaps it’s because they are the relatively powerless in the world, those who cannot fully care for themselves, those who are often ignored (or exploited and oppressed) by the powerful of the world. As a Good Shepherd, Jesus is passionately committed to care for those who will not be cared for otherwise – and he anticipates that those on the Way with him will do the same.

Some of the saints in church history have been given a special gift of seeing the face of Jesus in “the least of these.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta testified that she saw the face of Jesus in the face of each sick and dying person she helped. In the 1950s she founded the Missionaries of Charity, committed to caring for “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, and all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to society and are shunned by everyone.” She understood the passionate commitment of Jesus to the vulnerable and rejected and she was given the grace to see the face of Jesus in their faces.

Do we have anyone like that in LaGrange and Troup County? Do you have anyone like that in your neighborhood? Your family? Your home? If so, do you see the face of Jesus in their face, or are they just an irritant, an inconvenience? The challenge of walking with Jesus on the Way surely includes the challenging of seeing every person the way Jesus sees them and responding to them as if they were his brothers or sisters, those dear to his heart – because in fact, they are just that!