The Eyes of the Heart
November 26, 2023
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
Ephesians 1:11-23Matthew 25:31-45
“The Eyes of the Heart”
Courtney Chandler
It was my first call out of seminary. I was expecting my son, and I was sitting in the office with the church staff when the senior pastor said, “Hey, Courtney, did you see Jesus this Sunday?” I was confused by his question, so I wanted some clarity, “What do you mean, ‘did I see Jesus?’”
The pastor laughed and said, “Jesus was here on Sunday you didn’t know that?”
To which I responded, “I hope Jesus is here every Sunday.”
He laughed, “No. Look, he even filled out a visitor card.”
He handed me a visitor card, and there in perfect print, that looked almost as if it had been typed, was every single name ever used for Jesus: Jesus, Messiah, Emmanuel, Lord, Teacher, Rabboni, Son of David, Son of Man, The Light, The Hope, The Way, The Word…” It went on and on and filled both the front and back of the card.
I was impressed. My boss, not so much. He said, “He’s the guy with the dreadlocks. He obviously has some issues. He has been coming in and out of this church for years. One time we had an ordination service here and he came in and sat up front. I had to go ask him to move and told him those seats were reserved for dignitaries.”
I sat there for a moment and then said, “So let me get this straight, you asked Jesus to move to another pew because he wasn’t important enough to sit up front at an ordination service?”
The pastor laughed and said, “You’re too naïve. You’ll change. You’ll see…”
We’ll come back to this in a moment as there is more to the story…
_____________________________________________________________
Today is Christ the King Sunday. The day when we claim the mystery of the divine and say, without a shadow of a doubt, that we believe Christ is our lord. The day when we recognize that the Kingdom of God goes beyond all political parties and social status and calls us to see Christ as the one who reigns over all. Today, we as people of the christian faith, state our faith so loudly that we make it our mission to fulfill Christ’s mission in our world!
Or do we? Do we do all we can to fulfill Christ’s mission? Do we live into being the people God calls us to be and Christ teaches us to be? Do we look for Christ in the stranger? Do we see Christ and serve Christ? Or perhaps life has caused us to become so jaded that we struggle to see Christ in our midst? Do we help the stranger and those who are at risk and on the fringes? Or do we close our eyes to what is happening around us?
This apocalyptic text of Matthew 25 takes place after Jesus has warned of false prophets and told parables about the importance of being ready for the Kingdom of God. It is followed with Jesus and the disciples gathered for the last supper. Jesus goes to the garden and prays. Judas betrays Jesus. Jesus is arrested and Peter denies ever having any relationship with Jesus.
In the middle of these warnings and being betrayed, arrested and denied, Matthew inserts this story, this Parousia, or the second coming of Christ, a time when people will be separated, not by affirmation of faith, not by the forgiveness of sins, not by God’s grace, but rather by the good will and deeds they do for those on the fringes of society, those who are hurting and lost, those who are treated unjustly and unfairly, those who need love, compassion and most of all grace. What counts, according to this text, is whether or not one has acted with love and care towards those. For when you do it to the least of these, you do it to Christ. And it is through these acts that sheep and goats are separated.
In the story both sides are surprised when Jesus tells them what they did and did not do. They respond with, “When did we?” Or, “When did we not?” For one group, showing love to the stranger, the sick, the needy-is easy. For they see a need and try to meet that need. The other group is so blinded that they don’t even remember passing by the stranger who needs a helping hand.
In Matthew we read over and over again, the words of Jesus as he reminds us that is on the side of those who are hurting and in need. We are reminded that giving of ourselves in love and care and compassion to others is the heart of what God is calling us to do. This love for others is how we express love for God and is the heart of the Torah. It is this love for others that allows us to put our faith into action.
In the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he prays that the church may be filled with wisdom and that the eyes of their hearts may be opened so they may be enlightened to the point of knowing the hope that is found in Christ and sharing that hope.
Sometimes finding that hope can be difficult when the world feels hopeless. We are bombarded with images and stories of a hopeless world. And so we too find ourselves jaded and no longer able to see Christ in others let alone share the hope of Christ with those who need it the most. And yet, that is exactly what we are called to do. Matthew 25 makes it clear. So we pray that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened and we may see the hope of Christ even in the midst of a hopeless world. We pray that we may take our blinders off and open our eyes to see Christ and to serve Christ in the stranger on the street, the hungry child, the person who lives on the wrong side of the tracks, the one who is suffering from mental illness, the person who battles demons daily, the person in need of shelter and warm socks and shoes, the ones who finds themselves so lonely they cry themselves to sleep most nights. When we help others, we are putting our faith into action. Through these loving acts we share hope with those living in an era of hopelessness.
God’s kingdom is not some far off cosmic place. God’s kingdom is here. It is now. And as believers and followers of Christ, we are called to be active participants in that kingdom. It is not enough to sit idly by. Rather, we are called to action as a response to our faith.
I say this knowing that we will mess up. That’s ok. We are human. We will have moments where we are jaded and frustrated with systems and we will lack the hope we need to do God’s work.
In seminary we read a book called, “Good Goats: Healing Our Image of God.” In this simple little book with its brightly colored pictures, we follow the stories of the Linn family who come from a Catholic background and have worked as hospital chaplains and therapists and led spiritual retreats and workshops. In one section of the book, they talk about how they presented the ideas of their book to a group of retired nuns.
During the retreat they asked the question, “How many of you, even once in your life, have done what Jesus asks at the beginning of that passage, (Matthew 25), and fed a hungry person, clothed a naked person or visited a person in prison?” All of the sisters raised their hands. “That’s wonderful! You’re all sheep,” They said.
Then they asked, “How many of you, even once in your life, have walked by a hungry person, failed to clothe a naked person, or not visited someone in prison?” Slowly they all raised their hands and they said, “That’s too bad. You’re all goats.”
While most of the sisters looked worried, one of the retired nuns raised her hand and blurted out, “I get it! We’re all good goats!”
Yes! We are all good goats. Perfectly imperfect beings. We are going to mess up and not see Christ in the other and sometimes we will allow the broken world to get the better of us and cause us to close the eyes of our heart, but as long as we continue to try and see God in the stranger, then we will be living as imperfect sheep or good goats; however you chose to label yourself. No matter what, we have to continue to try to open our hearts and hands to those in need. It is how we exhibit our faith. It is how we live into being the community Christ calls us to be. It is how we display our love of God and Christ and the church. It is how we show that we are a people of hope. It is how we see that Christ is with us all ways and in all ways. Because to deny the stranger is to be like Peter and to essentially deny Christ.
_________________________________________
That pastor I mentioned earlier told me I would change. In some ways he was right, I have. I have had moments where I chose to ignore the least of these. I chose to not see the broken and needy. I confess to that sin. I try, but sometimes I fail, but I am always reminded to look for Jesus.
While I did not see the man who called himself Jesus on that particular Sunday when he filled out the visitors card, I did meet him once. It was almost 16 years ago. In fact, just before Liam was born, one of the last days I had at the church prior to maternity leave, I led a luncheon and meeting of our young adults following worship. During the announcements I invited everyone between the ages of 20-30 somethings to stay after and join us. Well, guess who showed up to church that day?
Jesus with the dreadlocks was there, in the front pew. And, as a 30 something year old, he fit into that age bracket. He stayed after church and joined us for lunch. He was quiet. He was peaceful. A little shy. He spoke to small groups of people, but mostly kept to himself. When our time together was over, I thanked him for joining us and he thanked me for my hospitality. He asked when the baby was due. I told him in a few weeks. I laughed and told him I lived in Bethlehem, (the little town in Georgia where I actually lived at the time), and he chuckled and said, “You are blessed and this child is blessed.” And that was the last time I saw the Jesus with the dreadlocks.
And while I have changed, as the pastor suggested I would, as I said, I have become a bit more jaded than I was back then, I still think of “Jesus,” and know that meeting him changed the way I viewed others. While I know that the man who called himself Jesus most likely had some issues, who am I to say he is not? After all, doesn’t Christ reside in all of us? Shouldn’t we treat those in need as if we are seeing Christ? I’m a long way from a perfect sheep, but I am constantly praying that the eyes of my heart open so I can see Christ and continue to be an active participant in the Kingdom of God here and now.
May we all have the eyes or our hearts open so we may see and we may participate in our hope filled faith and live out our lives as imperfect sheep, doing our best to share the hope we find through Christ, our King.
Amen.
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
Ephesians 1:11-23Matthew 25:31-45
“The Eyes of the Heart”
Courtney Chandler
It was my first call out of seminary. I was expecting my son, and I was sitting in the office with the church staff when the senior pastor said, “Hey, Courtney, did you see Jesus this Sunday?” I was confused by his question, so I wanted some clarity, “What do you mean, ‘did I see Jesus?’”
The pastor laughed and said, “Jesus was here on Sunday you didn’t know that?”
To which I responded, “I hope Jesus is here every Sunday.”
He laughed, “No. Look, he even filled out a visitor card.”
He handed me a visitor card, and there in perfect print, that looked almost as if it had been typed, was every single name ever used for Jesus: Jesus, Messiah, Emmanuel, Lord, Teacher, Rabboni, Son of David, Son of Man, The Light, The Hope, The Way, The Word…” It went on and on and filled both the front and back of the card.
I was impressed. My boss, not so much. He said, “He’s the guy with the dreadlocks. He obviously has some issues. He has been coming in and out of this church for years. One time we had an ordination service here and he came in and sat up front. I had to go ask him to move and told him those seats were reserved for dignitaries.”
I sat there for a moment and then said, “So let me get this straight, you asked Jesus to move to another pew because he wasn’t important enough to sit up front at an ordination service?”
The pastor laughed and said, “You’re too naïve. You’ll change. You’ll see…”
We’ll come back to this in a moment as there is more to the story…
_____________________________________________________________
Today is Christ the King Sunday. The day when we claim the mystery of the divine and say, without a shadow of a doubt, that we believe Christ is our lord. The day when we recognize that the Kingdom of God goes beyond all political parties and social status and calls us to see Christ as the one who reigns over all. Today, we as people of the christian faith, state our faith so loudly that we make it our mission to fulfill Christ’s mission in our world!
Or do we? Do we do all we can to fulfill Christ’s mission? Do we live into being the people God calls us to be and Christ teaches us to be? Do we look for Christ in the stranger? Do we see Christ and serve Christ? Or perhaps life has caused us to become so jaded that we struggle to see Christ in our midst? Do we help the stranger and those who are at risk and on the fringes? Or do we close our eyes to what is happening around us?
This apocalyptic text of Matthew 25 takes place after Jesus has warned of false prophets and told parables about the importance of being ready for the Kingdom of God. It is followed with Jesus and the disciples gathered for the last supper. Jesus goes to the garden and prays. Judas betrays Jesus. Jesus is arrested and Peter denies ever having any relationship with Jesus.
In the middle of these warnings and being betrayed, arrested and denied, Matthew inserts this story, this Parousia, or the second coming of Christ, a time when people will be separated, not by affirmation of faith, not by the forgiveness of sins, not by God’s grace, but rather by the good will and deeds they do for those on the fringes of society, those who are hurting and lost, those who are treated unjustly and unfairly, those who need love, compassion and most of all grace. What counts, according to this text, is whether or not one has acted with love and care towards those. For when you do it to the least of these, you do it to Christ. And it is through these acts that sheep and goats are separated.
In the story both sides are surprised when Jesus tells them what they did and did not do. They respond with, “When did we?” Or, “When did we not?” For one group, showing love to the stranger, the sick, the needy-is easy. For they see a need and try to meet that need. The other group is so blinded that they don’t even remember passing by the stranger who needs a helping hand.
In Matthew we read over and over again, the words of Jesus as he reminds us that is on the side of those who are hurting and in need. We are reminded that giving of ourselves in love and care and compassion to others is the heart of what God is calling us to do. This love for others is how we express love for God and is the heart of the Torah. It is this love for others that allows us to put our faith into action.
In the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he prays that the church may be filled with wisdom and that the eyes of their hearts may be opened so they may be enlightened to the point of knowing the hope that is found in Christ and sharing that hope.
Sometimes finding that hope can be difficult when the world feels hopeless. We are bombarded with images and stories of a hopeless world. And so we too find ourselves jaded and no longer able to see Christ in others let alone share the hope of Christ with those who need it the most. And yet, that is exactly what we are called to do. Matthew 25 makes it clear. So we pray that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened and we may see the hope of Christ even in the midst of a hopeless world. We pray that we may take our blinders off and open our eyes to see Christ and to serve Christ in the stranger on the street, the hungry child, the person who lives on the wrong side of the tracks, the one who is suffering from mental illness, the person who battles demons daily, the person in need of shelter and warm socks and shoes, the ones who finds themselves so lonely they cry themselves to sleep most nights. When we help others, we are putting our faith into action. Through these loving acts we share hope with those living in an era of hopelessness.
God’s kingdom is not some far off cosmic place. God’s kingdom is here. It is now. And as believers and followers of Christ, we are called to be active participants in that kingdom. It is not enough to sit idly by. Rather, we are called to action as a response to our faith.
I say this knowing that we will mess up. That’s ok. We are human. We will have moments where we are jaded and frustrated with systems and we will lack the hope we need to do God’s work.
In seminary we read a book called, “Good Goats: Healing Our Image of God.” In this simple little book with its brightly colored pictures, we follow the stories of the Linn family who come from a Catholic background and have worked as hospital chaplains and therapists and led spiritual retreats and workshops. In one section of the book, they talk about how they presented the ideas of their book to a group of retired nuns.
During the retreat they asked the question, “How many of you, even once in your life, have done what Jesus asks at the beginning of that passage, (Matthew 25), and fed a hungry person, clothed a naked person or visited a person in prison?” All of the sisters raised their hands. “That’s wonderful! You’re all sheep,” They said.
Then they asked, “How many of you, even once in your life, have walked by a hungry person, failed to clothe a naked person, or not visited someone in prison?” Slowly they all raised their hands and they said, “That’s too bad. You’re all goats.”
While most of the sisters looked worried, one of the retired nuns raised her hand and blurted out, “I get it! We’re all good goats!”
Yes! We are all good goats. Perfectly imperfect beings. We are going to mess up and not see Christ in the other and sometimes we will allow the broken world to get the better of us and cause us to close the eyes of our heart, but as long as we continue to try and see God in the stranger, then we will be living as imperfect sheep or good goats; however you chose to label yourself. No matter what, we have to continue to try to open our hearts and hands to those in need. It is how we exhibit our faith. It is how we live into being the community Christ calls us to be. It is how we display our love of God and Christ and the church. It is how we show that we are a people of hope. It is how we see that Christ is with us all ways and in all ways. Because to deny the stranger is to be like Peter and to essentially deny Christ.
_________________________________________
That pastor I mentioned earlier told me I would change. In some ways he was right, I have. I have had moments where I chose to ignore the least of these. I chose to not see the broken and needy. I confess to that sin. I try, but sometimes I fail, but I am always reminded to look for Jesus.
While I did not see the man who called himself Jesus on that particular Sunday when he filled out the visitors card, I did meet him once. It was almost 16 years ago. In fact, just before Liam was born, one of the last days I had at the church prior to maternity leave, I led a luncheon and meeting of our young adults following worship. During the announcements I invited everyone between the ages of 20-30 somethings to stay after and join us. Well, guess who showed up to church that day?
Jesus with the dreadlocks was there, in the front pew. And, as a 30 something year old, he fit into that age bracket. He stayed after church and joined us for lunch. He was quiet. He was peaceful. A little shy. He spoke to small groups of people, but mostly kept to himself. When our time together was over, I thanked him for joining us and he thanked me for my hospitality. He asked when the baby was due. I told him in a few weeks. I laughed and told him I lived in Bethlehem, (the little town in Georgia where I actually lived at the time), and he chuckled and said, “You are blessed and this child is blessed.” And that was the last time I saw the Jesus with the dreadlocks.
And while I have changed, as the pastor suggested I would, as I said, I have become a bit more jaded than I was back then, I still think of “Jesus,” and know that meeting him changed the way I viewed others. While I know that the man who called himself Jesus most likely had some issues, who am I to say he is not? After all, doesn’t Christ reside in all of us? Shouldn’t we treat those in need as if we are seeing Christ? I’m a long way from a perfect sheep, but I am constantly praying that the eyes of my heart open so I can see Christ and continue to be an active participant in the Kingdom of God here and now.
May we all have the eyes or our hearts open so we may see and we may participate in our hope filled faith and live out our lives as imperfect sheep, doing our best to share the hope we find through Christ, our King.
Amen.
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