Monday, March 22, 2010
Not the End
As I watched President Obama address the Democrats last Saturday, I was moved to tweet and FB this passage from the Gospel According to Matthew 25:30-40. In that context it was to show agreement with the notion that there are times when what is right and true must be done, regardless the personal cost. In the context of today’s post, the same passage applies to support the argument being developed here this Lent that death is not the end, only the point of transformation. True to Matthean style, whatever it is that follows entails a moral component subject to judgment. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory” is the clue which alerts the reader to an exposition of a belief which is subject to perception and interpretation. What appears to be not as subjective is the conviction that death is not the end. As we draw ever nearer to Easter 2010, it is my prayer that this profound truth may be found worthy of closer examination.
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When I read that particular passage in Matthew, I am struck by the use of the singular pronoun you. I believe that the Savior was speaking of my duty in relation to my fellow man, and that these actions were not something that I could delegate to others. If for example, I take another persons clothing to give to one who is I naked, that requires no sacrifice on my part, as the clothing was not mine to give. The same could apply to the other examples. I believe that the intended message here was for me to be aware of the circumstances of those around me, and for me to attend to their needs, not pass it off to someone else. This was a parable to encourage selflessness in the individual.
ReplyDeleteThere is no question that society is benefited when individual sacrifice for the benefit of another is encouraged. But only when those actions are undertaken through one’s own free will, is the maximum benefit derived.
I wholeheartedly agree with your sage interpretation.
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