Children’s Sermon

Matthew 25:31-46

Christ the King

By Dr. Dan Wuori

Today is a very special day in the church. We call it The Feast of Christ the King – and it is the last Sunday before we begin the four weeks of Advent, which is the time we prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

This week’s gospel lesson is one of my very favorites. Jesus tells his followers a story about the day they will gather before him to enter heaven – and (as he sometimes does) he confuses them just a little by explaining that they will enter heaven because they’ve taken such good care of him.

He tells them that when he was hungry they gave him food and when he was thirsty they gave him a drink. He tells them that they took care of him when he was sick and welcomed him warmly when he was a stranger.

But the people are a little surprised to hear this from Jesus – in the same way that we might be. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had a chance to take care of Jesus when he was sick – or to give him food or a drink – and neither had many of them. So they said to him, “Jesus, when did this happen? We don’t remember doing all these things for you!”

And what he tells them is one of the most important lessons in the whole Bible. He explains that when we do these things for others who really need them – when we feed the hungry and take care of the sick… when we do good things for other people here on Earth – that we’re actually doing these things for him.

Jesus’ story helps us to remember that we do God’s work every day – and that we never quite know all the places we meet him. What a perfect story to lead us into the first Sunday of Advent, when we begin celebrating the coming of Jesus in the most surprising (and normal) of ways: as a tiny baby.

Shall we pray?

Dear God,

As we prepare our hearts and minds for Advent, help us to remember that we do your work on Earth as we take care of others in need.

Amen.

Copyright 2008, Dan Wuori. Used by permission.