Hosting the Hungry
Matthew 12:1-2
At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. v. 1
“These people are our guests!”
I once took a group of young people from our suburban congregation to help at an inner-city Milwaukee church. We helped prepare and serve a Saturday noon meal. We made soup and sandwiches from lunch meat that had passed the “sell by” date.
Before we served, the priest sat down with us and shared some wise words. He reminded us that the people about to enter that church basement were our guests. Yes, some were homeless, some were dirty, some were on drugs, some abused alcohol, some had mental health issues. But for this meal, they were our guests. As we served them, as we brought around coffee and milk, we were told to address each person as “sir” or ‘madam.”
He informed us that we should not only serve, but also take our place at the table with them. We shouldn’t just find our own table and sit with each other, but we should sit with our guests and attempt to engage them in conversation. Most guests didn’t engage. They greedily ate the meal, then got up and left. As we sat down, however, we realized that we had a shared humanity with our guests. We weren’t superior them. We had the same needs for daily bread.
The priest also explained that this lunch was a holy meal. God was present just as much in that meal as present in our celebrations of Holy Communion, or the holiday feasts in our homes. We were not just throwing scraps to the dogs, but we were doing God’s holy work of providing for those whom God loved so dearly. The soup and sandwich became a sign of God’s presence and resurrection as the shadow of the cross lay across that crowded basement.
PRAY: God of all creation, we ask your blessing on all who put the food on our tables: growers, truckers, millers, meat packers, grocers, cooks, food inspectors, waiters. Make us grateful for their work that involves long hours and low pay. Help them to see their work as ministry. Amen.
FAST: By eliminating meat for one day.
ACT: Set aside a can of fruit for a local food pantry
OR set aside $1 to give to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
...the least of these... 