The Least of These

I have worked for a few law offices since college.  I have always tried to treat everyone that came through the doors with respect and dignity.  Sometimes it was not the easiest thing to do.

At this one place in particular we would occasionally have this vagrant come by.  It was the same guy every time.  I am assuming that he was a vagrant by the way he dressed and that he always brought with him a duffle bag.  I had also saw him once at our local soup kitchen getting lunch when I was doing volunteer work. He always had some off the wall random story that never made sense asking for an appointment.  I would kindly go along with is story, finally get him to leave and then laugh as he left.  Every so often this would happen and he would stop by as if he had never been there before.

But the last time he came in was different.  As I realized it was him in the lobby, I started with my oh boy attitude here we go again.  I opened the window to "help" him and something came over me.  As I looked at this man, I just felt for him.  The scripture kept repeating in my head, "What you have done to the least of these, you have done to me."  I was set back for a minute, confronted by my own self righteousness.  I felt horrible for all the times that I laughed about him and his "crazy talk."  Instead I saw someone lost and alone and maybe just wanted someone to hear him.  I did go along with his story,  I got the impression that he may suffer from some sort of disorder.  I offered him something to drink thinking that may have just been walking around looking for a place to go.  After informing him that we really couldn't help him as nicely as I could he left.

But this time as he left I didn't want to laugh instead I wanted to cry.

Sometimes even with the best of intentions, we can get so wrapped up in what we think we are that we end up becoming something else.  And this is what was happening to me. We become what we speak against and turn into something we never intended to be.  Surrounded by circumstance, becoming a product of our environment. Doing what is easy instead of what is right.  I am so guilty.

But we are supposed to be bigger than that.  For we serve a God much bigger than our circumstance and much stronger than any environment.   We cannot make excuses for our behavior and hide behind someone else.  We are responsible for our actions, we are responsible for how we treat others.

Self righteousness is a curse and with God's help I hope to one day over come.  In hopes that one day I can say that I did do for one the least of these.

Matthew 25:37-40

New International Version (NIV)

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’