Touching Jesus
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25: 37-40).
 Dirt covered his body so thickly it had to be scrapped off. Some sores teamed with maggots. Other sores stunk so badly of gangrene that even the maggots had died….
“Mother!” Sadhana said, “I cleaned him!”
The reporter, astonished, asked, “What made it possible? What did Mother Teresa say to you?”
Sadhana said, “Mother Teresa told me to do it for Jesus. I have been touching the body of Christ for the last three hours!”
(An excerpt from D. Jeanene Watson, Serving the Poorest of the Poor: Teresa of Calcutta).
Today news from near and far comes streaming our way through internet, radio, TV and newspaper. Much of the news is about people suffering and dying due to war, disease, HIV/AIDS, poverty, disasters, and natural calamities. In fact, we are so used to hearing these reports that we scarcely react any more; our indifference to others’ sufferings has become the norm. Indeed, some of us are actually oblivious to most of what is happening around us. We seem to care so little about others that it takes a disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina to open our eyes to the sufferings of anyone else!
The truth is that there are many people hurting: there are many in our midst, young and old, dying of hunger and thirst; many are being ravaged by diseases or HIV/AIDS; families are grieving over the loss of a loved ones; there are hundreds, maybe thousands, who feel abandoned and lonely and desperately longing for human touch and care. It is likely that someone among these who are suffering is a neighbor or even a member of our church. Many suffer in silence and their pain is never acknowledged, nor are their stories ever reported.
Jesus ministered to those the world considered the least significant. He embraced them, figuratively and literally, and lived with them. Mother Teresa ministered to the least among us for the sake of Jesus Christ. What are you and I doing, individually and collectively, as the Church of Christ? Even a smile or a hug given for the sake of Jesus to any of the least among us will go a long way as a witness to the compassion of Christ. We will also be then touching the body of Jesus Christ.
Jesus declared, “Just as you did it to the least of these…you did it to me.”
Prayer: Jesus, help us to be sensitive to the sufferings of others and may we be always reminded that a little help goes along way in your Kingdom.
(Previously published in an abridged format in Calvary Baptist/Denver’s Lenten devotional book.)
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Ahao Vashum
ABCRM Global Mission Partnership Specialist
Ahao will return to India on June 5
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