In Matthew 25:31-40, Jesus describes a time in which “all the nations” will be judged according to how they have served the vulnerable among them and, in so doing, have served Jesus himself: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” It is not simply that Jesus cares about those he calls “the least of these,” whose circumstances mean they must rely on the goodwill of others. Jesus also makes clear that he is fully present with them, and is them: They too are sanctuaries of the living God. In a world where a lack of papers, savings, or status can be used as an excuse for treating human beings as problems rather than people, Jesus says: You have a worth that cannot be taken from you. You are my sanctuary, the holy place where I live. I am with you.
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “Holy places” by Meghan Johnston Aelabouni in the September/October 2023 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate James of Jerusalem, martyr, c. 62.
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