Hungry. Thirsty. Stranger. Needing clothing. Sick. In prison.

There are people in all of those categories.

Every day there are people in all of those categories.

Close to us there is someone in each of those categories.

But what counts as close and what counts as a request for help and how do you establish boundaries and how do you keep from enabling and do you teach them to fish or give them fish and why are they a they? All of those are questions we ask. You ask. I ask.

They are probably important questions.

But Jesus doesn’t, in his comment to the sheep, talk about their deliberations or their wisdom or their structures or processes or research or reading or preparation or credentials.

He looks at whether the sheep actually did anything. Whether they actually did something. Whether any hungry people were ever fed. Whether any thirsty people were ever given water. Whether people ever were brought in out of the cold or were clothed against the cold. Whether sick people ever got company. Whether prisoners every saw a face that cared.

Jesus is measuring behaviors, not metaphors. Jesus is saying, clearly, that actions matter. Caring, sacrificial actions.

And it makes me look, carefully, thoughtfully, in the mirror.

When, exactly, was the last time that I gave someone who needed food, food. Not professionally, not because I get paid to represent a whole congregation. Me. Out of my pocket. Instead of my coffee out. When was the last time?

If it’s easy to answer that question, I can move on.

If it’s hard to answer that question, if I have to think back, if my answer is, “wow, good question. Oh yes, remember that missions trip back a couple years? That one guy?” that’s probably too far back.