I’m addicted to this show, have you seen it?
The big boss, the executive CEO from a corporation goes undercover to one of his motels/stores/distribution centers to get a close up view of what’s going on there and the effect his management decisions make in the trickle down. In the process, this executive gathers information to report how his company is functioning and what he needs to do for the good of all. In the process he makes connections to the “little guys” that makes his company run. He corrects the wrong and (my favorite part of the show) rewards the faithful.
It’s brilliant, really. How many times have we wished that the paper pushers could see how hard our job is, and how hard we work. How we long for them to have our perspective.
My husband compared this show to one of the passages of Scripture that has been on my heart lately, and I cannot get it off my mind. Matthew 25 tells the story of the God of the Universe, condescending to his laborers. Only He doesn’t look like the Boss, He doesn’t look like the King of the Universe that He is. He comes disguised as the poor, hungry, naked, and imprisoned, and He tests us to see how we, His people are doing with the simple commands He has given us: “Love God, and love your neighbor”.
He may show up in the disguise of family members who made different decisions than you might have, and have not been able to stand on their own two feet as quickly as expected; as the unemployed who, though willing and able to work, diligently looking for work in a place where there are openings in his field, has been told he will need large amounts of money to be “qualified” to work in this country; or as the stranger who has no further resources, and is looking at being turned out to the street if circumstances don’t change. He comes as the lonely, displaced, hungry wanderer. He comes as the addict, the fatherless, the homeless. He comes as the elderly, the mentally impaired, and the unborn.
And when He comes, He takes your response personally. He’s hungry, do you feed him or make an excuse in judgment of His choices? He’s lonely, do you embrace Him, engage Him in conversation, or ignore Him? He might smell funny, or dress differently than you, do you look past the externals to his heart, or do you turn your nose up in disgust? He’s defenseless, weak, and totally dependent on you. Do you defend Him in love, or do you rationalize the choice of those who disregard and destroy him? This is the Maker of the Universe in your face. This is a test. How are you doing? What will He say to us when He reveals Himself as “The Boss” at the end of the show?
Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
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.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
New Things 