Years ago, I was working to transform the Gospel of Matthew into a more poetic form, in regularly metered lines of blank verse, iambic pentameter. I found that what I thought was the most beautiful passage in my poem was in many ways the most direct appeal, or exhortation, in the gospel account: when Jesus tells us how the Father in heaven will know who is blessed, in Chapter 25.This also happens to be the source of the mandate for Episcopal Relief and Development, that part of our church which is asking us to consider helping to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
He will sit upon a throne on high,
And all the nations will be set before Him,
And He will sort the souls from one another,
As a shepherd sorts his sheep and goats.
And He will say to those upon his right hand,
Come, for you are by my Father blest,
Come you now and enter in the kingdom,
Prepared from the foundation of the world,
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty, and you gave me 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.
And then the righteous souls will answer him,
When was it, Lord, that we did see you hungry?
When did we see you thirsty, and give you drink?
When were you a stranger, and we welcomed you?
When were you naked, and we gave you clothes?
When were you sick, or in prison, and we visited?
And the Son of Man will answer them:
Just as you did it for the least of these,
These who are members of my family,
So you did to me, and so now come,
And enter into heaven’s kingdom with me.
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