National Judgement

Matthew 25:40 – “And the king will answer them, “Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you have done it to me.”

At the beginning of this parable, Jesus uses the word ‘ethne’ to describe the people gathered before him. This word could be used for both nations and individuals. There’s no reason to assume that Jesus is limiting the judgement to individuals. In fact, Jesus is saying that the nations will be judged on how well they cared for “the least of these.” The Old Testament makes it clear that Israel will be judged as a nation.  Isaiah 58 is a great example of God judging Israel as a nation for allowing others to trample over God’s people. This is especially true for verses 6 – 8:

6  Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
    to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke?
7  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8  Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up quickly;

It is difficult for Americans to think in terms of an entire nation being judged, as we are so steeped in the rhetoric of individualism and exceptionalism. There are several, prominent preachers who have preached on this topic: Martin Luther King, Jr.; Jeremiah Wright, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and William Barber III. They collectively challenge us to work for an America that can affirmatively answer the following questions: Did we, as a nation, make sure that all are fed, all are safe, all have access to healthcare? Did we treat those who we deem different because of their health or bodily differences as people, or did we lift them up for inspiration while making it difficult for them to succeed? Did we as a nation establish justice? Ensure domestic tranquility? Promote the general welfare? Provide for the common defense? Secure the blessings of liberty for all Americans? Granted that link is quite “America, rah, rah,” but those are the founding principles listed in the preamble to the constitution. Those are the goals our government is supposed to aim for.

How are we doing? 

That’s a rhetorical question. It’s clear we’re failing badly. We have, as a nation, focused on economies over people, business over their workers, the stock market over other measures of our economy. Now, of course, the chickens of our sins are coming home to roost. What we’re experiencing is not a punishment, but a consequence of the tax cuts to rich people and businesses and the cutting of programs designed to keep people healthy and alive (Social Security, Medicare, SNAP) as well as the slow erosion of our civil rights that we’ve been experiencing the last few decades. A crisis has hit, and we have an elected president who is incapable of dealing with it or even caring about it, a cabinet that is woefully unqualified for their positions, a Senate Majority Leader who is determined to obstruct government as much as possible, and a propaganda machine designed to promote the Republican agenda; all of whom are actively making the situation worse. I’m pretty sure that if the United States were to be judged today, we would be among the goats.

Isaiah 58:6-8 is a wonderful text, or blueprint, of our calling for such a time as this. “Inasmuch as you did it for the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it for me.”

B