Merry Christmas, Apopka!
May this day be filled with warmth, joy, and love as you celebrate with family and friends. May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, happiness, and hope for a bright future. Cherish every moment and spread kindness wherever you go.
But as we exchange gifts and share this special time, let's also extend a helping hand to those in need.
Many abide by the creed "Jesus is the reason for the season". That's a great attitude to display during Christmas, but let's honor Jesus by following the example He set while walking the Earth.
Jesus used parables to teach and make His points. One of the weirder yet poignant parables for this season is The Sheep and the Goats:
“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’
“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’
“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
--Matthew 25:34-46/Message Bible
It's not often that Jesus curses farm animals to eternal doom, but there it is in black and white (or red, depending on your Bible choice) for all to read and decide what it means for them.
What does it mean for you?
Who is the hidden Jesus in today's society? Who are the hungry? The thirsty? The homeless? The shivering? The sick? The imprisoned? Are we blessing, loving, and serving them? Or are we ignoring, labeling, and criticizing them?
Who is the hidden Jesus in Apopka?
It's a thought I hope you ponder on this holiest of holy days.
Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas Day filled with laughter, good food, and happy memories.
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