Ordinary Time 
Pause
Come before the throne of Jesus Christ, however you will:
lift up your heart or kneel at his feet,
raise your voice in song or let your tears fall,
proclaim his praise or ask for what you need.
You are loved and you are known. You are welcome here —
everywhere — Jesus reigns.
Listen
“Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’”
Matthew 25:37-40
Think
Before memes were a thing, the best place to find funny sayings was on bumper stickers. An old favorite is: “Jesus is coming. Look busy.” It is very motivating to “be good” when we might just bump into our teacher or boss without warning. If we knew Jesus was walking around among us, we wouldn’t just try to look busy; we’d make sure we were on our best behavior all the time, just in case. Having good behavior toward a king isn’t a choice; it’s a requirement.
Jesus’ “sheep” in Matthew 25 are not rewarded just for good behavior toward the king. Rather, they were fair, kind, and loving to the hungry, to strangers, to the poor, to the sick, and to the imprisoned even though they didn’t know it was actually their king they were serving.
Jesus does not stay far away watching from a distance, but lives and breathes in “the least of” us. He is not just coming; he is already here.
Nikki Finkelstein-Blair
Question to Ponder:
How do you treat others when you know your parent, teacher, boss, or other supervisor is watching? How does your behavior change when you think you’re not being observed?
Pray
Thank you, Jesus, for being a king who is always close to us.
Help me to recognize you in everyone I encounter, to remember that all people are your beloved children, and to treat them with fairness, kindness, and love.
Amen.
Go
Now go to the places you would least expect; your king is already there.
Lift those who are low. Kneel with those who bow.
Join your voice, weep together, bring food to share.
Offer welcome, praise, and joy, however you will.
Everywhere, Jesus reigns!
