“For When I was hungry, you gave me food”…. (Matt: 25:31-46)
Theology is the study of God. Nobody has seen God. But we deal with God when we deal with our brothers and sisters in our different communities. After all, James said, “Faith without work is dead” (James 2:17). Practical theology then is the practical application of theology to everyday (real) life.
Matthew 25:31-46 is a part of the Bible that some preachers do not feel comfortable to talk about. Why? Perhaps it is because it has to do with what happens on the judgment day. No preacher wants to be branded as being judgmental. Perhaps, this passage would be best seen as dealing with things that we are able to do, and unable to do for our brothers and sisters who are in need. We will better understand this passage as an opportunity given to us to help the least privileged. It is a call to reach out to those who are seriously in need of our generosity.
Matthew 25:31-46 focuses mainly on the eschatological discourse. At the last judgment, Jesus would appear like a shepherd. He would divide his flock into two: sheep and goats. Sheep represent the good people who attended to the needs of the least privileged in our communities. While goats, on the other hand, represent those who were not sensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters. The good deeds imply feeding the hungry, offering hospitality to the homeless, clothing the naked, receiving strangers, comforting the sick, and visiting those in various prisons. Those who do these things as outlined would be rewarded.
Who are those referred to as the least? I do not presume that I know the full implications of the meaning of the least, as implied in Matthew 25:31-46. However, I know that the least applies to people who are in need of some kind. If this interpretation is correct, the least as applied to Matthew 25:31-46 could be anybody who is either in need materially or spiritually.
It is our duty to look for these types of people in our worship communities. We have to identity them and offer our helping hands. When we do this, we shall be rewarded on the last day. We shall hear our King saying to us, “Come and inherit the kingdom of God prepared for us from the foundation of the world, for when I was hungry; you gave me food.” We could be hungry or thirst for food or the Word of God. Let us see this passage as referring not just to those who are materially in need, but also to those who are spiritually in need in our different worshipping communities.
Father Joachim Ifezuo Oforchukwu, C.S.Sp., holds doctorates in education and practical theology.
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