Being Your Authentic Self; Sermon on Matthew 25:31-46

Rev. George Miller
April 7, 2019
Matthew 25:31-46

Recently a very wise person said “A blessing is not a blessing until you give it away or share it.”

Lord, let this message be a blessing…

Over the years a phrase has entered the motivational movement- it is called the “authentic self.”

The authentic self is when someone is true to who they are, not who they think they are supposed to be.

How can you tell when you are in the presence of someone who is their authentic self?

They radiate joy; they radiate confidence.

They are infectious, influential, and inspiring.

They make it look so easy, even when it’s not, even when it’s impossible.

They are someone who seems to glide, like a river flowing around rocks, a pelican in the wind, or a tree bending, but not breaking, in the storm.

We all have an authentic self, and they are all so unique, and so diverse.

For example, Dean in his work jeans, fixing something. Steve stocking the pantry with supplies. Carnide at the keyboards.

When you live an authentic life, you feel immediate reward; you belong to something greater than you, you know that you are part of a bigger picture.

You feel joy, contentment, and a generous spirit.

A sure sign that you are being your authentic self is that you feel that as much as you have given, it is you who has received way more in return.

In other words, if you are being your authentic self, you are experiencing heaven, true holiness, and what we in Bible Study called “A Kingdom Moment.”

That wonderful aha moment that says “Yes!!!”

Then, there are those who are not living their authentic selves.

They dislike what they do, they despise who’s around.

They excrete despair and insecurity.

They are ineffective, uninspiring, and seem to suck the air out of any room.

They make everything seem to be a chore, even when it is not, regardless if it’s easy or possible.

They limp along, like water leaking from a rusty pipe, a seagull with a lifeless leg, and Spanish moss tossed about in a breeze.

We all know when someone is not being their authentic self.

It would be like me wearing work jeans and carrying a toolbox. Or Millie not playing mah-jong. Or Ken being unable to move to the music.

To not be your authentic self is to feel like you are being eternally punished, totally alone, and that you are on the outside looking in.

You experience misery, melancholy, and an ungenerous spirit.

A sure sign that you are not being your authentic self is that you feel that as much as you have given, you have been sucked dry and unrewarded.

In other words, if you are not being your authentic self, you are bound to experience hell on earth.

That dreadful moment in which every ounce of your spiritual being says “Heck to the N-O!!!”

This is one way to process today’s scripture.

Here we have Matthew’s version of Jesus’ last public teaching. This is the last message he will give while still free and alive.

Immediately after he teaches this parable, the leaders will conspire to arrest him and Judas will betray him.

It’s interesting to note that when Jesus first began his public preaching, he did so upon a mountain with the Beatitudes in which he called those who were persecuted and meek as blessed.

He said “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.”

Then from there, Jesus ratcheted things up. He set the bar high. He shared expectations, provided opportunities, gave us chance after chance to succeed.

Once inside the walls of the Jerusalem, Jesus told parables about being faithful, wise, resourceful, and respectful.

And then Jesus ends his public preaching with this parable, going back to the roots of the Beatitudes.

How interesting that his last public appearance was not about the 10 commandments or prayer, it was not about grace or dogma, or proper ways to worship.

But it was about compassion; about love in action.

About doing justice and loving kindness as a way to humbly experience the Lord.

As his parting words to us, Jesus boils it down so clear to help us truly understand how to best be our authentic selves, how to live an authentic life, and how to have an authentic Kingdom moment.

It all comes down to blessing and sharing.

If you see someone hungry; feed them.

If someone is naked, clothe them.

If someone is unwell, offer care.

If someone is in prison, stop by.

If you see someone thirsty, offer them a cool glass of lemonade, and if you don’t have any more juice to squeeze out of the lemon, plain water will do.

This is what it means to be authentic.

What it means to be a true child of God; what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom.

The authentic self will do these things, not because you must, but because you may.

Not because you will receive heaven’s reward but because you know heaven has already rewarded you.

Not because you are strong, but because you too have known what it is like to be weak.

Not because you are righteous but because you have already been blessed with the kingdom’s mercy and grace.

Jesus leaves us with a message which says every time we bless others, we are being blessed is return.

But because he is Jesus, and he is provocative, Jesus makes us wrestle just a bit with another reality-

that when we have the chance to do justice and love kindness, and choose not to,

well, we experience our own personal hell, our own place of isolation, or own set of shoulda-coulda-wouldas that remind us we were not true to who we are.

Once again, in this parable, Jesus is setting that bar high, and wants us to exceed.

But I would venture to say this-

That the times we fail, the times we turn a deaf ear, the times we turn a blind eye,

the times we clutch onto our blessings too tightly, and are afraid to let go,

the times we feel guilt or shame or self-disempowerment creep on in,

there is always another chance, there is always another opportunity, there is always another day.

There is always someone else who is thirsty, who is hungry, who is ready to be loved.

Today’s lesson teaches an important truth- we all have the chance to be sheep; we all have the chance to be goats.

And the truth is that more often than not, we are all a bit of both.

More often than not, we are good goats who are always learning, always growing, always discovering how to be the most authentic selves God has created us to be.

Jesus is not calling us to be the most perfect, the most wonderful, the most astounding.

Jesus is inviting us to be the most authentic, the most vibrant, and to be the best that we can be.

For that, we can say “Amen."