Ron Bertsch

Previously published October 2013

You may have read the verse or even sang the song in church based on Matthew 25:40, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. What does this verse mean to you? A check or a can of beans donated to the local soup kitchen, a few bucks thrown to the beggar on the bridge, or maybe that old coat given to St. Vincent DePaul?

Lately, I’ve been pondering these words. They remind me of work done at DCCH Center for Children and Families. As the director of the foster care and adoption program, I think these words from Jesus can be applied to our parents and staff. In efforts to recruit more foster and adoptive parents to help serve the children, I wondered if this verse could become the motivation for some to take on this task?

Just in the third quarter of the year, I’ve reviewed over 300 referrals of children entering out of home care who are in need of a safe family. They are children mostly from Northern Kentucky, 103 in September alone, who were homeless, hungry, and thirsty in need of clothing and nurturing care. They are children whose parents may be in jail, or enslaved to drugs like heroin and alcohol. Many are victims of abuse and neglect trying to survive the trauma of domestic violence. I think Jesus wants us to include this population as the least of these.

Thirty-four of the September statistics comprised twelve sibling sets of 2, 3, and 4 children. They were all under the age of nine, Caucasian, Hispanic and African American or biracial. The remaining children were over ten, and probably not the favorite age group of most people.

In the day of St. Francis of Assisi, it was hard for anyone to welcome and see Jesus in the disfigured outcast faces of the lepers. It was not until his heart’s conversion, that St. Francis came to recognize Jesus in these lepers. What will it take for the church to see the lepers of today? Could they be the angry hurt teens in foster care, the hurt compulsive addicts on the streets or the lonely disillusioned adults in prison? Prayer is a starting place. Pray for the hearts of those God is calling to become foster and adoptive parents, or compassionate ministers to those addicted and in prison. These jobs require sacrifice. It means adjusted expectations and it entails carrying some crosses, however Christ also reminds us that He will be with us every step of the way.

Let us not be oblivious to Lazarus in our day and age. Don’t be like the rich man, in Luke’s Gospel 16: 19-31, which we read the last Sunday in September. Everyday, the rich man practically tripped over poor Lazarus. He was busy planning his lavish life of party and self-centered indulgences. We can ask, how could he be so blind to Lazarus’ needs, and do absolutely nothing? We then heard from Jesus, that when both men died, Lazarus was comforted in the arms of Abraham, while the rich man suffers torment for eternity in the netherworld, and no one can cross the great chasm to quench his burning tongue.

I pray and would like to think that if the church, the living body of Christ could only hear this gospel with a converted heart like St. Francis, that the warnings of the rich man would resonate loudly in their minds and hearts. Peace would channel throughout both the giver and receiver. Out of compassion and love for their fellowman, more than just fear for their own afterlife, the people God is calling to serve would see Jesus in these souls. They could help change the plight of so much suffering.

We the people of the church are called to put our faith into action and become the feet, arms and hands of Jesus and truly see that whatsoever we do to the least of these, we also do unto Him.