"Go and Do": The Buffalo City Mission's Service Learning Guidebook
Table of Contents Introduction: Going and Doing the Gospel The Buffalo City Mission Service Learning Mission Possible Food Drive Challenge Scripture, Context, and Application 1) Humility and Hospitality: Luke 14:7-14 2) The Persistent Demand for Justice: Luke 18:2-8 3) The Feeding of the 5,000: Mark 6:30-44 4) The Sheep and the Goats: Matthew 25:31-46 5) Love Your Enemies: Matthew 5:42-48 6) The Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37 Student Testimonials
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Introduction: Going and Doing the Gospel “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:37
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, a lawyer asks Jesus, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” In response, Jesus distills the Jewish scriptures into two commands: love God and love your neighbor. The lawyer presses Jesus further: “And who is my neighbor?” To this second question, Jesus, as he often does, explains what he means through storytelling. The tale he tells is one of risk-taking, selflessness, compassion, and generosity. He then concludes by instructing the lawyer to “go and do likewise.” Attention to the Greek verbs in this exchange is important for appreciating the significance of this story. In the lawyer’s question, “do” has the sense of a finite action, something that has been done once and in the past. By contrast, Jesus’ command to “go” and “do” describes an action that is continuously repeated: there is no predetermined end to the action. The lawyer, one suspects, left a bit deflated. Perhaps he was hoping that a demonstration of neighborly love might be reduced to a finite mathematical formula that, if performed once, would secure his reward (“if I do x, surely I will receive y”). Jesus’ interpretation of the parable, however, is much more demanding. Our responsibility to help others, he suggests, never ends; our shared humanity compels us to help, again and again and again. Moreover, these actions should not be based upon our hope for personal gain, as the lawyer wished. Rather, as Martin Luther King, Jr. observed in his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, we should imitate the Samaritan, whose actions were motivated by one simple question: after encountering a man in distress, his first thought was, “what will happen to him if I do not help?” To appreciate the significance of Jesus’ message, both in this story and others, Hilbert College students enrolled in “Jesus in Early Christianity” spent the Fall 2020 semester learning how ancient audiences heard Jesus’ words and exploring how his gospel could be lived out in a contemporary context. To investigate this latter topic, the students embarked upon a partnership with the Buffalo City Mission to complete two projects. First, they contributed to the “Mission Possible” food drive, collecting cans of food to aid the hungry and homeless in Western New
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York. And second, the group created this Service Learning Guidebook designed to encourage young learners to see themselves as engaged members of the community, as leaders who can make a positive impact upon their neighbors’ lives. In the pages of this guidebook, readers will be introduced first to the Buffalo City Mission’s history, values, and activities and will learn more about the practice and significance of service learning. Thereafter, Hilbert’s students discuss their role in the Mission Possible Food Drive Challenge and explore six key passages from the gospels that exemplify traits that Jesus believed were characteristic of those who received the “good news” and sought to advance “God’s rule” in the world. Over the centuries and around the globe, these stories have inspired others to commit themselves to lives of service, believing that we can in fact create a better world for all. We hope that the literary analyses, contemporary examples, reflective activities, and testimonials that follow will inspire you to think more deeply about the value of service and the ways that you might contribute to living in communities where, in the words of the prophet Amos, “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream” (5:24).
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The Buffalo City Mission Mission
Buffalo City Mission exists to meet the spiritual and practical needs of the poor through the demonstration of the love and preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Purpose
The purpose of Buffalo City Mission is to proclaim and demonstrate the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ, meeting the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of men, women, and children who are homeless or in need of hope.
History
The Buffalo City Mission has grown considerably since its founding about a century ago. It all
started in 1917 with the baseball hero-turned-evangelist Billy Sunday, who donated $8,400 to the Buffalo Evangelistic Association to found the organization. Five years later, through the efforts of Rev. and Mrs. Edward Clark, the Association purchased Fenton’s Pekin Cabaret for its base of operations and began providing chapel services and meals for Buffalo’s vulnerable populations. Over the next decades, and in part due to the work of a women’s auxiliary group, the organization expanded its work to include providing clothing and shelter for those in need. In the 1970s and 1980s, new social problems led the Association to open a shelter and a safe house to assist families victimized by fire, violence, and other crises. In 1984, the Buffalo Evangelistic Association changed its name to the Buffalo City Mission. They also moved into a new and improved facility in downtown Buffalo that housed their administrative offices and the men’s community center. A new capital campaign raising $1.3 million led to construction of the Cornerstone Manor Women and Children’s Shelter, which opened in 1990 to provide emergency shelter, recovery programs, and an on-site school satellite for homeless children. In response to the growing number of homeless people in the early 2000s, the Mission announced another fundraising plan, which raised $15 million and culminated in the construction of a new Cornerstone Manor facility in 2006. In 2017, the Buffalo City Mission celebrated its 100th anniversary. In late 2020, yet another building project was completed. The Alfiero Family Center of Hope and Promise consists of a community center, complete with medical and mental health services, an emergency shelter and a transitional housing unit with 52 individual rooms, a chapel, educational space, and a computer lab designed to give clients a pathway to a stable and secure future. One of every seven Western New Yorkers is considered impoverished, according to the data given by the U.S Census Bureau. Every year, there are about 5,500 people who are homeless in Western New York and over half of these people are experiencing homelessness for the first time. The Buffalo metropolitan areas (Erie and Niagara counties) have a worse poverty rate than other areas in the United States with similar population sizes. The Buffalo City Mission has been making an impact in these poor communities in Buffalo and changing people’s lives for the better. Over the last hundred years, the Mission has provided services and meals to the homeless 4
and, most importantly, preaching and demonstrating God’s message of love to these people in need. The Buffalo City Mission has made a significant impact on the lives of the region’s at-risk populations. There are countless stories of less fortunate people coming to the Mission to seek refuge from the cold nights or to get a hot meal when they are hungry. Not only does the city mission help feed the homeless, it also helps with related problems such as drug addiction, physical disability, and mental health. Donations by many local companies have increased the Mission’s impact, but it is the volunteers committed to service who ensure its success.
Dig Deeper Buffalo City Mission. “Mission, Vision, and Values.” www.buffalocitymission.org/mission-visionand-values/. Buffalo City Mission. “Our History.” www.buffalocitymission.org/history/.
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Service Learning How is my well being connected to the well-being of others? This deceptively simple question lies at the heart of service learning, a form of experiential education designed to integrate classroom activities with civic engagement in order to generate and deepen student learning. These two forms of learning are then brought together through critical reflection. By engaging with community partners and fellow service learners, students describe what they have learned about a particular social problems (e.g., poverty, homelessness) and discover more about social service organizations, the lives of those they serve, and themselves. Ultimately, service learning is an opportunity for students to see themselves in relation to, and in relationship with, fellow community members, and to appreciate that supporting those in need is the best way to create a more just social order and to make our society stronger. When done well, service learning is thus a reflective and reciprocal activity that has a positive effect upon everyone involved in the activity: it serves the learning goals of the class, it supports community outreach organizations, which benefit from student assistance in addressing structural inequalities, and it provides practical assistance to those in need. In service learning, everyone has the opportunity to be a teacher and a learner. This emphasis on reciprocity thus distinguishes service learning from volunteering (which does not necessarily seek to overcome or change unequal social structures) and internships (which do not include a critical reflection component). The See, Judge, Act method of social analysis and action is a useful template for service learning work. According to this teaching, students should first attempt to “see” the social injustice situation that they will address: this means examining the history of the problem and the systemic reasons for the problem’s persistence. Thereafter, students should “judge” the situation through self-examination (“how do I feel about the problem?”) and consult ethical, philosophical, and religious teachings that can offer further guidance for clarifying their values. With this foundation in place, students can then begin to “act” with intention and purpose by offering both immediate assistance to the vulnerable and adding another voice to the chorus of advocates calling for the reorganization of social structures so that they are aligned with just values and principles.
Dig Deeper Brigham, Erin M. See, Judge, Act: Catholic Social Teaching and Service Learning. Revised ed. Winona, MN: Anselm Academic, 2019. Carelton College. “What is Service-Learning?” May 7, 2018. serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/service/what.html. University of Washington, Center for Teaching and Learning. “What Is Service Learning?” 201, teaching.washington.edu/topics/engaging-students-in-learning/service-learning/. Youth.gov. “Service-Learning.” (n.d.). youth.gov/youth-topics/civic-engagement-andvolunteering/service-learning.
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Mission Possible Food Drive Challenge
In the Fall, 2020, the students in Hilbert College’s “Jesus in Early Christianity” course joined
with the Buffalo City Mission to participate in its Mission Possible Food Drive Challenge. Using the Mission’s “Participant Manual” as a guide, we began our work in early October and finished four weeks later. One of the first things that we did was create a Facebook page to help spread awareness for a drive. We were able to create and share an event on Facebook that detailed the times and locations at which we would be collecting canned goods. This was one of the main ways in which we got the word out about the food drive. Then, during a class period, all of the students constructed and decorated boxes in a fall aesthetic so that our community members would notice them and contribute. We then placed the boxes in high traffic areas around our campus (and put a few cans in boxes before the drive started because people are more likely to donate when there is something in the boxes already!). In our view, the main challenge would not be convincing people to give, but making sure that they knew the drive was happening. It was at this point that we started our sort of “marketing campaign,” which was the majority of the work we did for the food drive. We wanted to get the word out about the drive to as many people as possible. To do this, we advertised the drive in many different ways. We reached out to the campus employees in charge of the screens around campus that tell about different 7
events. We wrote a script for the campus radio station and emailed it to the creators of the show. We also created flyers talking about the drive with the Buffalo City Mission logo on them. Moreover, we composed an article for the school paper. We made sure to share the Facebook page and get others to share the page as well. We spoke with campus officials, such as the Dean of Students, and enlisted their help with ideas and spreading the word around campus. Communication was a huge part of this project. We made sure to use word of mouth communication to try and spread awareness and were in constant contact with members of the Buffalo City Mission. We also were active with the Buffalo City Mission through our Facebook page, answering weekly questions about the drive on Facebook. Another big contribution to our success was the student contributions that we had from our class, as many of them donated to the drive as well. All of these efforts were effective, and we saw people start to donate to the boxes around campus. We were also fortunate to receive a very generous donation from a professor, which we used to buy additional cans for the drive. All of these strategies worked well: we received 145 cans of food and 180 total food items, exceeding our original goal of 100 cans. We feel that our efforts will have a positive impact on our community (we hope Can Man will approve!), and believed that our work aligned well with the Buffalo City Mission’s mission to restore hope and dignity to the hurting and homeless through the transforming grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.
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Scripture, Context, and Application I. Humility and Hospitality: Luke 14:7-14 Scripture 7
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When
you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 12 He
said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Literary Context
In this passage, Jesus wants people to remember to stay humble. If they take the most important
place at the table and exalt themselves, they could risk demonstrating an unrealistic sense of selfimportance. If they are humble, however, and take the lowest seat, they might be exalted by the host and be asked to come to a higher seat. Meals were situations that highlighted social differences in the first-century world, and ancient writers routinely addressed how to act such meals. Jesus’ warning in this passage is connected to the early Christian view of meals, where fellowship and worship often occurred. Luke, it seems, thought that incorporating stories relating to meals were especially relevant for sharing how the community should relate to each other: in brief, less arrogance, more humility.
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Jesus goes into more depth in 14:8-10 about how to not sit uninvited in the place of honor. This makes sense, as there is a risk of embarrassment in doing so. However, we have seen people who have confidence and forceful behavior, grab honors and hang onto them tightly. Even so, Jesus is not telling us how to advance into the kingdom of the world, but he is revealing to us how things work in the kingdom of heaven. In 14:12-14, Jesus addresses the honor and status structures that were in the ancient world. He intends for his followers to use the parable about the marginalized as a call to help them by inviting them to a dinner banquet. He expects his listeners not only to help the poor and disabled, but also to work hard to do so. Jesus talks about not inviting those who will be able to repay your kindness to a banquet. He wishes that those who have banquets invite those who are unable to repay them, such as the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. This group of people resonates with Jesus’s mission from Luke 4:18, with the poor and the blind mentioned as recipients of Jesus’ ministry. He also states how this act of kindness will be repaid “at the resurrection of the righteous,” that is, in heaven. People who wish to be repaid in earthly splendors are not those following Jesus’ teachings. Those whose mindset is to get something in return for inviting others is not something Jesus condones. Throughout the Bible, Jesus shows that he wants people to treat others with kindness, especially the marginalized. He also wants his followers not to be arrogant, but to show a willingness to serve others. The banquet he is attending takes place at the house of a leader of the Pharisees, whose views differed from his own, and who is an opponent. They are constantly in an argument about how to interpret the “law” or the word of God. After telling the parable, one of the guests who is presumed to be a Pharisee, states “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (14:15). This person likely makes this exclamation because he presumes he will be one of those who will be sharing in the kingdom’s banquet. Jesus responds to this with a parable that warns about assuming you will be included in the kingdom without first heeding Jesus’ teachings. Included in this parable, in 14:26-33, is a warning about the price of discipleship. To become a disciple of Jesus you must sever ties you believe to be more important than commitment to Jesus, and devote your entire life to the gospel. He makes sure those around him understand this by clearly saying in 14:33 “None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all of your possessions,” which highlights the sense of sacrifice that the gospel demands.
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Contemporary Application: Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was a great example of a contemporary figure who embodied the passage in
Luke 14:7-14. Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, the current capital of the Republic of Macedonia. She was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries and devoted her life to helping and caring for the sick and the poor, the blind, the aged, the disabled, and lepers. In 1919, Mother Teresa’s father suddenly died. Thereafter, she became very close to her mother, Drana Bojaxhiu, a generous and compassionate woman who wanted her daughter to understand how important it is to care for the less fortunate. Even though Mother Teresa’s family did not come from wealth, they wanted to give back and help these people. To illustrate this, Drana would extend an open invitation to the city’s impoverished to dine with her family. On the day of the event, her mother stated, “My child, never eat a single mouthful unless you are sharing it with others.” When Mother Teresa asked who she was eating with, her mother responded, “Some of them are our relations, but all of them are our people.” Mother Teresa’s mother instilled in her daughter that giving back to people who cannot repay you should not be done out of pity but out of love and compassion. In Luke 14:13-14, Jesus wanted to invite people of the lower class, such as the blind, poor, and lame, to the banquet because he knew they would not be able to pay for the feast with physical repayment but instead, they would be repaid with salvation and eternal life. She carried these ideals with her throughout the rest of her life and convinced many others to help her in what eventually became her mission. Mother Teresa was considered one of the twentieth century’s greatest humanitarians and was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.
Reflection Exercises
1. Participating and volunteering in your community at the soup kitchen with the Heart for Homeless Organization will help show compassion, kindness, and generosity. After the experience, write down your reflections on this experience in a journal: how did Luke’s story affect your approach to the work, and what have you learned about yourself and others? 2. In addition to the Buffalo City Mission’s efforts to bring food to those in need, Meals on Wheels is a food-delivery program that helps pay for more than 2.2 million nutritious meals to
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low-income and disabled individuals. You can show your support by registering to become a volunteer through the Meals on Wheels website. When you sign up you can then contact the center manager directly to find a day you can volunteer. After the experience, write down your reflections on this experience in a journal: how did Luke’s story affect your approach to the work, and what have you learned about yourself and others?
Dig Deeper Brown, Jeannine K. “Commentary on Luke 14:1, 7-14.” Working Preacher from Luther Seminary. August 10, 2010. www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-commonlectionary/ordinary-22-3/commentary-on-luke-141-7-14. Hooper, Jodi. “2. Honor at the Banquet (Luke 14:7-11).” June 10, 2012. bible.org/seriespage/2honor-banquet-luke-147-11. Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Gospel of Luke. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1991. “Mother Teresa.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, February 24, 2020. www.biography.com/religious-figure/mother-teresa. Powell, Mark Allan. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2019.
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II. The Persistent Demand for Justice: Luke 18:1-8 Scripture 1
Then Jesus told them a parable about their
need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” 6 And
the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Literary Context
This parable details a confrontation between a judge and a widow seeking justice. Twice the
reader learns that the judge has no respect for God or others, and he initially refuses the widow’s demand for justice. It is clear, then, that this story does not view him favorably, a point reinforced in the Hebrew Bible, which insists that widows be treated justly and with compassion (Deuteronomy 24:17, 19) because of their socially vulnerable status. The widow, however, is undeterred, and although she was without male support, repeatedly appears before the judge to make her case. Eventually, the judge relents and grants her the justice she deserves. In the end, it appears that the widow is a more accurate representation of Jesus’ ministry. With this story Luke highlights a major theme in his gospel: that Jesus’ mission helps those whom society treats as marginalized, powerless, and disposable. In God’s kingdom, the socially vulnerable are welcomed and prioritized. The interpretation that frames this story (vv. 1, 6-8) transforms the parable into a lesson about the prayer: if a disrespectful judge can finally be persuaded to do the right thing, to grant the widow justice who repeatedly demands it, then of course God, who cares passionately about all people, will vindicate those seeking justice through persistent prayer. Unlike the judge, God listens to the cries of the sufferers and will answer their prayers. With this frame, Luke returns to his belief in the power of prayer, an important motif in his gospel.
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Contemporary Application: The Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s reflected the persistent demand for
justice of Luke’s widow. This movement was a decades-long struggle by African Americans and their like-minded allies to end institutionalized racial discrimination, disenfranchisement, and racial segregation in the United States. Just like the widow, African Americans demanded justice for the wrongs that had been done to them, and insisted that justice and righteousness should roll down like an everflowing stream (Amos 5:24). And just as the judge eventually assented to the widow’s demands, so too did the United States’ government pass the Civil Rights Act (1964), which outlawed racial discrimination, and the Voting Rights Act (1965), which banned the discriminatory practices that prevented African Americans from having their voices heard at the ballot box. In Luke’s story, Jesus highlights the power of prayer in the realization of justice. So too, the Civil Rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. framed their actions in biblical terms, as a righteous cause that could be achieved through prayer and faithfulness in God. Having the courage to dismantle the social structures that produce injustice is one of the lasting legacies of the Civil Rights Era and can be used as a model for our own commitment to ending practices that prevent people from enjoying the fullness of life.
Reflection Exercises
1. Make a prayer journal and write down what you’re hoping for, what you’re asking God for, and what you need from him. Then take notes on ideas from your church’s meetings, and during the week, write out how you are applying those ideas into your daily life. 2. What would make your experience at school better? What changes could be made to create an environment where all students have the same opportunities to flourish? Create a list (e.g., more nutritious lunches, improved technological resources, the formation of student clubs centered on social justice) and start a petition to make positive change at your school. Submit your petition to the principal or make your views heard at a school board meeting. If your ideas are initially rejected, what will you do?
Dig Deeper Hultgren, Arland J. The Parables of Jesus: a Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000. Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Gospel of Luke. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1991. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.
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Reid, Barbara E. “Beyond Petty Pursuits and Wearisome Widows: Three Lukan Parables.” Interpretation 56 (2002): 284-294. Wright, N. T. Luke for Everyone. 2nd ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004.
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III. The Feeding of the 5,000: Mark 6:30-44 Scripture 30
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 32 So
they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35 By
this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But
he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 “How
many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 39 Then
Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
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Literary Context
This is the only miracle story found in each of the four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-
17; John 6:1-15), a clear sign of its importance among the earliest followers of Jesus. In Mark, Jesus and his disciples find themselves in the countryside with thousands of others and only five loaves of bread and two fish. After dividing the people into smaller groups, Jesus distributes the food to all to eat, and at the end of the meal there are even twelve baskets of leftovers! In the first have of the gospel of Mark, Jesus is depicted as a “wonder worker,” a man whose miracles astonish the crowds and serve as powerful, concrete expressions of the “in-breaking” of God’s will in the world. Yet at the same time, this story of power, of miraculously feeding the hungry, also demonstrates that “God’s rule” will be fully realized with compassion and an overabundance of love, ideas that clearly distinguished the divine kingdom from the exploitation and domination that marked the human kingdom of Jesus’ own day, the Roman Empire. Moreover, it is noteworthy that in the middle of the story Jesus tells the disciples to give the crowds something to eat (6:37). Mark seems to be suggesting here that we cannot simply wait for divine power to solve the problem of hunger; humanity too are called to advance this plan of social transformation. The Buffalo City Mission’s Food Drive answers this call by providing food to those who need it most. In a sense, Jesus’ miracle for the 5,000 acts as a model for the Buffalo City Mission, whose food drive imitates Jesus’ compassionate stance toward the hungry.
Contemporary Application
An organization that acts in similar ways as Jesus in this story is Newman’s Own, and more
specifically the Newman’s Own Foundation. Newman’s own is a company that sells food items, most famously dressings and sauces. They also sell beverages, pet food, and other food items such as cookies, pizza, and other snacks. Newman’s own is a very famous and worldwide brand, and most people have probably at least seen, if not tried, some of their products. The Newman’s own foundation acts similarly to Jesus and his disciples in their providing for the crowds. Newman’s own donates 100% of its profits to charity. They take all of their profits to the Newman’s Own Foundation, which then supports other charities and gives grants to charities that need help. These charities give food to many different food pantries such as Wholesome Wave and Work Vessels for Veterans. All of these programs show how Newman’s stands for helping people who need it, just like Jesus provided for so many people in the passage. The Newman’s Own Foundation acts very similarly to Jesus and his disciples. They turn what they have (their food products) into enough for many less fortunate people around them (all of the profits that go to charities). Charity and helping people are very important values in both the New Testament and also for 17
Newman’s Own. This also falls in line with the Buffalo City Mission’s values: compassion for others and giving to those who in need.
Reflection Exercise
Take a moment to gather in a circle with those around you to share and reflect upon a time where someone’s generosity and compassion had a positive impact on your life. What was the situation, what did the person do or say, and how did this act of kindness make you feel? Then consider how your service learning activities might have a similar impact upon others in need.
Dig Deeper Donahue, John R., and Daniel J. Harrington. The Gospel of Mark. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2002. Wright, N.T. Mark for Everyone. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004.
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IV. The Sheep and the Goats: Matthew 25:31-46 Scripture
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 31 “
34 “Then
the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then
the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or need clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The
King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then
he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They
also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Literary Context
Within this passage, Matthew explores the way humans treat each other on earth and the
consequences of these actions at the final judgment. More specifically, the story centers on the
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ways people treat others who are experiencing various forms of distress. Is it with kindness and compassion or with disinterest and contempt? Jesus says that his father, God, has blessed those who have treated others with care. These are the “sheep”: they gave food and drink to those in need, they offered hospitality to the stranger, and cared for the sick and those in need of clothing. As a result, they are granted eternal life in heaven. Conversely, the “goats” showed none of this magnanimity; their fate is eternal punishment. Matthew’s gospel was written in a time of social and religious tension, when his community was struggling to define itself against other forms of Judaism and the “gentile” (non-Jewish people). For Matthew, the followers of Jesus have a responsibility to act in ways that are morally superior to these neighbors. Thus, while Matthew’s use of “nations” (25:37) and “brothers and sisters” (25:40) suggest that the story centers on the ways that non-Christians treats Christians, it might also be argued that Matthew would expect his audience to exhibit the same ethical perspectives toward the less fortunate, and even transcend these prescriptions. Indeed, in the Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:29), Matthew repeated exhorts readers to be more ethically upright than other Jews and gentiles. This command is perhaps best epitomized in Jesus’ call to imitate the perfection of God (5:48).
Contemporary Application: The Nobel Prize Committee
In the story of the
sheep and goats, Jesus organizes people into two groups based upon their actions toward others. Put simply, the group on the right are people that he says have shown care for the less fortunate, while those on the left have not. When both groups ask for clarification, Jesus responds by saying that their behaviors toward those in need are really a reflection of how they view him: Jesus, it appears, is revealed among and within the vulnerable and marginalized. An organization that acts in a similar fashion to Jesus in this writing is the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.
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The Nobel Peace Prize Committee is a group that chooses a person or group of people annually to receive its prestigious award. The prize goes to someone who “Does the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace.” Recipients, in other words, are those who have made a significant impact helping others. One such winner was Kailash Satyarthi, who, in 2014, was awarded the prize for his work for children’s rights. He fought for those less fortunate than him. He is like the people that Jesus is rewarding for being kind to others as he judges them. The Noble Peace Price committee acts similarly to Jesus’ actions. Jesus rewards those who help others with life in the Kingdom. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee also awards those who greatly help others. Both of these actions align with the values of the Buffalo City Mission, which helps the vulnerable through service.
Reflection Exercise
After learning about this gospel story, write down three ways in which people today exemplify
the actions of the sheep and the goats. Join with a partner to share your ideas, and then present them to the entire group. Next, consider concrete ways that you can imitate the actions of the sheep: how can you help those who are suffering in your own communities?
Dig Deeper Harrington, Daniel J. The Gospel of Matthew. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2007. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. “Newman’s Own.” 100% Profits to Charity. www.newmansown.com/. The Nobel Prize. “The Official Website of the Nobel Prize.” www.nobelprize.org/. Powell, Mark Allan. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2019. Wright, N.T. Matthew for Everyone. Part 2. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004.
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V. Love Your Enemies: Matthew 5:42-48 Scripture
Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 42
46 For
if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Literary Context
This passage from Matthew’s gospel comes from a famous speech called the Sermon on the
Mount, which details how Jesus expects his followers to live. The themes in this section center on self-sacrifice and unconditional love for all. These statements conclude a section of the sermon known as the “antitheses” (5:21-48) in which Jesus explains that his followers have a responsibility to live a life of exceptional morality: in addition to not killing, they should not express anger; in addition to practicing a form of retribution equivalent to the harm suffered, they should exhibit gratuitousness. Moreover, it is not enough to love the people who show the same love to you: love even your enemies, an uncommon sentiment in the ancient world but one designed to have Christians look through the hate of their enemy and break the cycle of hatred and violence. The last statement of the passage encapsulates Matthew’s view of the Christian ethic: strive for the perfection found in God. Matthew’s Jesus thus establishes a new interpretation for key passages in the Jewish law. In this he see himself as an authority whose views represent a fulfillment of these scriptures (5:17), and followers who listen to and practice his commands should expect an eternal reward (7:24). Such ideas fit well with Matthew’s historical context, a time of great division and conflict between various forms of Judaism. Matthew seems to be saying, then, that his group’s ethic, grounded in Jesus’ authoritative words, is consistent with God’s will for his people; conversely, other forms of Judaism fall short of achieving God’s desire for people to demonstrate completely the virtues of
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kindness and love. This sentiment is distilled clearly in the sermon’s “Golden Rule”: In everything do to others as you would have them do to you” (7:12).
Contemporary Application: Saint Francis of Assisi
Chapter 5 in the gospel of Matthew teaches us to “Love our enemies and pray for those who
persecute you” (5:44). Saint Francis seems to have taken this idea to heart when he set out to meet Malik al-Kamil, the Muslim Sultan of Egypt, in 1219. This was a time of the Crusades, a series of hostilities between Christians and Muslims that erupted during a period of over two hundred years. From the Christian perspective, Muslims were enemies and evil. During the Fifth Crusade, Francis traveled south to Egypt with the goal of introducing the Sultan to the spiritual perspectives of Christianity with the ultimate hope of converting him to the faith. During his meetings with the Muslim leader, both figures entered into respectful dialogue about each other’s religious views. Although he did not achieve the specific goal of his mission, Francis’s spiritual zeal impressed the Sultan, who allowed him to return to Europe in peace. The Sultan too seems to have left a deep impact upon Francis, whose later writings speak positively about the Muslim understanding of God and their rigorous attention to prayer (“A Letter to the Rulers of the People,” 7; “A Letter to the Entire Order,” 4.9). The encounter thus represents a moment of positive interreligious exchange in a time when great animosity and contempt for “enemies” more often led to violence and suffering.
Reflection Exercise
In Jesus’ own day, it was easy to love one’s friends but difficult to show that same attitude toward
rivals or opponents. Perhaps people living in today’s society also share a similar outlook. What emotions are activated in us when we show animosity toward others? How could love counteract these negative emotions? Think about a time when you experienced conflict with someone else. What was the situation? What could you have done to put Jesus’ teaching on love into practice at that time? How would you have to transform your thoughts, words, and actions? What results do you think your efforts would have achieved?
Dig Deeper Harrington, Daniel J. The Gospel of Matthew. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2007.
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Powell, Mark Allan. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2019. Rout, Paul. “St Francis of Assisi and Islam: A Theological Perspective on a Christian-Muslim Encounter.” https://core.ac.uk/reader/2732890. Wright, N.T. Matthew for Everyone. Part 2. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004.
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VI. The Good Samaritan: Luke 10:25-37 Scripture 25
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit
eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” 29 But
wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, 35 brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend” 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Literary Context
The Gospel of Luke shows Jesus as a kind and compassionate figure, not just towards those who are Jewish, but also to Gentiles and Samaritans as well. Luke’s Jesus shows more concern for these groups than either Mark or Matthew, which can be seen in his stories about Samaritans (9:51-56; 10:25-37; 17:11-19). These stories are powerful because of the historical relationship between Jews and Samaritans at the time. The Jews from the regions of Galilee and Judea were hostile and distrusting of other denominations of Judaism or non-Jews. They reviled the Samaritans, labeling them as “evil” and
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“impostor” Jews, and considered them outcasts from the “true” Jewish community. This conflict between the two opposing sides had been taking place for hundreds of years, and was so bad that people had to take alternate routes while traveling to Jerusalem, due to the risk of violence. In Luke’s gospel, however, these Samaritans were welcomed by Jesus, thus illustrating his concern with spreading the message of the “good news” to as many people as possible (Acts 1:8). It is also important to note that in this parable, the priest and the Levite were considered to be “true” or “authentic” Jews at the time, and they were the ones who ignored the beaten man, refusing to
help him despite the fact that this is precisely what their scriptures demand (see Leviticus 19:18). The fact that the Samaritan was the one who demonstrated proper behavior in this parable creates a powerful message that “neighborliness” may be found where you least expect it. The parable of the Good Samaritan thus challenges ethnic stereotypes and teaches a moral lesson about the wickedness of racial and religious prejudice (Wright, 127). Understanding the historical context of this parable and Luke’s decision to incorporate it into his gospel will help readers understand the broader sense of what it means to “love your neighbor,” to be kind and generous, and ultimately, what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Contemporary Application
The gospel of Luke talks about being kind and staying true to yourself and others. This reminds us of Matthew McConaughey’s efforts to help the first responders and victims of the November 2019 Kincaid wildfires in California. During this natural disaster, which burned 77,758 acres in Sonoma County in just six days, he made 800 meals for first responders and distributed them between 20 fire stations. He also prepared 800 meals for homeless shelters. At the time, Mr. McConaughey said to the press: “Being able to provide meals to the men and women who put themselves on the line is an honor for me, Jimmy, and Eddie Russell. We are grateful to be here today to say thank you, shine a light on their unwavering conviction, and hopefully inspire others
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to get involved and help in their own communities.” He stated that the BBQ was a comfort food that reminds people of better times, which they need during such a hard time. He delivered 1,600 meals all together. In Luke 10:25-37, Luke talks about loving your neighbor. In chapter 10:27, Jesus states that people must “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” McConaughey showed love of neighbor by not just helping his friends or well-known people, but by also helping those in homeless shelters as well. He put his time and money into helping and supporting people who were struggling or fire stations that were helping others that were struggling. In this he seems to be like the Good Samaritan, who instructs the innkeeper to take care of the dying man with his own money, and even offers to pay any additional fees involved in the person’s recovery. Mr. McConaughey’s act of kindness imitates the Samaritan’s mercy and generosity for which he expected nothing in return. His commitment to help those who were suffering is an example of a true neighborly love.
Reflection Exercise
Update the Good Samaritan story for a contemporary American audience by putting new
characters into the story and giving it a new plot. Who would play the various roles (Jesus, the lawyer, the priest, Levite, Samaritan, robbers, and injured man) in this revised account? What would the new situation be? What would it look like to show mercy and to “go and do likewise” in this new situation? After re-creating this story, make a short skit to let it unfold among your fellow students. How has this re-production of the Good Samaritan story affected your understanding of the negative effects of prejudice and discrimination and the virtue of mercy grounded in an authentic love of others? How can you apply these insights into your service learning experience?
Dig Deeper The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. Powell, Mark Allan. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2019. Wright, N.T. Luke for Everyone. 2nd ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004.
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Student Testimonials What connections did Hilbert’s students make between their classwork on Jesus in the gospels and their service learning project? Click the videos on the attached document to find out!
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