The in-patient hospice where our friend was dying returned him to home care this past week because his pain became more manageable. My wife and I were shocked. Our friend’s son and daughter were with him when we arrived at the daughter’s home to visit today. We watched them manage his desire to get out of bed and go to the bathroom every 5 minutes, his agreeing to eat something and then stopping after taking one bite of Jell-O, his throwing the covers off one minute and then saying he was cold and letting them tuck the covers around his frail body again a minute later. When he fell asleep briefly, they told us how wonderful we were to come visit every week. We have been coming to visit every week for the past year or so that our friend has been sick and, more recently, dying. However, here is what I was thinking: You guys are going to heaven for this! Nothing you have ever done before in your life matters. Your father is dying in your home and you are there nursing him through thousands of terrible hours. You are the righteous of Matthew 25: “’Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’ “The righteous will then answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these members of my family, you did it for me!’

American Bible Society, The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation, 2nd ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 1992), Mt 25:34–40.

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