When I Saw Your Face
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
57 Stories For Cycle C
The New Year's Eve party at the Campbells' was always a highlight of the year for Tom Stone. The Campbells really knew how to throw a party. This year's party had been no exception. As the old saying goes, "A good time was had by all."
When the party was over in the wee hours of the new year Tom Stone walked home. The neighborhood Tom lived in was safe enough though it was boundaried by some pretty tough places. On his way home from the Campbells' he had to walk right through one of those troubled places. Tom walked gingerly now. He kept his eyes peeled in all directions for any signs of trouble. He didn't see any! He was almost through the rough spot when he thought he saw what looked to be a man's body on the street ahead.
Tom walked carefully. What to do? Dare he get involved with this beaten man in this godforsaken place? His mind flashed back to the New Year's Eve party at the Campbells' house. When someone asked him what his New Year's Resolution was he had said he would like to be a more caring person. It was like God planted this beaten body on the streets of his city to test his New Year's resolve to care. But a resolution is a resolution. Tom would see what he could do for the man.
Slowly and carefully, therefore, Tom made his way over to the beaten man. The beaten man didn't make a move. It looked like he had been severely beaten, stripped of his clothes, and robbed. His only communication was groaning sighs. Tom looked at the beaten and wounded and naked man and had compassion. Using a nearby telephone he called for a taxi cab. He accompanied the man to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. Once he could see that the man would be well taken care of he went home at last.
When Tom finally awoke the next afternoon his first thoughts were of the man he had encountered the night before. He decided he ought to go to the hospital and see how he was doing. So, off to the hospital he went. When he came into the man's room there was silence at first. The man was awake now and well on his way to recovery.
"I recognize your face," the beaten man whispered hoarsely. "You're the man who helped me last night. When I saw your face then I thought it must be the face of Jesus."
Tom mulled these words over in his mind not knowing just what to say. He rehearsed for himself the reason that he had stopped to help this man the night before. It was the New Year's resolution, of course. And it was even more particular than that. He had vowed to be a more caring person. He had vowed to serve Jesus in Jesus' time of need. A passage from Matthew's gospel haunted his consciousness. "Inasmuch as you did it to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me," Jesus had said. That's why he had stopped to help the beaten man.
Tom was lost in his thoughts on these matters when the man in the bed whispered again: "When I saw your face I thought it must be the face of Jesus."
"No," Tom replied, "it's quite the other way around. When I saw your face in that godforsaken place and heard your groanings and found you beaten, wounded, stripped naked and robbed I thought you must be Jesus."
When the party was over in the wee hours of the new year Tom Stone walked home. The neighborhood Tom lived in was safe enough though it was boundaried by some pretty tough places. On his way home from the Campbells' he had to walk right through one of those troubled places. Tom walked gingerly now. He kept his eyes peeled in all directions for any signs of trouble. He didn't see any! He was almost through the rough spot when he thought he saw what looked to be a man's body on the street ahead.
Tom walked carefully. What to do? Dare he get involved with this beaten man in this godforsaken place? His mind flashed back to the New Year's Eve party at the Campbells' house. When someone asked him what his New Year's Resolution was he had said he would like to be a more caring person. It was like God planted this beaten body on the streets of his city to test his New Year's resolve to care. But a resolution is a resolution. Tom would see what he could do for the man.
Slowly and carefully, therefore, Tom made his way over to the beaten man. The beaten man didn't make a move. It looked like he had been severely beaten, stripped of his clothes, and robbed. His only communication was groaning sighs. Tom looked at the beaten and wounded and naked man and had compassion. Using a nearby telephone he called for a taxi cab. He accompanied the man to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. Once he could see that the man would be well taken care of he went home at last.
When Tom finally awoke the next afternoon his first thoughts were of the man he had encountered the night before. He decided he ought to go to the hospital and see how he was doing. So, off to the hospital he went. When he came into the man's room there was silence at first. The man was awake now and well on his way to recovery.
"I recognize your face," the beaten man whispered hoarsely. "You're the man who helped me last night. When I saw your face then I thought it must be the face of Jesus."
Tom mulled these words over in his mind not knowing just what to say. He rehearsed for himself the reason that he had stopped to help this man the night before. It was the New Year's resolution, of course. And it was even more particular than that. He had vowed to be a more caring person. He had vowed to serve Jesus in Jesus' time of need. A passage from Matthew's gospel haunted his consciousness. "Inasmuch as you did it to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me," Jesus had said. That's why he had stopped to help the beaten man.
Tom was lost in his thoughts on these matters when the man in the bed whispered again: "When I saw your face I thought it must be the face of Jesus."
"No," Tom replied, "it's quite the other way around. When I saw your face in that godforsaken place and heard your groanings and found you beaten, wounded, stripped naked and robbed I thought you must be Jesus."
