An Open Chair
There is a tradition from the Jewish Passover that some have taken into their homes during the season of Lent. Having the open chair. At the Passover the empty chair was prepared for the Messiah. Always ready for him to show up at the Passover so they could celebrate the one coming who fulfilled all the promises of the Passover.
Some keep the tradition now as the Christ chair. Not in exactly the same way. It is not waiting for the return of Jesus at our meals over Lent. He has a place in our homes already, at all times. It is an open chair that says we are able to have another join us and receive grace with us in the meal. The open place that invites another to be with us. And called the Christ chair as it shows the same sense of welcoming as seen in Matthew 25 – the story of the Sheep and the Goats. There Jesus says, “As much as you have done it for the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you have do it to me.”
31 “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.
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 needing 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.”
Whether we have an open chair, or see other ways of living out that same teaching, how will we find ways of doing for others as if it were Christ before us?