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12 Matthew 25

Fewer Biblical passages are known to the Filipino peasant in terms of chapter quotation than the Last Judgment scene found in Matthew, Chapter 25.

Taking off from the Samaritan parable, the discussion by peasants on Christianity and action against poverty moves on to the final test of what it means to be a Christian – the last test, or the last judgment day.

On that day, Mang Amboy starts, He will gather all people: some He will place on His right and others on His left. The Biblical text is known to all.

Mang Amboy takes his time, marshalling his important remarks wisely. He will say: “Come, take possession of the Kingdom...” The interesting part, Mang Amboy points out, is that Christ, like a good judge, will give the reasons for His judgment.

He will say why some people are coming to heaven, and why others won’t.

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Christ will give six reasons, Mang Amboy emphasizes, and these reasons must be the principal reasons; or why would He mention them only.

He will not say: “Come, because in your lifetime you prayed so many rosaries a day and you went to Mass twice on Sundays,” although it may be important to pray as Christ prayed. Nor will He say: “Come to heaven, because in your lifetime you became Miss Universe or you became the President of the Philippines,” although it may not be bad to become Miss Universe or the President, of the Philippines.

Rather, He will say – and Mang Amboy’s recitation of the familiar does not make it less emphatic – He will say: “Come, because I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, imprisoned and you came to me, a stranger and you took me in.”

But, Mang Amboy continues, if feeding the hungry is the principal reason for going to heaven, the principal form of sanctification, we must now ask: With what do we feed a hungry person? With rice! And how much does rice cost? About, two pesos per ganta. Don’t you think, my friends, that, in a way, heaven is for sale?

Clothing the naked is a principal reason for going to heaven, a principal form of sanctification. Question: With what

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do we clothe a naked person? Obviously with textile. And how much does textile cost? Everyone is now amused and nodding, in agreement. Well, as of today, textile costs about five pesos per yard. So, again you will see that this business of sanctification, as far as Christ is concerned, is truly a business proposition,

In other words, my friends, we must be willing to pay the price. Clearly, though, the price of heaven and sanctification is not fixed. At times, it can be so cheap that the poorest sacada (migrant farm worker) can pay for it. At other times, it can be so dear that the richest sugar baron is simply unwilling, and therefore, unable to pay for it.

Another peasant stands up to underscore the converse of the heaven-proposition. He hardly minces words and simply reiterates the Biblical text. “Depart from me, for I was hungry and you did not feed me…” Christ as judge is very consistent indeed, the peasant points out. If feeding the hungry is itself a justifying/sanctifying act; conversely, not feeding the hungry when one can, must be unjust, for only the unjust will go to hell. Christianity is so demanding and positive. We are condemned not so much for what we do but for what we failed to do.

We can, therefore, imagine, he says, a beautiful lady who comes from one of the wealthiest families and has gone to the most exclusive schools.

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She is a good, pious lady. She goes to church every morning wearing a blue dress, a blue pair of shoes, carrying a blue rosary and riding in a blue ear. She then goes back home spending a great part of her time again in prayer, or, perhaps, now and then laying a thin layer of cutex on her fingernails.

When she dies, the peasant, now asks in all seriousness, will she go to heaven or will she go to hell? The chances are she might go to bell.

At the last judgment, she might hear from the judge: “In your lifetime, there were so many poor people right in front of your mansion and you hardly lifted a finger to help them because you were so selfish, too busy in self-sanctification. You had many tenants who produced the rice for you and whose children died of undernourishment because you were always opposed to land reform. There was no concern, no love in your heart. Depart from me, because I was hungry and you did not feed me…”

In other-words, Mang Amboy – the peasant is half-grinning: now while the rest are still engrossed in serious consideration of his statement – there just might be a lot of discussion on Last Judgment Day! For a few might dare to say, “Lord I was a Bishop and a Cardinal in my lifetime…” And the Lord will answer, “Amen, I say to you, I know you not! In your lifetime, the most urgent problem causing mass hunger

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was social injustice – feudal landlordism and capitalist usury. This was definitely a moral question. But you, the moral leader, chose to be silent in cowardice. You were more concerned with the contributions of the exploiter and with maintaining their friendship. I was hungry because of that unjust system, and you did not feed me –“

But Mang Amboy is not yet finished with his long disquisition. He says: The Bible is also clear that there will be a lot of surprises on that final exam day with individuals asking when they did or did not give food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty. Of course, we all know the answer: What we do to the people or against them, we also do to Christ or against him. Christ is the people, and the people are Christ.