Undercover Boss
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Introduction
There’s a show on channel 4 called undercover boss - you may have heard about it or maybe you’ve seen it. I've never watched a full episode, but I like the concept of it.
The show focuses on massive companies where the owner is SO high up the chain that the front-line workers don’t know who they are. And the owner or CEO goes undercover as a front-line worker and gets the low-down on how the business is REALLY run.
So, having never watched a full episode, I imagine the undercover boss pretends to be a new worker at the establishment and is partnered up with a worker as if it’s their first day of work. They are shown the ropes and what happens on the floor by the unwitting staff.
It would be like the owner of Tesco - if there was a single owner - coming and working with a shelf-stacker or checkout clerk or stock-room personnel for the day and getting to see what happens on the floor and also how the staff feel about their jobs.
Now, this can work 2 ways - the boss can get an inside scoop into the practices (or MALPRACTICES) within the organisation. They can see what’s being done wrong or the shortcuts that are taken, and so on - and it can be detrimental to the front-line staff. People could lose their jobs over it.
On the other hand, if the front-line staff have integrity then the boss will see that they are following the code of practice and doing what they’re supposed to be doing and doing it well - and in that case a promotion could be in order.
But the whole thing hinges on the boss being undercover.
Cos if the front-line staff KNOW that this ‘new guy’ is the owner of the company and has the power to fire them on the spot, or promote them on the spot, they’re going to act differently.
The member of staff won’t take shortcuts or be narky to customers or other members of staff if they KNOW that the owner is watching them. And if they know the owner is watching them they’re more likely going to be OVERLY nice to people, be extremely helpful and do everything by the book in the HOPE that the boss will give them a promotion because the boss THINKS that this is the way this member of staff always is.
Like I said, I love this concept. In fact, I would LOVE to be a mystery shopper.
But when I worked in Primark, we were often told that a mystery shopper would be in the store that day so we had to be on our best behaviour - which completely defeated the purpose.
Cos the purpose is to see how people behave in everyday situations, not on their best behaviour (unless their best behaviour is their everyday behaviour).
Pause
And this leads us to our big issue tonight…the issue of social justice…or social injustice - or to simplify it - how we treat the poor and needy. And we’re looking at the passage in Matthew 25 as a template on how we treat others - specifically other CHRISTIANS in need, but not just Christians - anyone in need.
And what we have in Matthew 25 is the biggest case of undercover boss EVER and it’s an eye-opener to all of us on how we behave in everyday life, not JUST when someone’s looking.
Pause
So in this passage, which ISN’T a parable, by the way, Jesus gives us a sneak preview into what will happen at judgement. And it really looks like Jesus is judging on how we treat others in this life. Well, that’s cos he IS judging us how we treat others in this life, but it looks like that’s the criteria for salvation.
In other words, if you take care of the needy, give food and water, clothe the naked and care for the sick, you’ll get into heaven. But if you DON’T then you’re going into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
“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.
So it begs the question...is our salvation measured or judged by our works? Cos I always thought it was by grace that we are saved, through faith, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Let’s address the contradiction first, and say that this isn’t a contradiction. We ARE saved by grace through faith and it’s NOT of works - in other words, our salvation has nothing to do with how we treat others AT ALL.
But at the same time, James says this - and we looked at this a couple of years ago...
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
And his conclusion is that...
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Which means that the TEST of any Christian is how they treat other people when NO ONE else is looking. So how you treat other people when no one is looking doesn’t SAVE you - it doesn’t grant you salvation, it doesn’t off-set the debt of sin…but it is EVIDENCE of whether or not you’ve actually grasped what it means to have your sins forgiven.
As one commentator put it - ‘The deeds of mercy are symbolic of a deeper reality’
Let me say it a different way.
Putting what Jesus says in today’s passage and what James says…if you see a Christian bother or sister in need - naked, hungry, cold, sick, and you don’t do anything to give them food, water or clothing, or if you don’t ensure they are getting treated for their sickness. In other words, if you are ignoring the situation of other Christians who are in need then you have OBVIOUSLY not grasped the gospel, and as a result your faith is dead - you HAVE NO FAITH.
Because people of faith don’t act this way.
And if that’s the case, then the result of that is that your sins AREN’T actually forgiven at all and you’re NOT saved, and so you actually ARE headed to the place prepared for the devil and his angels.
Which, when it’s put like that, makes you think, doesn’t it?
And couple that with the fact that you’ve got an undercover boss EVERYWHERE you go - assessing you in every personal encounter you make and it makes it really scary reality.
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On the flip-side - let me restate this positively…if we ARE treating the poor and needy the way we’re supposed to - if we feed and clothe them, take care of them and so on - if we have a heart for these people and a burden to help them and we ARE TRYING TO HELP THEM, then it is evidence of our faith in action and it’s evidence that we are headed to heaven.
Pause
Now, I’m going to take a gamble here and suggest that we’re not in either camp here. We’re not exploiting the poor and the needy, but I would also suggest that there aren’t many of us who are doing much to help them either.
And I also think that part of our situation is that we haven’t REALLY thought about it much. That we don’t think that we are doing anything to harm the poor and the needy.
And yet when we buy Nestle cereal we are supporting the slave industry and child labour.
When you buy a shirt or top or pair of trousers in a major retail shop for next to nothing does it make you wonder how it can be produced SO cheaply?
Truth of the matter is that slavery and exploitation is happening all around the world and so often we support it and we don’t even realise it. At least, when I go to Tesco, I’m not really conscious of how the stuff got onto the shelves.
So I’m looking at myself here and I’m asking myself, ‘what are you doing to help the poor and needy on your doorstep or in the world? What are you doing to change your buying habits to help put an end to social injustice?’
And my answer is - not much.
And I’m not sure I’m the only one.
Pause
The good news is that There is grace for us.
And that grace is in the form of Jesus, cos let’s face it, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one feeling this way.
And here’s how that grace reaches down to us...because when we realise just how poor and needy we are if we DON’T have Jesus, and when we realise that we are lost without Jesus because of the way we treat each other, and when we realise just HOW MUCH we’ve been saved - and FROM WHAT we’ve been saved, it SHOULD…it SHOULD influence the way we treat others - especially those who are needy.
And it’s why I harp on about the fact that our good works don’t save us and that coming to church doesn’t save us and that paying in doesn’t save us. Because if we ACTUALLY THINK that these things DO save us, then we won’t REALISE how poor and needy and destitute we actually are and we won’t grasp the grace that Jesus is offering us - that despite our failures and our sin we STILL have a chance at redemption - through our faith in Jesus Christ.
But it’s those people who have grasped the just how poor and needy they were BEFORE Jesus saved them - they are the ones that understand how to treat those who are poor and needy on their doorstep and further afield, because they were there too - spiritually - and Jesus took care of them.
Pause
I’ll give you an example from the bible - the story Jesus told at Simon the Pharisee’s house...
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
We need to grasp just what size of debt we’ve been forgiven if we trust in Jesus as our Lord and saviour - and if we HAVE grasped the size of this debt it MUST move us to do show the same love and grace that Jesus showed for us.
Remember the beatitudes we went through in the midweek…remember the 5th one...
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Our acts of mercy to the needy and the poor and the destitute are evidence that we are saved, and when it comes to judgement day we will be shown the same kind of mercy by the divine judge.
Pause
so there is grace here for us, but if we don’t grasp this grace then there is a stark reality waiting for us that scares the LIFE out of me.
But while we are still alive and well and able, let’s ask God to remind us of just how merciful and gracious Jesus has been to us. And let that change how we look at and treat those who are poor and needy and in need of food, water, clothing, care, and let’s actually show them the love, the grace and the mercy of Jesus Christ.
And let’s fight against the exploitation of the poor - let’s pray against social injustice. Let’s do what we can do to help our brothers and sisters who are being trampled.
Let’s THINK about the things we buy - Have our clothes been made in sweatshops? Do you care if your Shredded Wheat or coffee is made by slaves? Loving the poor can happen with every trip to Tesco.
Pause
We are saved by grace through faith and it’s NOT because of anything we do. But we have a responsibility to show grace, mercy and love to those who are in need.
Don’t forget that the fruit of a life touched by Gods mercy is seen by our deeds of mercy to others.
So let’s look out for our own, and not just our own - let’s show EVERYONE who is in need, the transforming love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Not just when someone is looking - let’s ask the Holy Spirit to change us from within so that this is second nature to us… that it becomes who we are.
Cos let’s not forget...Jesus is the undercover boss in every person you meet.
Let’s pray.