The current USA President, Donald Trump, used the slogan, ‘Make America great again’, to win over voters. In our own recent national elections echoes of that theme were appropriated for Australia by several candidates. So what makes a nation GREAT!?

   Some would suggest the achievements of its citizens. I recall learning, at Primary school, all about the European explorers who ‘opened up’ the vastness of this continent; and the subsequent graziers who ran huge properties! And the wars Australia was involved in…

I realised some years later, I never learned about the contribution men and women made to the development of ideas, or science, or inventions, or health, literature, the arts… Hopefully that has changed by now…

   Others might argue that a strong economy signals a great nation; some suggest in that area we are punching above our weight’.

Then there is the perspective which tells us that national greatness is determined by how we take care of each other…

   This is how Jesus sees greatness! We all know Matthew 25, the chapter which has the judgment of the nations, (verses 31 following). This is how these are judged!

 Jesus says:  “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these you did it to me.”

This Australia Day, ask, ‘how will we fare when as a nation we face such judgment?’