Undercover Boss, Jesus Style

One of my favorite television shows is Undercover Boss. I find it entertaining and often quite touching (I have to admit I usually have tears streaming down my face by the end of each episode. What can I say? I’m an emotional kind of guy!) The premise of the show, which intrigued me the first time I heard about it, is that a CEO or high official of a company goes incognito into his or her organization and works with individuals on the front lines to see how well the workers are doing and the company is running. It is always great to see the interaction that takes place between workers who think they are working with just an average, everyday person, when in reality, it is the CEO of the company. Because of the way the show is set up, we get to see workers deriding company executives (unwittingly right in front of the most important one!), or talking about how they love their company (in the presence of its head officer), or treating customers with patience or ridicule (while being unknowingly evaluated by someone who has the power to promote or fire them on the spot). In my opinion, it makes for great entertainment.

But in thinking about the show as a Christian, I have to admit the concept has already been tackled—2,000 years ago. . . by Jesus!

I’m thinking of a passage in which Jesus describes His return as King. Here is how He describes it:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matt. 25:31–40; NKJV)

Sounds like Undercover Boss to me. These people seemed to have no idea that the most important Person in the church organization was evaluating them by the way they were treating ordinary people in need (particularly those people associated with Jesus—His brethren).

With this in mind, I would like to delineate a few principles brought out by Jesus’ teaching that are illustrated by its modern television counterpart, Uncover Boss.

1. What you do matters.

In the television show, the workers are evaluated by how they perform their job and the way they treat others around them. Our Boss, or Lord, evaluates not just what we say but how we are living. What is interesting is it is not the big, showy things that are brought out by Jesus, but really just showing concern and compassion. Love seems to be big on His list of priorities. And just as on the show little, kind things done for others is what is ultimately esteemed and rewarded, for Christians too, our love is huge in the sight of God, even if it goes largely unnoticed in this world.

2. There will be a day of reckoning.

The climax of the show Undercover Boss is always when the Boss brings individual employees to corporate headquarters and sits in front of each employee that he or she has worked with. The employees are often shocked when they find out who they have really been working with. (It’s just great to see their reactions–joy, fear, bewilderment, panic, etc.) It is at this point when the boss can really disclose his or her opinion of the employee. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes not good.

In Jesus’ teaching, He too says there is a day of reckoning when people will be shocked to hear about who has been watching them and what He thinks about their lives. The righteous cared for people, particularly for those who associated with Jesus. They will be amazed to hear the Boss say how much He appreciated the way they treated Him. “When did we do those things for you?” they will ask.

Jesus will reply, “By caring for my people, You have shown your love for me.”

It is like a CEO saying, “I am so deeply connected with this company that the way you act in relation to it affects me personally.” So Jesus says, “I am so deeply connected with My church (His brethren) that the way you act in relation to it affects Me personally.” We need to be good representatives of our Boss; He is deeply affected by our behavior.

3. Overwhelming generosity is in store.

Probably what strikes a chord the most with me about Undercover Boss is the lavish generosity shown by the CEO’s. I love it when they give people who have very little money, who are struggling to make ends meet, a large sum of money, a huge promotion, or even a car or a house, in some cases. The worker, at this point, is usually completely overwhelmed that the boss would do something like this. It’s so unexpected. It’s so lavish. It’s so generous. To think of the highest company executive taking note of the needs of this unknown, everyday worker and meeting that person’s specific needs!

I find it moving, too, to think of how Jesus will one day do the same thing. He, the King of all kings, the highest and most exalted of all, will condescend to show His appreciation and generosity to average, everyday nobodies like us and give us more than we could ever dream,

“Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!”

Do you feel unimportant, unappreciated? Well, remember our Boss is watching, and He is very much taking note of what we are doing (even the little things). I think it will be just as surprising and overwhelming to hear what He has to say as it is for the participants on Undercover Boss.