Introduction
In less
than two weeks I’ll be leaving to meet my girls in California where we will
again be making the trek into Mexico for a week of missions work among some
desperately poor communities. We’ve been doing this for nearly 15 years now and
I never get tired of serving side-by-side with my daughters and hundreds
(sometimes thousands!) of other Christians from around the world; some who take
time off work without pay, some use hard-earned vacation days, some use their
spring breaks, some leave their families and many others who have never been
outside the boarders of their own towns or cities. No matter who they are or
where they come from, they are there for one purpose—to serve those in need; to
serve The Least of These. In all my
years doing missions work, I have yet to find someone who, by the end of the
commitment period, remains unchanged by the experience.
I’ll be the
first to confess that serving on a short or long-term mission venture is very
difficult and not something the majority of Christians are able to do for
whatever reason. However, this does not absolve Christians from serving those
in need. In fact, as important as missions work is, I could make an argument
that it is equally if not more important for Christians to serve right where
they are. As a pastor, I have to tell you that there is nothing more satisfying
then to see Christians put their faith into action—especially when they are
friends and family. I was blessed to witness this twice just today. Good
friends have opened their home to a person enduring severe personal distress. They
are providing food, shelter and companionship until the person’s struggle
subsides and they are able to move on and care for themselves; they are caring
for The Least of These. Tonight I
received a message from my daughter who is a sophomore in college that while
she was studying at a local coffee shop, she had an encounter with a homeless
man that ended in her buying him a cup of coffee and praying over him—in her
words it was, “AMAZING!”; she was caring for The Least of These.
Serving
either locally or abroad can be very frustrating at times. In the years I’ve been
doing missions work in Mexico, I’m amazed every time I go that everything still
seems to look the same. I’ve lost track of how many homes we’ve built in Mexico
over the last almost 15 years yet everywhere you look there are still waves and
waves of communities constructed of pallets and cardboard. And no matter how
many people you take into your home and no matter how many cups of coffee you
buy someone, there still exist waves and waves of broken and hurting people
desperate to know that they haven’t been forgotten; desperate to know that
God’s still loves them. So what difference does it make when it seems like
we’re not making a difference? Is it possible that we don’t recognize exactly
who we are serving? This week’s lesson takes a close look at what it means to
serve The Least of These and who it
is that we are actually serving.
Subject Text
Matthew 25:31-46
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All
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. 33He
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. 35For 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, 36I 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? 38When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When
did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40“The King
will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers 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. 42For I was hungry and you
gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I
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, ‘I tell you the truth, 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.”
Context
This is
part of a series of lessons Jesus is giving his disciples about future events.
In chapter 23 Jesus has just finished berating the religious leaders for their
pride, insolence and hypocrisy. Jesus decries the religious leaders’ legalism
and for creating a religious system with such complexity in its adherence that
they “shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces” (Matt. 23:13). Jesus says that
the religious leaders themselves don’t enter the kingdom they desire and won’t
let anyone else enter either. Fed up with the religious leaders we see an
exasperated Jesus weeping over Jerusalem at the end of chapter 23. The opening
verses of chapter 24 set the stage for the lesson of our subject text. As Jesus
is leaving the temple and his encounter with the religious leaders, his
disciples comment about the beauty of the buildings and Jesus tells then that a
time is coming when not one stone would remain upon another. When they all
reached the Mount of Olives, Jesus’ disciples asked him when the destruction of
the buildings would happen. Jesus tells them that only the Father knows when
all these things will take place but Jesus tells them the signs to watch for
that will signal when he, the “Son of Man,” will return. Jesus then gives them
a lesson on being prepared for his return and their duty to be productive during
his absence. Finally, Jesus comes to our subject text and the final Judgment at
his return,
Text Analysis
Most
Christians dream about the day when Christ will return. In fact, Christian hope
is forged in the fire of belief that real and eternal life will finally be
inaugurated at Christ’s return to sit on the throne as the King of Glory. At
that time, “He will wipe every tear from their [our] eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has
passed away” (Rev 21:4). I don’t know about you but those words always bring a
tear to my eye. In fact, these words must be particularly comforting for those
referenced in our subject text—The Least
of These. However, the opening verse of our subject text won’t signal the
start of a celebration for everyone.
Jesus,
referring to himself as the Son of Man, even though it’s not the first time he
takes that title, is specifically applicable in light of v. 31. The title is
derived from “Daniel 7, with its figure ‘like a son of man’ who is presented
before God and given an everlasting kingdom (Dan 7:13-14).”[1]
As is always the case, angels are attendant to God and his purposes and Jesus’
return is no different. Note that angels are now permitted to serve an active
role during Jesus’ second coming yet on the night Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane,
they were not permitted to intervene (cf. Mt 26:53).
The word in
v. 32 translated as “nations” is also translated as “people.” The intent of the
text being that everyone will appear before the Judge. This is clearly
consistent with Paul’s teachings that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord
(Phil 2:10-11). Thereafter, Jesus describes in v. 33 how he will separate the
people like a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats (cf. Ezek 34:17). “A
shepherd would separate sheep and goats to keep the goats warm at night while
keep sheep in open air as they preferred. Sheep cost more than goats and
because of their greater utility and value were nearly always more numerous on
a farm.”[2]
Here, the sheep represent those who are faithful followers of Jesus as the
shepherd; those who recognize the voice of Jesus as their shepherd (Jn 10:27). Consequently,
in v. 33, “The right hand signifies, among the rabbins, approbation and
eminence; the left hand, rejection, and disapprobation. Sheep, which have ever been considered as emblems of mildness,
simplicity, patience, and usefulness, represents here the genuine disciples of
Christ. Goats, which are naturally
quarrelsome, lascivious, and excessively ill-scented, were considered as the
symbols of riotous, profane, and impure men. They here represent all who have
lived and died in their sins.”[3]
And then we
come to it; v. 34 and the King’s proclamation of reward for all those who were
his faithful followers. “While Christ is absent, Christians are to take comfort
in his promise that he is preparing a place for them in his Father’s house
(John 14:1-4). Ultimately they will inherit the kingdom he has prepared for
them…The concept of the believer’s inheritance highlights the dignity of the
family relationship of the believer in Christ. No higher position or greater
wealth can an individual acquire than to become an heir of God through faith in
Christ.”[4]
Be honest, isn’t this exactly what you’re waiting for? Isn’t this why there is
a fire in your belly that causes you to cry out in anguish over your current
struggles; because you know there’s something better? We long for the time when
we can say, ‘Finally!” I don’t know
about you but when I sit back and close my eyes and picture this scene unfold (try
it), I can almost feel the weight of the obligations of this life lift off my
shoulders; I can vaguely imagine what it feels like for my body not to hurt
anymore; what it might feel like to not be tired all the time; never to feel
the darkness of depression ever again; maybe what it feels like to slip my hand
into the nail-scarred hand of Jesus and not have to say anything; to know down to
my very core that nothing endured in this life will come close to the joy of
spending eternity with Jesus. That’s what v. 34 signals—don’t miss it! Let the
picture wash over your mind and your heart before you go on in the lesson.
The significance
of vv. 35-36 cannot be overstated. We read them and most of us recognize them
without making an important theological and eschatological connection. There is
often an argument among scholars and theologians between Paul’s theology of
faith and James’ theology of faith. However, I believe the argument is entirely
unnecessary because it often fails to take context into consideration. Specifically,
Paul’s theology clearly states that we are saved by faith and not by works lest
anyone should boast that they somehow did something to save themselves (Eph
2:8-9). James’ theology states that faith without action is dead. In other
words, faith is artificial if it’s not manifested in the way we live our lives (Jam
2:14-26). Both are true in the context of their respective audiences. What is
often overlooked in Paul’s theological argument is Eph 2:10 wherein Paul
specifically states that we have been created to do good “works!” There is no
inconsistency between the two when understood within their proper context. More
importantly, both reflect the reality of Jesus’ own teaching. Jesus taught that
whoever believes in him will have eternal life (cf. John 6, 7, 11, 12, etc.) However,
our subject text adds another dimension to Jesus’ teachings that we sort of
take for granted—service to those in need. We don’t take for granted that we
should serve those in need, we take for granted that our service to those in
need somehow impacts our salvation. Relax! I can hear evangelicals howling at
me out there already! I know the thief on the cross was saved without living a
life of service to God—quite the opposite in fact. However, if we were created
to do good works that God prepared in advance for us to do and we refuse to do
them, what will you say when you stand before the Judge and He asks you why you
refused to do them? What will be your defense? You can scream as loud as you
like—“I believe in Jesus!” but will that matter? Some of you are saying ‘of
course it matters; it’s all that matters!’ Well then how will you answer when
He asks, “If you believe in Jesus, then why didn’t you do the good works I
prepared for you to do?” You see, we don’t know what God prepared for the thief
on the cross to do so that’s not a very good reason for us to neglect our duty
to obediently do the things that God has prepared for us to do; not for the purpose
of being saved but because we have
been saved! Jesus identifies some very basic needs that his true followers met.
In other words, they performed the “works prepared for them.” “In the face of
the needs mentioned, the righteous responded appropriately with deeds of mercy.
The catalogue is, of course, only representative. It covers the most basic
needs of life in order to represent the human need of every kind. The works
themselves, however, serve as but ‘parabolic stageprops, as it were, used to
convey the primary meaning of the parable.’”[5]
Remember
the two questions I asked at the end of the Introduction? The first question; ‘What
difference does it make when it seems like we’re not making a difference?’ This
is really the question being asked by Jesus’ faithful and obedient followers in
vv. 37-39. It’s a beautiful question really; it reveals the humble heart of
true believers. They’re faithful and obedient simply because they do what is
necessary not because there is something in it for them. Many serve because of
their love for people and that is a wonderfully beautiful motivation. Yet there
is a mystery in our service that veils the divine perspective of service. “We
have to remember also that in those who hunger and thirst Jesus Christ himself
meets us incognito, ‘disguised in the uniform of misery.’”[6]
This is precisely what Jesus reveals in v. 40! Whenever we love and care for The Least of These, we love and care for
Jesus himself.
Many would
be perfectly happy for the story to end right there but it doesn’t. You see,
vv. 41-45 are the aspect of Jesus that people just don’t want to acknowledge. We
only want to see Him as a loving,
merciful savior and He is; but not only.
Jesus is also the Most Holy One and must therefore Judge according to His
holiness. In v. 41, the “eternal fire” referred to is precisely what is
recorded in Revelation as the place of eternal punishment prepared for the
devil, his demons and unbelievers (Rev 20:10-15). Consequently, those identified
as the “goats” to his left, are condemned for eternity using the exact reverse
of the language used to commend the faithful “sheep” to his right. Jump up and
down in protest all you want; wrap yourself in a big banner that says “I love
Jesus” for all the good that will do; deceive yourself to your own doom—what you
say you believe will only serve to save you if its reality is manifest in your
life, attitude and actions!
In case
Jesus’ teaching hasn’t been clear to this point, v. 46 doesn’t just draw a line
in the sand, it digs a moat and fills it with alligators! People who believe in
Jesus and demonstrate that belief
through acts of service and mercy are on the right side and everyone else are on the other wrong
side. “The adjective αἰώνιον,
‘eternal,’ is used in both instances, pointing to the gravity of the issue at
stake.”[7]
So many in our churches today hate to hear “fire and brimstone” preaching. They
love to hear sermons on love and self-fulfillment; they love to be moved by
worship music, flashing strobe lights and fog machines. Why? Some, because they
are sincere and faithful followers and worship is a natural response; others,
because they are pretending to be faithful followers and the worship is an
anesthetic that blunts the truth of their lives. What is the truth? “God will
separate his obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers, and their
destinies will be vastly different. The real evidence of our belief is the way
we act. To treat all persons we encounter as if they are Jesus is not easy. What
we do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus’ words to us—feed
the hungry, give the homeless a place to stay, look after the sick. How well do
your actions separate you from the pretenders and unbelievers? Will you be sent
away to eternal punishment or eternal life?” If you are an
unbeliever, you don’t get to choose. Your unbelief has already made the choice
for you. However, if you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, what is your
attitude and actions toward The Least of
These?
Application
If I say
the words: “Just Do It!” what comes to mind?
That’s right—Nike! The whole
premise of the slogan is this: Stop talking about what you want to do or what
you’re going to do—Just Do It! I got to thinking about our lesson and what I
would say to you about its application; Jesus’ teaching is very clear in that
we are to preach the gospel to all people and baptize them in the name of the
Triune God (Mt 28:19). However, the teaching doesn’t end there; we are also told
to teach people to obey everything Jesus commands (Mt 28:20). So what is it
that Jesus commands about our salvation? Wait…someone asked Jesus that question
already; ‘What must I do to be saved?’ (Mt 19:16-22). Do you know the answer? How
about: Whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life? (Jn
3:16). Is that it? When the rich, young man asked Jesus this question, Jesus told
him to sell all he had and give it to the poor and then come and follow Him. But…I
thought all you had to do was believe and you were saved! It would seem that it
is not quite that simple as we see the young man leave sad because he had many
possessions. Does it mean that he couldn’t follow Jesus and keep his possessions? No! But using his resources to care for
the poor was the “good work” that was prepared for him and he refused to do it.
He talked a good story about what he had done, how obedient he had been and
what he wanted but when Jesus said, in essence, stop talking about how great you’ve
been and Just Do It, he refused. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, it’s not
always about money and possessions (although often it is)! I don’t have lots of
money, but I can build a house so I travel to Mexico to build houses for those
who live in shacks made of pallets and cardboard. My wife can’t build houses but
she is a magnificent host and she can make anyone feel welcome in our home. You
might not be able to build a house or be a good host but you can prepare a meal
for someone who is hungry; you can fix the car of the single mom who needs to
get to work; you can sit by the bedside of a sick friend; you can give words of
encouragement to someone ready to quit; you can read a story to a bunch of
elementary school children; you can buy a cup of coffee for a homeless man who
is tired and cold; you can write a check to someone who can’t find a way out of
their financial distress. Does it matter that we believe in Jesus? Absolutely
and unequivocally, yes! At some point, however, what we say we believe is
irrelevant if our actions don’t reflect the entire theological and eschatological
spectrum of that reality. At some point we need to stop talking about it and
Just Do It! Let your faith take action as you demonstrate what you say you
believe through your attitude and actions toward The Least of These.
[1]
Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall, eds., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), p. 10.
[2]
Craig S. Keener, Matthew, The IVP New
Testament Commentary Series, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997),
pp. 360-361.
[3]
Ralph Earle, ed., Adam Clarke’s
Commentary on the Holy Bible, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1967),
p. 822.
[4]
Walter A. Elwell, ed., Baker Theological
Dictionary of the Bible, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1996), pp. 99-100;
375.
[5]
Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 14-28, Word
Biblical Commentary, (Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1995), p. 744.
[6]
Colin Brown, ed., Dictionary of New
Testament Theology, Vol. 2, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House,
1986), p. 268.
[7]
Hagner, Matthew, p. 746.
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