There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the Sun. Ecclesiastes 3:1
All Muxed Ip
Very often we spend a great deal of time worrying about what we did. Maybe we did something wrong or selfish or made a mistake that will hurt someone else. These are all reasonable things to think about. As Christians we want to be more like Jesus and so we try not to do things that are hurtful or bad. It’s a simple enough formula – but will it work?
I’m not convinced. Although I agree that we shouldn’t seek to hurt others or ourselves I just don’t think that’s enough. The problem I have is with the sheep and the goats. You know the story in the Bible where Jesus describes people as being either a sheep, (who was accepted into heaven) or a goat, (who wasn’t)?
What was the difference between them and how can I get it right? Well it covered just two things. The things they did and the things they didn’t do. Now my worry is that I spend a lot of time worrying about the things I did wrong but not as much worrying about the things I ought to do but don’t. How is it with you? Have you fed the homeless lately? Or provided clothes for those less fortunate? Helped the sick or lonely? Encouraged and supported the elderly?
Not because you had the time or money but because you were a sheep and it was just natural for you to do it. You see the sheep in the story didn’t even take note of what they did, they just did it. They didn’t feel especially proud of themselves or make a great deal about their kindness. They weren’t trying to earn their way into heaven or impress their friends. They simply did what was natural for them to do; the saw another’s need and responded.
The goats just didn’t think that way. It doesn’t mean that they were evil or busy doing bad stuff. They just weren’t helping others, maybe because they didn’t even notice their need. Now, to be fair to them, it seems that if they had seen Jesus needing help they would have responded quite differently. Who wouldn’t have? After all isn’t it easier to help those we approve of than those we don’t? Aren’t there always some people that we’d rather talk with and share with than others? Isn’t that natural? Why else would we have the phrase “the deserving poor”? Shouldn’t we screen out some as unworthy of our time or resources?
But then what other criteria for being helped can there be apart from needing it? A gamblers’ hunger is as real as a saints, the cold wind does not discriminate on whose skin it blows and sorrow and heartache is common to all people everywhere at sometime or other. But then again suppose our meagre resources are wasted or misused, suppose our efforts are unappreciated - what then? How can we know what to do?
Here’s how, let us use the same approach Jesus used with us and then we can be confident that we are getting it right.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
If God had applied my rules to saving me I would have been lost. When he reached out to me I wasn’t able to prove my worth or show my gratitude appropriately. I just needed His help. He helped and I responded, and now here I am. Some choose to follow Him and some don’t, but shouldn’t everyone see His care in our contact with them?
To my mind at least the difference between goats and sheep is more than what they did or didn’t do – it’s in who they are and whose example they follow. As for me I will follow Jesus – will you?
The sheep and Goats
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “
Matthew 25: 31-45 (NLT)
Very often we spend a great deal of time worrying about what we did. Maybe we did something wrong or selfish or made a mistake that will hurt someone else. These are all reasonable things to think about. As Christians we want to be more like Jesus and so we try not to do things that are hurtful or bad. It’s a simple enough formula – but will it work?
I’m not convinced. Although I agree that we shouldn’t seek to hurt others or ourselves I just don’t think that’s enough. The problem I have is with the sheep and the goats. You know the story in the Bible where Jesus describes people as being either a sheep, (who was accepted into heaven) or a goat, (who wasn’t)?
What was the difference between them and how can I get it right? Well it covered just two things. The things they did and the things they didn’t do. Now my worry is that I spend a lot of time worrying about the things I did wrong but not as much worrying about the things I ought to do but don’t. How is it with you? Have you fed the homeless lately? Or provided clothes for those less fortunate? Helped the sick or lonely? Encouraged and supported the elderly?
Not because you had the time or money but because you were a sheep and it was just natural for you to do it. You see the sheep in the story didn’t even take note of what they did, they just did it. They didn’t feel especially proud of themselves or make a great deal about their kindness. They weren’t trying to earn their way into heaven or impress their friends. They simply did what was natural for them to do; the saw another’s need and responded.
The goats just didn’t think that way. It doesn’t mean that they were evil or busy doing bad stuff. They just weren’t helping others, maybe because they didn’t even notice their need. Now, to be fair to them, it seems that if they had seen Jesus needing help they would have responded quite differently. Who wouldn’t have? After all isn’t it easier to help those we approve of than those we don’t? Aren’t there always some people that we’d rather talk with and share with than others? Isn’t that natural? Why else would we have the phrase “the deserving poor”? Shouldn’t we screen out some as unworthy of our time or resources?
But then what other criteria for being helped can there be apart from needing it? A gamblers’ hunger is as real as a saints, the cold wind does not discriminate on whose skin it blows and sorrow and heartache is common to all people everywhere at sometime or other. But then again suppose our meagre resources are wasted or misused, suppose our efforts are unappreciated - what then? How can we know what to do?
Here’s how, let us use the same approach Jesus used with us and then we can be confident that we are getting it right.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
If God had applied my rules to saving me I would have been lost. When he reached out to me I wasn’t able to prove my worth or show my gratitude appropriately. I just needed His help. He helped and I responded, and now here I am. Some choose to follow Him and some don’t, but shouldn’t everyone see His care in our contact with them?
To my mind at least the difference between goats and sheep is more than what they did or didn’t do – it’s in who they are and whose example they follow. As for me I will follow Jesus – will you?
The sheep and Goats
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “
Matthew 25: 31-45 (NLT)