LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY
This is about why we help others. Many choose to help others because it is about helping themselves. Serving people who can benefit us is not difficult if the reason for helping others is all about what it can do for themselves. It is not about the other person. That mindset is absent in Scripture and is to be absent in the church. Believers are called to serve even those who have no means to repay a kindness. Loving Jesus means personally helping those in need. Understanding God’s Word will help us to thank Him for the blessing of neighborhoods and communities so we can have opportunities to serve Him. It is about having Jesus in our heart and serving Him for the right reasons.
Read Matthew 25:34-36
As some background to these passages, Jesus described a day when He would come to reign so King and sit on His glorious throne (Matt. 25:31). Jesus would gather the nations before Him and separate them one from another as a shepherd separates sheep from goats (vv.32-33). In verse 34 (just read) Jesus highlighted the eternal reward His children would receive.
In Matthew 16:27, Jesus had stated that “the Son of man is to come with His angels to the glory of His Father”, and then He will repay every man for what He has done”. Jesus’ last parable in Matthew’s Gospel (25:31-46) tells us how (on what basis) that repayment will be made. We will notice that this parable differs from others. It is a vivid, poetic word picture foretelling the way Jesus will judge the world. The parable pictures Jesus as the heavenly Son of man, seated on a throne, surrounded by angels. In the parable, Jesus is described as judge, King, and shepherd. As the people of all nations stand before Him. Jesus will make a separation. He will act as a shepherd acts in separating the goats from the sheep. In this parable “sheep” symbolize God’s righteous people. “Goats” symbolize the unrighteous.
At the last judgment, Jesus will put the “sheep” at His right hand, the place of favor. The “goats” will be at His left. He will invite the “sheep” to share in His Father’s kingdom because of their ministry to Him on earth. He will declare that they had fed Him, quenched His thirst, welcomed Him when He was a stranger, clothed Him when He was naked, visited Him when He was sick and when He was in prison. The righteous will be totally surprised. When, they will ask, had they ever done these things for Jesus? And Jesus will tell them that in performing these acts of kindness for those in need, they performed them for Him. That is how total Jesus’ identification with suffering humanity is.
This parable describes the consequences of two attitudes toward Christ’s return. The person who diligently prepares for it by investing his or her time and talents to serve God will be rewarded. The person who has no heart for the work of the Kingdom will be punished. God rewards faithfulness. Those who bear no fruit for God’s Kingdom cannot expect to be treated the same as those who are faithful.
God will separate His obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. To treat all persons we encourage, as if they were Jesus is no easy task. 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 our actions separate us from pretenders and unbelievers?
Read Matthew 25:37-40
Jesus used sheep and goats to picture the division between believers and unbelievers. Sheep and goats often grazed together but were separated when it came time to shear the sheep. Ezekiel 34:17-34 also refers in the separation of sheep and goats. This parable describes acts of mercy we all can do every day. These acts do not depend on wealth, ability, or intelligence, they are simple acts freely given and freely received. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs, and we cannot hand over the responsibility to the church or government. Jesus demands our personal involvement in caring for others’ needs (Isa. 58:7).
There has been much discussion about the identity of the “brothers and sisters”. Some have said they are the Jews, others say they are Christians, still others say they are suffering people everywhere. Such a debate is much like the lawyer’s earlier question to Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). The point of this parable is not the who, but the what- the importance of serving where service is needed. The focus of this parable is that we should love every person and serve anyone we can. Such love for others glorifies God by reflecting our love for Him.
Verses 41-46 offers some helpful incites and follow-up to verses 37-40. This Jesus will turn to the “goats” on His left. For them the verdict is a different one, though the criterion for judgment is the same. These are to face “eternal fire” (v. 41) because they did not care for Jesus when He was suffering. These too will question Jesus. They cannot remember ever seeing Jesus sick, naked, thirsty, hungry, or imprisoned. If they had, they would surely have ministered to Him.
And Jesus will solemnly tell them that He present in all the suffering people they did encounter. By not ministering to these, they were failing to minister Him. “Eternal punishment” (v. 46) is the fate which awaits these. But “eternal life (v. 46) is the reward of the righteous. The second half of this parable (vv.41-46) is symmetrical with the first half. With the “goats- those on the left- failed to do everything the righteous freely did. “The righteous will go into eternal life” (v.46b).
The Lord gives us many opportunities to meet basic human needs in the community around us. Churches can get involved with meeting needs and also ministering spiritually. We can share the gospel as we meet the needs of others.
REVELATION: A DEEPER LOOK INTO THE MEANING
THE BOOK OF REVELATIONS IS FILLED WITH SYMBOLISM AND PHRASES THAT ARE NOT EASY TO UNDERSTAND. THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD BOOKS ON REVELATION AND HEAVEN. THIS IS JUST ONE FOR YOU READING TIME.
