“Come, You Who are Blessed”

Matthew 25:31-46

Proper 29a

Christ the King Sunday

Matthew 25:31-46

[Mt 25:31] “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. [32] “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; [33] and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

[34] “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35] ‘For 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; [36] naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to 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? [38] ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? [39] ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ [40] “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

[41] “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; [42] for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; [43] I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ [44] “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ [45] “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ [46] “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:31

[Mt 25:31] “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.”

“When the Son of Man comes…”

This parable brings forth to us three Gospel truths that must never be overlooked in our interpretation of the entire bible:

1. Jesus is returning in glory;

2. He will judge all nations;

3. Calling Jesus ‘Lord’ is not enough to receive the “wage of a worker” (see the study on Matthew 20:1-15); attitudes and actions must match our words.

According to prophecy, both in the New Testament and Old, the Lord will occupy his rightful seat [thronos] of glory [doxa]. The complete phrase could also be stated as: ‘He will be given his due authority’, or; ‘He will be placed upon his rightful seat of honor’. The term for glory is also used interchangeably as dignity, honor, praise and worship—but it always implies the concept of being “very apparent”. In other words, there will be no doubt about Christ’s coming to power and his throne of glory.

“He will sit on His glorious throne…”

The day is destined to come; a heralded day of revealed glory and righteous judgment (making unjust ways “right”). This is the reading that leaves no room for doubt as to Christ’s “Guidelines for the FINAL, final.” Jesus is the ultimate teacher who does not want to leave his students with any doubts—any unclear expectations. He wants us to know that there is a “point” to life and that point is to draw close to God: A God who is love and is made evident when we love.

In this story, Jesus is as clear about who is accepted as he about who is unwelcome. This was not simply a warning for “someday”; it is (even more) an invitation for “today”. Jesus reveals the target we need to aim for with our entire life. He unveils the only goal worth striving for with “all of our talents”. He is saying; “This is the mark at which to aim your arrow.”

Over time, people have tried to avoid these words of justice and judgment; we often try to ignore these statements or water them down. Yet, their clarity rings true: It is not whether we called Jesus, “Lord,” that will be an indication of our belief; it is whether we acted as if Jesus was Lord of our life! If our actions do not match our words, then we do not believe. It was Jesus’ great desire that his apostles understand this immediately. Our Christ did not want people to stumble around and “miss the mark.”

Judgment is unavoidable and the standards by which we will be judged are unmistakable.

Prophesies of the Coming Judgment:

Ps 9:7-11

7 But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, 8 And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.

9 The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble, 10 And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, O LORD, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; declare among the peoples His deeds.

Dan 7:13-14

13 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. [14] “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and {men of every} language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed”.

Zech 14:5-9

5 And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, {and} all the holy ones with Him! [6] And it will come about in that day that there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. [7] For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. [8] And it will come about in that day that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. [9] And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be {the only} one, and His name {the only} one.

Matt 19:28-30

28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29] “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life. [30] “But many {who are} first will be last; and {the} last, first.”

Acts 1:11

11 And they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

1Thes 4:16-18

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the} archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. [17] Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Heb 1:8-9

8 But of the Son {He says} “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. [9] “Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy companions.”

Rev 1:7-8

7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. [8] “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Rev 20:11-15

11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. [12] And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is {the book} of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. [13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds. [14] And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Matthew 25:32-33

[32] “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; [33] and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.”

“All the nations…”

We know from Scripture that Christ already rules from God’s right hand:

Acts 2:33-36

33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.” 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ-- this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Yet, Paul tells us that we live in a period where God is conquering all of his enemies:

1 Cor 15:25-28

25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.

At that time, the enemies of God will become his footstool:

Ps 110:1

1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.”

There are three views that surface when talking about “this age” as Christ’s enemies are brought into subjugation:

1) Amiliennial;

This view holds that Christ’s rule is a) symbolic, b) exists today, and c) that it is a spiritual not a physical rule.

2) Postmillennial;

This view holds that Christ’s rule is a) spiritual, b) exists today, and c) that the world is being gradually brought under his rule.

3) Premillennial;

This view maintains that there will actually be a period of one thousand years in the future where there will be an earthly fulfillment of Christ’s reign fulfilling the promise of Israel. This view is strongly supported by scriptures from Revelation, Chapter 20.

Rev 20:1-15

1 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut {it} and sealed {it} over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I {saw} the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.

9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is {the book} of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

It is important to note that, while there are differences between each of the schools of thoughts, each school of thought is attached to the idea that Christ will reign eternally and there is nothing that any force can do to prevent it.

Rom 8:38-39

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Will be gathered before Him…”

In this reading, the Lord lays out the circumstances of the final gathering: All the nations will be gathered [sunago]—but with the intention of being separated [aphorize]. Why gather to separate? Why not just cast the uncharitable ones into judgment?

This is a public event, an event for all to witness; including God, the heavenly beings, spiritual forces (evil and good) and all people. As you see in this reading, no one will be left saying; “I didn’t know…”

The word used for divide is to “declare a limit” or to “sever”. However, it is a public act; a declaration. It is like having a public certificate of marriage, a final will or public deed to property recorded in your County. It is written and available for the public so that no one will be confused about the parameters or the binding nature of the judgment.

When the decree is read, one group will no longer have access to another. It is the reason for the separation where we should place our greatest emphasis. Because, this reason, will help us understand how to be ready for the judgment.

“He will separate them from one another…”

Why would a shepherd divide sheep from goats? Sheep were the gentle and helpless cousins of the goat. Goats were a wild, independent creature considered to be willful and stubborn. Throughout the bible, goats are used by writers as symbols of poor leadership. They would often wander from the shepherd and lead the sheep with them. Then, when trouble arrived, goats would flee and leave the sheep behind them. God separates the goats and the sheep to prevent the weaker ones from being manipulated by the stronger ones.

Jer 50:6-9

6 “My people have become lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside {on} the mountains; they have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place. [7] “All who came upon them have devoured them; and their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty, Inasmuch as they have sinned against the LORD {who is} the habitation of righteousness, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’

8 “Wander away from the midst of Babylon, and go forth from the land of the Chaldeans; be also like male goats at the head of the flock. [9] “For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon a horde of great nations from the land of the north, and they will draw up {their} battle lines against her; from there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior who does not return empty-handed.

Zech 10:3-6

3 “My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; for the LORD of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like His majestic horse in battle. [4] “From them will come the cornerstone, from them the tent peg, from them the bow of battle, from them every ruler, {all} of them together. [5] “And they will be as mighty men, treading down {the enemy} in the mire of the streets in battle; and they will fight, for the LORD {will be} with them; and the riders on horses will be put to shame. [6] “And I shall strengthen the house of Judah, and I shall save the house of Joseph, and I shall bring them back, because I have had compassion on them; and they will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God, and I will answer them.

The manipulation issue

There are two ways to manipulate someone:

1) To use someone for my ends (even if they act with complicity);

We are supposed to love others as Christ loved us—not according to our needs.

2) To allow someone to be used by another.

We cannot excuse ourselves from the manipulation of another “just because” it doesn’t involve us. To allow injustice is to be unjust!

It is towards “making things right” (the biblical concept of righteousness); that I am supposed to apply all my resources (“talents” in Mt 25:14-30). This was at the very heart (and power) of the early church.

“He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.”

Jesus is seated at the “Right Hand of God.” Prophesy proclaims it, Jesus explained it and Stephen even saw it. Yet, why is it always God’s “Right hand?” Why not his left? Why “righteousness” and not “left-eousness?”

The left hand (in the Arab world) is the unclean hand. You would never offer it to someone, nor would you even be allowed to strike someone with it. These were horrible insults. If you are caught stealing in the marketplace; it is the right hand that is chopped off. That was the ultimate humiliation.

What is with this biblical bias against left-handers like me? Let’s look at a number of spiritual references to the concept of “the Right Hand Man.”

First of all, to a person raised in the Middle East, your right hand was your “clean hand” and your left hand was your “cleaning hand.” Because of sanitary conditions in many areas of the least developed nations; it would be very unhealthy to confuse your right and left hands.

In Hebrew tradition, the right hand [“dexios” in Greek], is actually considered the feminine hand of God. Renoir understood this in his incredible painting of the Prodigal Son. If you look closely, you will see that the Father’s right hand is different than the left. Indeed, the right hand is a woman’s hand. It is the hand of compassion.

The common belief in the Hebrew culture was that it was the hand that allowed humans to be able to use tools—thus (according to the ancients)—the hand symbolized our stewardship role in the earth. It also symbolized our distinction from the other creations of God. Because of this, the hand was frequently decorated with jewelry. [Gen. 24:22; Ezek. 23:42]

Hand was often used to represent someone’s power and authority. [Ex. 3:8; 1 Sam. 23:17; Ps. 31:15]

Hand was also used as an indicator of what someone really believed or their “whole belief.” It was the hands that disclosed the soul because the hands only did what the soul instructed them. [Ps. 24:4; Acts 2:23]

The position of a person’s hands is symbolic of their relationship with God.

1) Dropped hands were symbol of deep, spiritual weariness;

Isa 35:3

3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. (KJV)

2) Raised hands were a symbol or praise or violence towards an “enemy of God’s people;”

I King 11:27

27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. (KJV)

Ps 63:4

4 So I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

Laying hands on another person conveyed a blessing of that person [Gen. 48:17] or the ordination to Christian office. [1 Tim. 5:22]

Gen 48:17-19

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

(KJV)

1 Tim 5:22

22 Do not lay hands upon anyone {too} hastily and thus share {responsibility for} the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

Opening his hand

Let’s end this section by looking at the origin of the word “righteousness” and how it became tied into “the right hand.” As we have seen, there are multiple scripture references to the power of God being manifested by his “Right-Hand Man;” the Messiah.

Mark 14:62

62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Acts 7:56

56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Rom 8:34-39

34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 Just as it is written, “For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary has a great explanation on the nature of God’s Right Hand and its tie to righteousness:

The right hand

ALMS

Money given out of mercy for the poor. The Israelite was commanded to be generous in opening his hand wide to the poor and needy [Deut. 15:11]. Gleanings from vineyards, orchards, olive groves, and fields should be made available to the poor [Lev. 19:9-10; Ruth 2:2,7-8]. Blessings were promised to those who were generous in aiding the poor [Prov. 14:21; 19:17]. Eventually, the notion developed that almsgiving had power to atone for the giver’s sins.

By Jesus’ time, the word righteousness was tied closely to the word alms. Thus, when Jesus taught about “charitable deeds” (or almsgiving; [Matt. 6:2-4]), prayer [Matt. 6:5-15], and fasting [Matt. 6:16-18], he prefaced his teachings by saying, “Beware of practicing your piety [literally, righteousness] before men in order to be seen by them” [Matt. 6:1]. In this way he taught that the giving of alms to the poor must not become a theatrical display to win people’s applause; the praise that comes from God is more important.

The Book of Acts comments favorably on several instances of almsgiving. A certain disciple at Joppa-- a woman named Tabitha, or Dorcas—was full of good works and charitable deeds [Acts 9:36]. A God-fearing man named Cornelius “gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” [Acts 10:2]. Then, as now, God acknowledges those who give gifts of bread to the hungry and in other ways show compassion to the needy [Is. 58:6-8; 1 John 3:17].

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Hope for left-handers (like me)

Before we leave the topic of left and right handedness, I just want to give hope to other left-handers out there. We do have a hero in the bible that confirms we aren’t entirely evil. His name is Ehud, and he can be found in the book of Judges:

Judg 3:15

15 But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

Even though Ehud was a violent and sneaky character—he still is our only left-handed biblical hero. Still, take heart, I am finding a significant amount of research that points to Jesus being born “left-handed” and using his right hand only in an attempt to be “politically correct”—just kidding.

Matthew 25:34-36

“Come ye blest of my Father…”

In the last study, we heard a sentence that many of us would long to hear from our Lord; “Well done good and faithful servant.” This week, we hear another sentence that we should set as a benchmark for our lives; “Come, you who are blessed of My Father…”

I can think of no two sentences to strive for with all my being than to hear these sentences spoken by my Lord. These statements are the summary of a good life.

We call the final summary of a person’s life a eulogy. That word originates from the Greek, ‘Eulogeo’; which is used in this very text for “blessed”. In quite literal terms, to say, “Come you are blessed,” is the greatest eulogy one could receive for their life of effort.

What is blessed?

Last week, the servants who invested all their being were commended by the Lord. The Lord blessed, not the amount returned, but the effort invested. Christ shows us quite clearly in this lesson that to be blessed is to feed the hungry, give drink to the parched, invite the stranger into your life, clothe the naked, visit the sick and go to the imprisoned. To be blessed is to have the privilege to invite the hungry orphan into the King’s banquet to clothe him with the King’s glory.

Throughout my life, I have always heard these words dummied down by teachers and preachers who would state; “By hungry, Jesus meant the ‘spiritually hungry’—he didn’t actually mean the physically hungry. Thirsty means longing for religion, and so on.”

Let’s look at the actual Greek translations of the works that Jesus used:

· Hungry [peinao]

This word means to be famished or to have a distended belly from hunger. Literally, it describes the pinching pain of hunger that stabs at the stomach of the starving. The term for spiritual hunger (or longing) is epipothesis; which would also be used as vehement desire. The two words are obviously different. By feeding the hungry, Jesus actually meant that we must help with feeding the physically hungry.

· Thirsty [dipsao]

This word can be used in either a literal or figurative sense of thirsting.

· A stranger [xenos]

A stranger was an alien (from a different country—not a different world). To the Jew of Christ’s day, a stranger was anyone who was not Jewish. So what was blessed? To be a thoughtful and caring host to those who were outside my culture and outside my beliefs. This COMMAND is especially pertinent in our ‘xenophobic’ society today.

· Nude [gumnos]

This could be literal or figurative, it means to be exposed or without protection. Clothing the naked not only means providing garments; it also means “covering their shame” or “being their protector.”

· Sick [astheneo]

Being sick meant feeble in any sense. It also meant weak or impotent, even feeling powerless. There is no greater gift to the “powerless and feeble” than the gift or relationship or time.

Standing by someone when they are ill, weak or powerless tells them that our love of them transcends their position or possessions. It is rarely seen in our day because we are so “me” oriented. We tend to visit those who can offer us something in return.

Part of my work with the incarcerated is to tell them that—to make it “on the outs”—they must find a way to love someone who cannot love them back. It is precisely when we take these actions that we experience the greatest power of God moving through us.

Matt 5:43-48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ [44] “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you [45] in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous. [46] “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? [47] “And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more {than others}. Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The other aspect of this statement is that we must also be an advocate of the powerless. We must seek ways to amplify their voice or raise their socio-political position. Over time, I have become convinced that you cannot raise the power of the weak externally—from an outside source—the powerbase must be built internally. A Christ-centered leader who took this statement seriously would be seeking ways to create businesses and a common voice among the disempowered. When we see the disempowered, pity is an indignant response. Compassion is the only Christ-centered response. As Jesus said to his Disciples in Matthew 14:16, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

· Imprisoned [phulake]

This word was used to depict a cage or a prison. It also meant someone who is guarded or literally “kept separate”. We are told to “go to” those who are separated, guarded or caged. Literally, the command we are given to respond to the “imprisoned” is “erchomai,” meaning; “You brought light to me,” or, even more; “You were light to me.”

How can we misinterpret these sayings to mean anything but to literally “love those who are outcast?” We are blest when we seek the forgotten and become light to them. Where, today, in your community might you find the forgotten? That is where Our Lord, Jesus the Christ, literally lives.

Let us examine a number of scriptures, beginning with the Old Testament, which will remind us that compassion is a biblical mandate for the faithful, not an option:

Deut 15:7-8

7 “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; 8 but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need {in} whatever he lacks.

Job 31:16-23

16 “If I have kept the poor from {their} desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 17 Or have eaten my morsel alone, and the orphan has not shared it 18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and from infancy I guided her), 19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering, 20 If his loins have not thanked me, and if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep, 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, because I saw I had support in the gate, 22 Let my shoulder fall from the socket, and my arm be broken off at the elbow. 23 “For calamity from God is a terror to me, and because of His majesty I can do nothing.

Ps 112:5-9

5 It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment. 6 For he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever. 7 He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is upheld, he will not fear, until he looks {with satisfaction} on his adversaries. 9 He has given freely to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted in honor.

Prov 14:31

31 He who oppresses the poor reproaches his maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

Prov 19:17

17 He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.

Isa 58:7-8

7 “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 “Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Ezek 18:7-9

7 if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, {but} gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with clothing, 8 if he does not lend {money} on interest or take increase, {if} he keeps his hand from iniquity, {and} executes true justice between man and man, 9 {if} he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully-- he is righteous {and} will surely live,” declares the Lord GOD.

Ezek 34:4-11

4 “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. 5 “And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. 6 “My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill, and My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth; and there was no one to search or seek {for them.}”

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

8 “As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but {rather} the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I shall demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I shall deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.’”

11 For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

Micah 6:8

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Luke 14:13-14

13 “But when you give a reception, invite {the} poor, {the} crippled, {the} lame, {the} blind,

14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have {the means} to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Acts 4:32

32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one {of them} claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them.

2 Cor 9:7

7 Let each one {do} just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Heb 13:3

3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

James 1:27

27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of {our} God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, {and} to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 5:14-16

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

I Jn 3:16-18

16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Matthew 25:37-40

[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? [38] ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? [39] ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ [40] “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”

“Lord, when?”

Here is perhaps one of the most unassuming, beautiful statements in the whole bible; “When did we see you in such circumstances?” They simply had no clue they were ministering to the Lord when they ministered to the least of these.

It tells us two things about their unabashed love:

1. It was done simply for the sake of love. There was no desire for reward or thought of salvation on these people’s minds, nor was their any fear of judgment. It was simply love for the sake of love.

2. It was given fullness of the heart. These people loved boundlessly; recklessly. They loved everyone, without expectation. They sought out the least loved and took their love to them. This was a continuous, overflowing love. It wasn’t for a church service day or a corporate fund-drive. This was an excessive, reckless, passionate love that could only flow out of the abundance of love.

This is the kind of love that the world cannot understand:

It is the kind of love a person gives when they realize they have been loved exorbitantly; above anything that they deserve. It is the kind of love that begins and ends with the question; “What could I ever do to love like I have been loved?”

It is exactly the kind of question that every Christ-One, who recognizes the gift our Lord has offered, should ask every moment of every day. “How can I love even more?”

This is not a love for fear of what Christ will do if we don’t live as he told us—it is a love for what Christ has already done.

Matthew 25:41-46

They called him, “Lord.”

As a person who desires to call Jesus my Lord, this parable is sobering. For, it is not what I call myself that matters in the end. What matters is will my actions lead Jesus to recognize me? In particular, the context of this reading goes as far as to say, will the poor turn to Jesus and say; “It’s all right, Lord. I recognize him.”

By many contemporary definitions, these people who are ultimately rejected might be termed “Christians.” After all, they called Jesus, ‘Lord’. Yet, they were cast into eternal punishment. Christ’s choice of words here is fascinating. Punishment [kolasis] means torment and affliction. Its root word (kolos), is used for “dwarf” and “to chastise.” It means to be rebuked and reduced. In other words; to be humiliated.

Why were they belittled—even though they called Jesus, “Lord?” It is not only that they did not lift a finger to help the poor and suffering among them—it is also their attitude in comparison to those who were “blessed” by the Lord. They wouldn’t help anyone unless there was some payback. Sure, they would have helped the poor if they knew they could avoid suffering by doing so—or if they knew there was a reward attached to it.

“If only we’d known.”

Here is life’s saddest statement. “If I only I knew.”

I hear this often in prisons. “If only I knew I would have been caught—I wouldn’t have done it.” Yet, this is not repentance. Sure, it is feeling sorry—but it is feeling sorrow about being caught—not about wounding the fabric of God’s creation through sin.

However, one does not have to go to a prison to hear a statement like that. One simply has to look deep enough inside for the part of me that isn’t love. That is the part of me that is held back from Christ; the part more comfortable with sin than with compassion. That is “the Goat” instead of the sheep inside of me.

There is a story of Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier and a Christian. On a frigid winter day he was approached by a beggar for “alms.” Martin was broke himself, but he could see the man before him shivering with no cloak. Martin took off his soldiers cloak, cut it in half and gave it to the man. That night, Martin had a dream. He saw the Lord standing in the midst of angels and he was wearing half of his cloak.

That is the free gift of love that thrills our Lord and makes the angels sing with joy. It is a gift of selflessness, brought forth from love without thought of reward or punishment. Once we are separated from the goats, responding like lambs to the Master’s call, joy flows from our hearts and love pours out of our fingertips onto the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and imprisoned. Then, like Martin of Tours, we see the face of Jesus in those we love.

Copyright Notice

“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988. Used by permission.”

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