Scripture Reading(s)
Matthew 25:31-46
25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
25:32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
25:33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
25:34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
25:35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
25:38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?
25:39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’
25:40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
25:41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
25:42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
25:43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
25:44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’
25:45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
25:46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Reflections
Those who claim to carry the name of Christ are held accountable in how they live their lives. Claiming to live for Christ and not actually exemplifying that in your actions then communicates that you may not be a follower of Christ. This passage points to a crucial point that is part of the Christian life, which is when we treat people with love, kindness and grace we are actually showing love and obedience to Christ because that is what He has called us to do.
Christ calls His children to live in a way that sets an example of who He is. When we go around treating others with a Christ-like attitude, it puts Him on display and allows for others to see that there is a noticeable difference in how we behave compared to the person who does not know or live for Christ. One of the main commandments that Jesus gives us in the Christian life is found in John 13:34-35 “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This is a clear and direct command from God and as Christians, if we truly love Christ it is one that we should have the desire to naturally follow. One more point that this passage makes is that there will come a day in which we are all held accountable by our actions. The day when Jesus calls us into His presence to give an account for how we have lived our lives. However, if we truly are followers of Christ then He will recognize us as His children. Make it a point today to treat others with a Christ-like love. Show how clearly Christ is living in your heart and allow for Him to be put in display so that others may get to know Him too.
It is critical to realize that when Jesus returns He will be judging people based on the fruit they produced with their time on the earth. He will not be quizzing them on whether or not they believed in the post-trib, pre-trib, mid-trib, A-trib, or metaphorical rapture. He will not be asking people if they read the KJV or the NIV. He will not be asking people if they believed the 5 points of Calvinism or if they went to a church that had a drum kit. None of these things will be of concern. What Jesus will be looking for are the ones who served Him faithfully by walking in the Spirit and producing good fruit.
We must all ask ourselves, what kind of Christian am I? Do I have a real walk with God? Do I love others? Do I display my faith through actions or do I just talk about it? Am I using my influence for good or for self-gain? In the end it will be our behavior that reflects the condition of our hearts. A healthy tree will produce good fruit.
[Featured image from strengtheningwomen.org]