Ahhh… love. Love is a very powerful force, it affects our lives like the moon on the tides. When people fall in love it changes them. They are no longer the same, they start forgetting about themselves and focus more on their new found love. Guys start doing strange things, like going shopping, watch romantic comedies, and learning how to groom themselves. Ladies start paying a little more attention to their hair, their make-up, and may spend a little time trying to figure out the rules of football. Should it be no less when we find God’s love? If we say we love God should we not start paying attention to the things that matter to Him?
Matthew 25:31-40 New Living Translation
“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!’
Who matters to God? The Sunday School answer to this is simple of course… everyone matters to God. But when we read this passage we get something else. When Jesus spoke these words, it wasn’t just a parable, it wasn’t a just another conversation between Him and His disciples. This was a very literal list. See Jesus didn’t just come as the Son of God, not only as our Savior. Jesus came as a champion of social justice, a warrior for the underdog. And His words in Matthew 25:35-40 serve as a guide to Christians today. See people matter so much to God that Jesus said when we help them, it is as if we were helping Him.
We know that God loves all people, but His heart is broken when people are hurting, when they are lost, and when they are broken. At church we sing songs of how much God loves us, how much He has done for us, and we sing about how much we love Him. But how do we show God that love? What does that look like? Just like any other relationship love requires action on the part of both people. Are we really doing our part, or are we just trying to fill in our feelings with songs and poems. Matthew 25 serves almost as a gift list for our God, it tells us how we can show Him we care, not just with words, but with love motivated action. What we do by no means gives us salvation, but the faith that our salvation has brought us should drive us to do these things for Him, because He loved us first.
God did His part. Jesus showed us His love. The sacrifice He gave for us on the cross was an action of love that is unparalleled. Jesus, with no guarantee of acceptance, of gratitude or of our belief, gave His life up willingly, so that we might have the chance to come back to relationship with God. We are not expected to do the same, but we are expected to reach a hand out and to help our fellow man, to be reflectors of the love, grace and mercy that was shown to us through the cross.
Over the next week look for daily entries on Matthew 25:31-40. We are going through this passage in a 2 part series and I want to be a little more in-depth than one entire will allow. Shine your light! God Bless!
Resonant Love 