The Path
November 25,
2012
Matthew 25:31-33
“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.”
The Lord is the judge.
We are called to be sheep. We are
called to follow the shepherd. We are
given a path to walk that leads us to a meaningful and full life. How we choose to walk that path matters. Among the sheep are goats. Goats do not follow. Goats do not accept the guidance of the
shepherd. Goats got their own way. The Lord will separate the sheep and the
goats. Let’s remember, sheep do not earn
their status as sheep. It is simply who
they are. Yet a sheep follows the
shepherd. A Christian does not earn
salvation. They are saved because of
Christ’s work. Simply being a Christian
changes how we act. We must live out
what we believe.
Jesus goes on to describe the difference between the
sheep and the goats. The sheep are told;
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. The goats failed to do these things. When did these things happen? ‘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!’
The judge of all humanity seems to place a high value on
caring for others. He rewards those who
sacrifice. He protects those who
serve. A Christian is known by the love
they have and what they do with that love. A loving heart cares for people simply because
God’s heart cares for people. It’s
simple and clear. If we want to walk the
path of God we must love as God loves.
How’s your heart? What do you see
when you look at people? Is that what
God sees?
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