December 7, Separating the Good from the Bad: “Sheep or Goats?” by J. Brown

Matthew 25:31-46  ‘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. 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, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 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; 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, 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.” 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? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” 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.” 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; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 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.” 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?” Then he willanswer 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.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

Theme:
There will be a division–just like the shepherd divides the sheep from the goats–so we are told. The blessed, the sheep, will have a place at the right hand of Christ, while the goats will be herded to the left, to eternal fire. What makes the sheep so special? Both sheep and goats offer milk and meat, and both provide wool. During the time of Christ, the type of wool made all the difference. Sheep’s wool was white, fine, and delicate. Goat hair was dark, coarse, and rough. To the early hearers of the Word, sheep were more highly valued.

Illustration:
When it comes to the ‘end times,’ I want to be among the sheep. So, how can I be assured of a place on Christ’s right? Where will I stand at the reckoning? I will be accountable to our Lord and to myself. That tally is not just what appears in a public record. No, I have to answer to it all, even those private thoughts, the actions taken when no one is looking, the ulterior motives, the selfish decisions, and all of the unintended consequences.

According to Matthew, Jesus preceded this metaphor for the final judgment with guidance for his followers including the Sermon on the Mount, the call to receive the Kingdom as a little child, an exhortation to forgive seventy times seven, and multiple teaching moments through parables. The Disciples seemed eager to live out their calling, but they didn’t always get the lessons immediately. Often, I find myself sharing that same dilemma with the twelve.

WWJD, a popular acronym some time ago, was tossed around as a way to encourage better behavior. Maybe it is time to recycle that motif more explicitly as ‘What Would Jesus Have Me Do?’ Perhaps I can
improve my value by being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, acting on my faith in a loving Father and in gratitude toward his Son’s self-less gift and promise.
My every day choices have consequences; so let me choose goodness, righteousness, and mercy toward my fellow man. Let me do what I can to demonstrate the love of God for anyone to see—even if I think I am invisible. I need to focus on that right hand of Christ, so I can be a sheep when the roll is called.

Takeaway: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Let me work to honor you in all I think, say and do, not just some of the time. Thank you for your incredible love and sacrifice. Amen