Matthew 25:40 KJV
[40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
We keep connecting all the parts together, and the verse above is yet another important part of the demand and the reward from God for all who claim to know and follow Him. We have seen the separation of the sheep from the goats, and we have seen the conversation flow between the Shepherd and the sheep who have listened to and obeyed His voice. It has to be emphasized again, in case there is any doubt, that what gives them this reward is not first and foremost what they did, but who they were. Long before we read of the things they did, we first read of who they were, by nature and nurture: sheep. Who are you? What are you? The answer to these questions must be my fundamental clarity. There can be no doubt. There can be no lukewarmness. There can be no indecision.
I also note that the verse above makes it clear who has authority to determine reward. The King is the One speaking and determining who gets what. This is not the earthly version of a king who can be removed, either by death or abdication, and another will take his place. This is a King, with capital K, whose power and authority cannot be questioned, whose word is final, and whose judgment is true. The sheep may not have known the end of their actions, and they did not do what they did for earthly recognition, fame or applause. It was just what they were led to do: they saw a need, people in need and they were moved to help in any way they could. The need has not changed; the world is still in terminal turmoil, in need of lives with divine connection, who can help minister God's grace in all its fullness and power.
That is the message of the verse above: there is nothing I do under God's leading that is a waste. There is nothing I do as sheep that will not have an end. That is why it matters what I do and why I do them. The world can only relate with recognition and applause. If I know who I am, and whose I am, I will not struggle with men's views or opinions. After all, I know who I am working for. As the King says here, inasmuch as I have done anything to anyone of His brethren, no matter how small, I have done it to Him. Reflect on the import and impact of that statement: I do it to God. If only we understood this, the world will be less complex and more kind. For all who know the King, make your life attractive so that others can be drawn to follow the King too. Now I know; how do I work going forward? God's time of favour is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment