In the parable of the ten virgins, we learned that we need to BE READY TODAY for Christ's return. In the parable of the Tenants, we learned that we need to BE FAITHFUL for Christ's return. And in the parable today, we will learn that we need to BE LOVING.
Let's take a look at the passage:
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
This passage, although argued about and debated about, is really quite simple.
People who follow Jesus and who are righteous take care of the poor.
I'm not saying that taking care of the poor is an entry rite into heaven, although it seems like this passage hints at that, but what I am saying is that people who are truly following Jesus and who are bringing heaven on earth, THEY DO THIS. It is part of being a Christian.
Here are some statistics for you:
In America, we have 90% of the world's food and only 6% of the world's population.
If you have a car, a garage and a roof over your head, you are in the top 3% of the world economically.
Last year, there was over 900 million people in the world that lived in hunger, yet we have plenty of enough food on this earth to feed everyone 2,720 calories everyday.
And these are just the tip of the iceberg.
As Christians, as members of Jesus' new kingdom that he is establishing here on earth, Jesus is saying that to be prepared for his second coming, we need to care for the LEAST OF THESE!!!!
We, the church, the kingdom of God, needs to feed the starving children, clothe the widows, adopt orphans, commit to one homeless person to helping them out of poverty. We are called to bring heaven on earth, and this involves taking care of social issues.
Here are a number of ministries that I want to suggest to you to get involved with that are actively doing away with poverty and other social issues, like sexual trafficking and abuse. Below are some links to these extraordinary ministries.
Rapha House
Rapha House exists to love, rescue, and heal children who have been rescued from trafficking and sexual exploitation. Founded in 2003, Rapha House continues to rescue and rehabilitate children, while bringing them to lasting freedom. Love • Rescue • Heal is more than a slogan to us. It’s a way of life at Rapha House.
Compassion International
Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 1.2 million children in 26 countries.
Who we are: We are a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with families, children and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Who we serve: We serve close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. Why we serve: Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people.
We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.
All five of these ministries deal specifically with taking care of the "least of these" around the world. And that's just the beginning.
There are tons of other ministries, even local ones, that you can do more than just send money but actually get involved in the lives of people. These ministries are:
The Vision: To see the Church boldy engaged with the homeless and poor relationally, responsibly and compassionately. Our Purpose: We exist to serve the local Church in its mission to help the poor in Jesus name.
Even Carthage Crisis Center or Souls Harbor.
The message of this parable is very simple...Love those who are down and out. This is how people who are a part of God's kingdom live TODAY.
BE LOVING
So what does this look like for you?
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