Intro
At the beginning of the Matthew 25, Jesus told the foolish
virgins that he did not know them. Do we ever recognize Jesus in the
downtrodden and destitute around us? Do the poor and marginalized know us or do
we avoid them?
Goal
Today, I want to encourage us to recognize Jesus in the needy.
I want Jesus to know us, because we have visited him.
Sermon Plan
Read the text Judging the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46).
Discuss the gospel that evangelicals miss, what some call the social gospel, the
problem of poverty, loving God in our neighbor, how characteristics of sheep
and goats fit the discussion, how God will judge the nations, what is a living
faith and seeing Jesus in the poor.
Sermon Body:
- The Gospel Evangelicals Miss (2)
An acquaintance of mine
was involved in church relief in Florida after a destructive hurricane. He
noticed how some evangelical churches also had large crews to repair their
church buildings. Once they had repaired those buildings they packed up and
left. My friend and his team stayed on to look after the needs of people. This
is a part of the Gospel that evangelicals often miss. It is described in Matthew 25:31-46. Repairing church
buildings while people outside are hungry, thirsty, in need of clothing, in
need of hospitality, sick, and in need of a visit is a woeful example of our
Christian calling. Is it time for some of us to repent? Is it time to get out
of our holy places and live the Gospel on our streets by clothing and feeding
Jesus Christ in the needy?
- The Social Gospel is
the Gospel
Evangelicals often
criticize the idea of a social gospel as an excuse for liberalism. But
that is not completely true. Social responsibility is a part of the whole
package of the Gospel. Probably one of the best places to go to understand that
is Matthew 25:31-46. This important passage
deepens Jesus’ descriptions of being a light in Matthew 5:13-16 where he described it as good works, and Matthew 25:1-13 where he described the
need to have oil to light our lamps. Good works certainly entail pious deeds
such as prayer. However, good works also involve deeds of charity such as
feeding and clothing the poor. This side of good works is what some term the social
gospel. When a social gospel is spurned as liberal it becomes an
excuse for not obeying Jesus Christ in social responsibility.
- Problem, Cause, Solution
In Matthew
25:31-46 Jesus described ongoing problems in our
society such as poverty and sickness. What are some of the causes? Poverty is
caused by overpopulation, inadequate distribution methods, rising costs,
inadequate education, unemployment and under-employment, environmental
degradation, individual responsibilities, medical costs, sickness, greed, the
cost and devastation of war, natural disasters, industrial changes, recessions,
discrimination, pregnancy out of wedlock, disability, crime and unjust incarceration,
immigrant status, gang presence, etc. How do we as Christians address those
problems? Do we address the short-term need of feeding the poor, or do we
address the political and economic issues that cause poverty? Some Christians
address the direct need by activity in a soup kitchen. Others address the
underlying causes by involvement in politics. Both address the problem, but
Jesus only demanded that we at least start by giving the hungry food.
- Loving God in our
Neighbor
At advent we tend to focus
on Jesus’ first and second comings. What we often miss is his resurrected
presence with us today. Where can we find Jesus today? Can we find him by
worshiping in a church service or in other acts of religious piety like prayer,
fasting, tithes and offerings? Yes. In Matthew
25:31-46
Jesus described another important place. During his ministry on earth he was
possibly more often among our most needy neighbors, those who would be
considered the least by many people. Jesus came to the poor and needy. He was
born in the most impoverished circumstances, lived an itinerant life without
fixed abode and served the sick and poor. We are called to join him in his
ministry to the hungry and needy. If we want to find him that is where he is.
- Sheep and Goats
What is it about sheep and
goats that Jesus used them in Matthew
25:31-46 as a
parable for those who would be saved and those not? Sheep farming requires
intensive animal husbandry. They require continual work. On the other hand, sheep
are easy to work with because they are gentle and quiet. Goats on the other
hand, are more independent and don’t require so much intensive animal
husbandry. They are not as easily herded as sheep and they stink. When together
in a flock, goats will domineer over the sheep and often butt them out of the
way to reach food. However, they are not harmful predators like wolves, so they
can stay with the flock to be separated out later. That is exactly what Jesus
will do at the judgment. The selfish and independent can stay for now.
- How God Judges Nations
How will people who have
never heard the name Jesus be judged? Are they automatically assigned to hell
without a chance? What of those who perhaps heard the name Jesus but were
taught lies? Would God just assign them to hell without mercy? Matthew 25:31-46 gives some clues as to
how Jesus will judge the world? Whether or not people know the name Jesus, they
may have served him by serving the poor. It is a major area where, even many
who believe in Jesus fail. Could it just well be that some who believe in the
name of Jesus will be judged more harshly than those who have never even heard
the name? Could it be that some who do not even know Jesus by name will be
blessed because they already love him by serving the needy?
- Living Faith
What kind of faith saves dead
or living faith? In James
2 we read
that faith is accompanied by works, not works of the law, but good deeds or it
is dead. Must we do good works to earn salvation? We are saved by faith, and
Paul said of faith, hope and love that love is the greatest (1 Corinthians 13:13). How can we have faith
that saves without showing love to our neighbors? Does a closer look at Matthew 25:31-46 reveal that good works
are evidence of those who are blessed by God? These “righteous” did not even
know how they had fed and clothed Jesus. Could it be that their motive was love
for God and their neighbor and not earning salvation by works? Could it be that
such good works are evidence of living faith?
- Do we See Jesus
Do we see Jesus? Perhaps
you think I’m crazy for suggesting it. Some people claim to have seen Jesus in
visions but that is not what I am asking. Have we seen Jesus in the manner that
Matthew 25:31-46 indicates? Some people
avoid hungry and thirsty people and perhaps have never noticed them, but if we
were to be invited to see Jesus, would we go to see him? If we have never seen
strangers or those without clothing would we take the effort to go and see
them? When we see a sick or imprisoned person, let’s take a closer look. Do we
see Jesus? No? Take another look. Look past their faces and deep into their
souls. Do we see the suffering, anxiety, pain, rejection, loneliness and
depression? Do we see in them the suffering of Jesus?
Conclusion
Today’s text is not just for the church, but explains
criteria by which God will judge all the nations. It is the gospel that evangelicals
miss, what some call the social gospel. We all have a responsibility towards the
problem of poverty, to loving God in our neighbor. We also saw how some
characteristics of sheep and goats fit the discussion. Salvation is by faith,
but not a dead faith, a living faith.
Finally, let us not be unknown to Jesus, but recognize Jesus
in the needy. Let us allow Jesus to know us because the poor and marginalized
know us.
