Yesterday I shared the first half of the parable of the sheep and the goats from Matthew 25:31-40
It's encouraging to see this list of things the righteous did without even realizing they were doing it for Jesus. "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
But Jesus didn't end the parable there, it continues.
41 -46 "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. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 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.'
"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?'
"He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
These days we are used to having options, as if life were a great buffet. But Jesus takes it personally when we ignore the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger etc.
In fact, we know our salvation is not from works, but by grace (Eph 2:8.) A lack of caring for others would seem to indicate we a lack the willingness to do unto others a measure of what we have had abundantly done for us.
I don't know about you, but that thought gives me cause for some serious self examination.
