Blessed by the Father

Mt. 25: 45-46

"Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, 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."

In this description of the end times, the Son of Man comes in His glory with His angels. As He sits on His throne, all the nations stand before Him. He separates the people as one would separate the sheep from the goats. His words to those on His right are, Come, You 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 drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. The people on His right responded with when, when did we do all those things. Jesus said that if they did it to the least of His brothers, they did it to Him.

Observations from this account:

• There will be a judgment where all stand before Jesus.
•  The sheep and goats will both stand before Jesus.
• What He has prepared for believers was prepared from before the foundations of the world.
• He is a sovereign God.
• His brothers are His body and what is done to the least of His brothers is done to Him.
• Following Jesus means meeting the physical needs of hunger, thirst, clothes, ministering to the sick and the imprisoned.
• What is prepared for believers is eternal life.
• What is prepared for unbelievers is eternal punishment.

How sobering! The difference between sheep and goats is not monumental, but it is crucial. Within Christianity obviously there are people who are goats, or like in the previous story, are one of the virgins without enough oil. They blend in to the human eye. They look good from the outside, but none of that matters when all stand before Jesus. What is my response? I must not judge people but concentrate on serving Jesus, obeying His word, and making sure my lamp is trimmed and ready. Am I concerned for the body of Christ? Am I meeting the needs of others? Am I living out the Beatitudes, the Christian character that Jesus taught His followers were to have? Am I listening to the voice of my shepherd? Am I an obedient sheep?

Father,

Teach me body life so that I may minister to You as I minister to them. Thank You for preparing heaven for me before the foundation of the world.

In Jesus name,

 Amen