Commandment (Maundy) Thursday Wesley Umc Lake City South Carolina

Sermon Topic: Commandment Thursday text Matt: 25:41-46 and John 13:34

Matthew 25:41-46 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Judgment of the Nations

41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:41-46 The Message (MSG)

41-43 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

I was homeless and you gave me no bed,

I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,

Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

44 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Intro

We celebrate Maundy Thursday and we should start with the term “Maundy” Now the English word “Maundy” comes from the Latin, “Mendatum” meaning commandment. Thanks Chuck!

Now on the last night with his disciples Jesus is about to confront his betrayal and arrest as he shares the Lords Supper also commonly referred to as the Last Supper? According to John Jesus washes his disciples feet in an act of servitude then he says to them, chapter 13 verse 34 I give you a new commandment that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

So at its root Maundy Thursday or Commandment Thursday is a celebration of the commandment of Jesus to love one another so when looking at the Matthew 25 text there should be no confusion for the Christian as to how the two texts are related to each other. Jesus instructions was to love or as I would surmise love in this text to be compassionate.

I would like to suggest to you that the Hand that matters most to us tonight in the Left hand of God and those that will be caught in it. You see the text is quite clear that:

41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;

Now some of us are going to have issues with this because you love to see Jesus as compassionate and merciful and reviving and healing but I need to as a Good Pastor point out to you that even with Jesus at some point Compassion runs out. In other words some of the folks in this World are going to hell and you are going because you have chosen to live a nasty, hateful, non-loving life. Yes We need to get real some folks right here in the church by your actions are going to use up your grace and when Jesus comes back find your self in the Left hand of God.

Yes some right here are goanna here Beyoncé sing on Judgment day

To the left, to the left To the left, to the left To the left, to the left

Everything you own in the box to the left

To the left, to the left

Don't you ever for a second get to thinking You're irreplaceable

The first thing to understand about the final judgment is that it cannot be avoided. Regardless of how we may choose to interpret prophecy on the end times, we are told that “it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).