THE LEAST OF THESE
Matt. 25:31-40
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE SPHINX’S RIDDLE
1. There’s an ancient Greek story about a Sphinx that troubled the city of Thebes. He would ask passers-by a riddle. If they got the answer wrong, he would devour them.
2. The riddle was: “What walks on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon and on three legs in the evening?” For months, all the travelers who attempted it perished.
3. Then the hero Oedipus came along with the answer; “Man,” he said. “in the early days of his life he crawls on all fours, at the apex of his youth and vigor he walks on two legs, and in the twilight of old age he must walk with the use of a stick.” [Daniel Lockwood]
4. Like the people of Thebes, we quickly pass our time during our life’s journey. It’s important that we understand why we’re here and that we’re going to give account to God one day.
B. TEXT
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory...33 He shall put the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on the left....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, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Mt. 25:31,33,37-40.
C. VALUE OF READING THE LAST PAGE FIRST
1. Some people, when reading a book, start by turning to the end and reading the last page/scene of the book. There are advantages to this: to know which characters will survive or the overall direction the story will take. (Negatives are that it can spoil the surprise ending).
2. Jesus, in this parable, teaches us about the final judgment (the Last Scene) as a means to direct us in how to live our lives! He shows us what will really matter at the Judgment seat, and therefore, what we ought to focus on during our earthly lives.
3. The title of this message is “The Least of These.”
I. PEOPLE’S GOOD WORKS REVEAL THEIR FAITH
A. GOOD WORKS/OBEDIENCE ARE MANDATORY
1. At the time described in the Parable, Jesus has already returned in His glorious appearing. The angels have separated the sheep from the goats and all nations are standing before Him for judgment.
2. Strange to us, the main difference between the sheep and goats is not stated as ‘faith in Christ’ or being “born again,” but the fruit of faith that should be produced -- good works.
3. There’s no magical way for us to see faith, but we can see good works. The Lord said, “You shall know them by their fruits” (Mt. 7:16) and “Every tree is known by his own fruit” Lk. 6:44. So the Lord examines the fruit of people’s lives. This is evidently a much more accurate representation of salvation than walking an aisle, shaking the preacher’s hand, or saying a prayer.
4. This should be a wake-up call for all those who say they’re Christians but don’t have good works to go along with their “faith.” James said “Faith without works is dead,” Jam. 2:20, and that such [empty] faith won’t save them (2:14).
5. Paul said that “obedience comes from faith” Rom. 1:5; 16:26. Christians aren’t lawless. We’re not under the O.T. Law, but we’re under the Law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; 7:19; Gal. 6:2). John said, “Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person” 1 Jn. 2:4. Obedience is the OUTFLOW of the new life in Christ! If we love Him, we will obey Him! We will care about what He cares about.
B. IDENTIFICATION OF CHRIST WITH BELIEVERS
1. Another important feature of this parable is that Jesus identifies Himself with believers. This is not a singular instance in the New Testament.
2. In Matt. 10:40, 18:5, and Luke 10:16, Jesus said that those who receive His disciples, receive a little child, or won’t hear a messenger from Him, receives or rejects Him personally, as if He was the person received or rejected.
3. When Saul of Tarsus was confronted by Jesus on the Damascus Road for persecuting Christians, the Lord said, “Why are you persecuting ME?” Acts 9:4. Paul said that when we wound believers, we wound Christ Himself (1 Cor. 8:12). Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone in the Body of Christ understood this!
II. IDENTITY OF ‘THE LEAST OF THESE’
A. THEY ARE PEOPLE IN NEED
1. In this parable, Jesus says the difference between Heaven and Hell for us will be the way we treat a group of people called “the least of these.” Who are these people? Jesus spells it out.
2. IDENTITY OF THESE KEY PEOPLE: they’re PEOPLE IN NEED!
a. Hungry
b. Thirsty
c. Strangers. Not locals. Vagrants. Foreigners.
d. Naked – people needing clothing.
e. Sick or feeble. This might include the elderly, the handicapped, and those who have mental illness.
f. In Prison. Since we live in a prison town, there’s often a preconceived idea of all prisoners as “lawbreakers.” But in other countries people are in prison because of persecution, or for unpaid debts, or injustice. We’re all sinners and would rather have mercy, than justice. We need to show mercy to all those incarcerated.
B. THEY’RE PEOPLE THE WORLD DOESN’T VALUE
1. It’s common for people to think, “If a person makes a contribution, then they deserve to be regarded. If they don’t, then they don’t deserve consideration.” That’s the way the world typically works, but it’s not the way God works!
2. This faulty concept means that justice/help will be denied to the young & the old, the poor, the ill, weak, and disadvantaged, who can’t ‘pull their weight.’ God has always cared about the helpless & weak: the widow, orphan, stranger, the down-trodden and oppressed. (Dt. 24:19)
3. But the Lord Jesus said that this group, “The Least of These,” should be the special OBJECT OF SERVICE by Christians. TO SERVE THEM IS TO SERVE CHRIST & vice-versa.
4. Jesus Himself was one of “The Least of These.” He was POOR (“Son of Man has no place to lay His head”). He was HOMELESS. He was often HUNGRY & THIRSTY. According to Isa. 53:1-3, there was NO BEAUTY about Jesus; He was DESPISED, REJECTED, a man of GRIEF, and “we ESTEEMED Him NOT.” The world didn’t think Him worth much. That’s one of the reasons He cares about the weak so much.
5. GOD HAS GIVEN US THESE PEOPLE TO SERVE, AS THE TEST OF WHETHER WE’RE CHRISTIANS OR NOT!
III. WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE JESUS
A. “I KNOW I WOULD TREAT JESUS RIGHT.”
1. If Jesus was here, we’d all want Him to have a good place to sit. We would all greet Him and want Him to feel welcome. If Jesus came to Huntsville, we’d all want to take Him to lunch, offer Him a ride, and make sure that He had a place to stay, right? If He didn’t have a coat to wear out in the cold, or a pair of shoes, we’d make sure He had one, right? But we can’t do all those things for Jesus, because Jesus isn’t here. Or, is He?
2. Jesus said, “Just as much as you did it for these – the least of these – you did it for Me.” Is it possible that the way I treat people in need is how I am treating Jesus?
3. In Matt. 25:40, Jesus makes it an issue that involves where we’ll spend eternity. It’s one of those things I kind of wish Jesus hadn’t said! But He did.
B. CHANGING OUR PERSPECTIVE OF SERVICE
1. What if, every time we did some act of kindness to a person with a need, we told ourselves, “I’m serving Jesus!”
2. What if I pictured that I’m giving JESUS a hot meal, a cold drink, or helping Him get where He needs to go (instead of the homeless person)? What if, every time I went out of my way to help someone else along, in life, I imagined I was doing it for Jesus?
3. I’ll bet we’d be more loving about it. We’d probably be quicker to do it, and we’d be less judgmental and more kind. I’d most likely slow down, and start looking for ways that I could help, rather than rushing by and looking away.
4. If all those needs I see, from day to day, had the face of Jesus on them, how different they would seem to me. That’s what I’m hoping to see changed in me over the next few weeks.
5. To summarize, showing up for church, praising the Lord, and paying tithes isn’t what Jesus said is most important, but serving “the least of these!”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: GOD’S DESIRES
1. In May of 1846 an evangelist, now mostly forgotten, named “James Caughey” (pronounced “coffee”) visited a chapel in Nottingham England and preached a sermon on the words recorded in St. Mark, “Therefore I say unto you, what things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.”
2. Caughey preached that the key to this verse was to learn to desire God’s desires, and that God’s foremost desire was that we develop the character of a servant, to help the poor, and to spread the gospel that souls might be saved.
3. A gangly young man was present at this service. He’d been saved for two years but had been drifting. But that day in May, God spoke to this gangly young man through the evangelist.
4. The Holy Spirit gave the young man a passion for desiring servanthood. The young man acted on God’s direction, and he devoted himself to starting an organization committed to the salvation of souls and service to the needy. That gangly youth was William Booth, who changed the destiny of millions of lives by founding the Salvation Army.
B. THE CALL
1. How can you and I make practical steps to change the way we’re serving Christ? Do you know any needy people you could serve? How can you serve them?
2. Christmas season is a great time to take a load of groceries to someone, buy them a tank of gas, or pick up some Christmas gifts for kids who are part of poor families.
3. Less costly suggestions are to call those who are homebound or sick and give them encouragement. Just showing that you can means a lot to people.
4. Let’s pray about how we can feed Jesus, or cloth Him, or visit Him in isolation – for when we do it for the least of these, we’ve done it unto Him! PRAYER
[This message drew on the thoughts of Nickolas Kooi, “The Last Page.” Most of this message is a rewrite of Sherm Nichols', “The Least of These.”]
