Surprise!

-One thing that y’all don’t know about me is that I hate surprises

-Linda has tried to surprise me several times in our marriage but few of them have worked out, unfortunately

-She doesn’t try to surprise me, anymore, thank God

-It rubs me the wrong way on so many levels

-After having dogs come after me a number of times while running, I actually startle very easily

-I don’t like to be the center of attention – I know may be hard to imagine

-Although, I’m a people person and an extrovert – I don’t like public speaking

-God brought me kicking and screaming into this calling and I’ve had to overcome my fear of speaking publicly

-I guess I also like to be in control

-I don’t mind splurging on myself but just ask my wife, I’m not an easy person to shop for

-I like what I like and I don’t like what I don’t like. It’s maddening for Linda. {PAUSE}

-In our text today, we have something of a surprise, actually several

-Matthew continues with the end of the world predictions from Jesus in this famous account of Jesus’ discussion with His disciples on the Mt. of Olives otherwise known as the Olivet Discourse beginning in Chapter 24 and ending with our text

- We get some very interesting from Jesus in this passage of scripture – please turn to Ch 25, verses 31-46

-Jesus says that He will come again with all His angels. He will sit on His throne to judge all the people from all the nations. He will separate them left and right.

-He says to those on His right, ’Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

-That’s the first surprise

-Apparently, they people are being rewarded with eternal life in heaven with Jesus because they were kind to Jesus

-That’s wrong on so many levels. That couldn’t possibly be true could it?

-How in the world can anyone who was not a contemporary of Jesus be save then? And if it doesn’t mean that exactly, how is it that being kind to anyone can justify eternal life. I thought we were saved not by doing good but by believing good (I know that is poor English. Cut me some slack.)

-The righteous, Matthew refers to

-That’s a surprise!

-Righteous means, holy, perfect

-How did they get that way?

-Are they some sort of super Christians? Are they actually perfect people?

They ask Jesus, ’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

-Here’s another surprise. They were surprised that they had done anything to help Jesus. There minds were probably racing, trying to think of anything that could be construed as helping strangers, giving food for drink to those in need. I’m sure they were thinking, I’ve never gone to visit anyone in prison. I’ve never made a hospital visit.

-Jesus answers them, 40"The King will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

-Okay, so it wasn’t that they ACTUALLY did the kind deeds for Jesus but they did them for the least of these brothers of mine

-Who is that?

-Then Jesus says to those on His left, ’Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I 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 respond, ’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?’

-Again, surprise! They are surprised that they hadn’t helped Jesus. Oh, yeah. The righteous ones didn’t REALLY help Jesus so we must not have REALLY NOT helped Jesus. Let’s see.

-"He will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’