Week 35 Being Love in Darkness 

In Matthew 25:31-45, Jesus speaks of goats and sheep, those who meet the needs of the ‘least’ and those who walk around them, and how those groups treat Him.
First let me point out that man decides who is least, even though God created everyone. Some people may not be reconciled to him yet, but they were ALL created in His image. WE put people on the most-to-least scale. 
Our job is to lift EVERYONE up and reconcile them to the Father who restores them into His image. Arguing will not lift anyone up, turning a blind eye will not, defending ourselves and our stuff surely will not. Only Love, His Love in us, will be able to break the chains of bondage. 
In the current climate, the greatest miracle in the whole world may not be physically raising someone from the dead; it may be walking out the sacrificial Love of Jesus in our own bodies. 
Love listens, love covers, love responds with compassion and chain-breaking power.
If the we, the Church, can’t do this, we leave Jesus in the grave.

                                                         Love IS a sign and wonder.

Matthew 25:31-45

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 

Then the King will say 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. FOR 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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

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.’ 

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.’