Last night while reading, a certain chapter rocked my world. The title of my blog is also my favorite Bible verse (Matthew 25:40) and this chapter covered the entire 25th chapter as well as Isaiah 58, which is my second favorite section of the Bible. I marveled at the fact that an entire chapter of this book was about these two chapters. It's like it was written for me.
To start the chapter, the author began with a question: Are you willing to be open to God's will for your life?
Are we really, myself included, willing to be open to what God wants? Are we willing to let Him rock us to the core and take us to places we never thought we'd go?
This led me to ask myself that question. What does God expect of me? And what exactly is His will for my life? These questions are answered in Isaiah 58 and Matthew 25 as well as the verse below.
"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Many unbelievers think that Christianity is very legalistic and there are too many rules. In Isaiah 58, God points out that the people of Israel were following these rules and seemed to be eager for God, but in fact they were angry with God. God is not satisfied with rituals and rules when the hearts of the people are corrupt. So what truly pleases God?
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
The true Gospel, what God really wants, is for us to be a people and society who stands for justice, fairness and love for the poor. So many times I have seen people go out of their way to go around a homeless person or others turn their cheek to a mentally disabled person. God's desire for his people to be full of compassion continues in Matthew 25.
In verses 31-46, Christ separates people on the judgment day into two groups: sheep and goats. What is interesting is that the groups are not separated based on their belief in Christ, but in how the sheep acted in open and loving ways toward the hungry, poor, sick, vulnerable and imprisoned. The people otherwise known as "the least of these."
This is a passage we can easily cut from our Bibles and is rarely preached in church (the hole-y Gospel). Why? Because it makes us uncomfortable. We think homeless people are dirty and smelly or the poor and hungry are just lazy. But guess what? Christ's biggest concern was for the poor!
The author, Richard E. Stearns, paraphrased these verses for modern times:
"For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved."
That paraphrase gave me chills. It makes the verses seem more personal, more real. How many times have I been that person who turns away? God has given me so much, but I don't share like I should.
Daily I struggle with how much God has given me. Yes, I only work part-time, but I am surviving. I don't go without food, I have shelter over my head and clothes to cover my body. I also have "luxuries" that millions across the globe don't have, like clean water to drink and brush my teeth with and a toilet.
If God is calling us to live this way-to live like Christ-then why aren't more churches preaching this? Why aren't more Christians getting involved with social justice and helping the poor at times other than Thanksgiving and Christmas?
We are being taught a hole-y Gospel. One that has over 2,000 verses about serving the poor and "least of these" cut out. In the Old and New Testament, there is proof of God's concern for the poor and marginalized. Throughout the Bible, we see that our proof of being a Christian is whether or not we care for those in need. And Matthew 25:40 is Christ proclaiming that when we care for those in need, we are actually caring for Christ.
That is the whole gospel.
My challenge to you is to ask yourself daily, "what can I do to serve and obey Christ?" and "I want to be open to Your will, not mine." You'd be surprised at the opportunities to love and serve that will arise when you become open to Him. I've been surprised at the encounters and opportunities I've had.
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" Jeremiah 22:16
