Matthew 25: 31-46
Since my daughter Caitlin is here this Sunday, I thought I’d tell you about a time when our family acted out this story of the Judgement Day and the sheep and goats being separated. There was a period of time when we, as a family, for our devotions, used to read a story from the Bible and act out the different parts. One person would be the narrator and the others would take one or more parts. So we read this story and then started to assign parts. Caitlin was the king, and then we needed sheep and goats. No one wanted to be the goats so I volunteered to be a goat with Ann and Elizabeth being sheep. But as we started our acting out of the story, Caitlin started to cry. She was genuinely upset and with tears streaming down her face she said, “No! No! I don’t want Daddy to be a goat and be punished and go to Hell!”
Caitlin has always had a huge heart.
This story comes at the end of a series of teaching Jesus gave just prior to his entering Jerusalem where he was arrested, crucified and then was resurrected. This section begins in Chapter 24.
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
This is the context for this story of the sheep and the goats. Jesus begins his response to this question by speaking about signs of the end of the age. He goes on to say that we will not and cannot know the hour when the end will come.
Then follows two parables and the metaphor that is today’s text. First is the parable of the ten virgins on which Phil Carr preached a few weeks ago. This parable emphasizes the need to be prepared so that when Jesus comes we are ready for him. How are we to be prepared? Jesus tells two stories to show us part of what it means to be prepared. In the parable of the talents he teaches that we are to use the gifts God has given us wisely and then in this story of the Judgement Day and the separating of the sheep and the goats, he teaches that as we wait for his coming, we are to pay attention to those close to God’s heart.
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 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. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
This was an image familiar to those hearing Jesus’ teaching. Sheep and goats mixed together as they ate during the day, but at night it was necessary to separate them because goats don’t have the warm wool that sheep do and need to be kept warm at night. So separating sheep from goats was a nightly ritual.
Jesus uses this familiar image as an illustration of how it will be at the Judgement Day. The whole world, all mankind from all time, will gather and be separated by God into two groups.
34 “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. 35 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, 36 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.’
The sheep, on the right of the King, are there because they gave the King food when he was hungry, drink when he was thirsty, hospitality when he was a stranger, clothes when he needed clothes and they cared for him when he was sick and in prison.
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, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
The righteous, the sheep in this illustration, are unaware that they have done these things for the king, but then the king says that when you do these things to any person in need, you do it for the king.
God has no need for anything we can do for him because God is complete by himself. But Jesus makes the point that God wants us to care for others as we would want to care for him.
These righteous ones, the sheep, did not know they were caring for the King. They cared for those in need because they had hearts that led them naturally in that direction. They did not calculate that by caring for the poor and needy they would gain a reward. Their care revealed their heart.
41 “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. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 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.’
This litany of being hungry, thirsty, a stranger, in need of clothes, sick and in prison is repeated four times in this story. In this case, these are listed as God’s concerns and yet those on the left, the goats, were insensitive to God’s heart.
44 “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?’
45 “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.’
If they had know the consequences, they would certainly have done something. But just as the sheep did not know they were serving the king when they cared for these people, these goats were unaware of the consequence of not caring.
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
The consequences are real. We are to have the heart of God and care for those he cares for. God’s heart is bent towards those in need and in the Judgement we face, we will be held accountable for how we cared for those who God loves.
The question then is, “How are we to be obedient to this teaching?” As we wait for the time when we go to the Judgement Day, how are we to care for those in the world who are hungry, thirsty, sick and in prison?
I have prayed to have God’s heart for people I meet and I know that this congregation is filled with people who have taken on God’s heart and are concerned for those who are in need. I don’t need to exhort us to begin to care.
But the needs I have encountered in Rabat have driven me to think a lot about who to help and how to help. I have many times felt completely overwhelmed by the needs around me and have been forced to think through the question of how to best use the resources of time and money God has given.
Unlike God, my resources are limited. As a result, I cannot help everybody which leads me to this question, “How do we distinguish between those in need and those trying to take advantage of our desire to be obedient to the teaching of Jesus and share with those in need?” I want to make sure the money I am able to give is used in a way that pleases God.
When we step outside this morning, there will be a collection of beggars standing outside the gate. Right now they are chatting with each other, but when we come outside, they will put on a practiced, pathetic look that will attempt to coax money out of our pocket and into their hand.
A simple understanding of this passage would suggest we should give them food and drink. But what if those beggars waiting for us outside are not really in need? A Moroccan woman who cleans the church during the week watched two of these beggars walk into a building across from the church. She decided to wait and a few minutes later, they came out, dressed in beautiful jelabas with makeup. They live in apartments near to here. They had done their day’s work and were now ready to enjoy the rest of the day.
This same woman knows two women who beg during the day. They have made enough money begging that they started a family business and are now middle-class Moroccans. They have a nice house and this woman heard them complaining that their daughters will not go out begging with them. Their daughters think begging is beneath them.
There is a woman and her son who come to beg where I live. I stood on the sidewalk for a couple hours one day waiting for a ride to come pick me up. When this woman saw me, she put on her pathetic look and asked for money. I refused to give her anything and she went away. But I could see her where she sat. She played with her son and was relaxed and happy. But every time she caught my eye, she gave that look. A bit later I saw her walking down the street with another woman, laughing and chatting. When she came to me, she put on that look and held out her hand. She is able to turn that look on and off like a light switch. I have to say that I don’t trust her and will not give her anything.
There are needy beggars, but my point is that it requires some work to discern who is really in need and who is taking advantage of others.
There are two things to watch out for. If you are able to walk out of here this morning and pass by these beggars without any difficulty, I encourage you to seek God’s heart that identifies with those who suffer. I’m sure the goats will have many good reasons for not having cared for the poor and those in need. God’s heart is not callused and it is God’s heart you want.
For those of you that struggle when you see someone in need, let me say that giving indiscriminately to anyone who asks is irresponsible behavior and poor stewardship. I would encourage you to give to those you know are in need and not to every person you see. Unlike God, your resources are finite. Everything you give to someone means you have less to give to someone else. Be wise in the use of the resources God has given you.
This teaching of Jesus brings up a second topic for me.
Note that in this story, “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.’
“these brothers of mine” There has been a lot of debate about the identity of “these brothers of mine.” Some have said this applies to Jews, others have said it is a reference to followers of Jesus, Christians, and others say they are poor and needy people everywhere.
To make this the focus of the story is to cheapen Jesus’ teaching. It is like the disciples asking, “Who is my neighbor?” hoping to find an easy way to obey the law. Jesus is sharing here God’s heart and how we treat the poor and needy reveals how Christlike we are. We have the responsibility to care for all those in need with whom we make contact.
It does seem to me, however, that there is a special emphasis on helping other Christians. In Jesus’ pastoral prayer in John 17, he prays that the world will know God sent Jesus and that God loves Christians by the way Christians love each other. When we care for needy Christians, when we share with one another, we demonstrate the heart of God for his family. We are to care for all, but especially fellow Christians.
In our congregation, half or more of you are from West Africa, trying to make your way to Europe. I have walked through Takaddoum and I know that you have a difficult life here in Rabat. You need food, drink, clothing, hospitality. What is the responsibility of those of us in the church that on a relative basis, have an abundance of those things?
I am asked constantly for help with rent, money for food, to make a phone call to family or friends back home. How should I respond?
I have spent a lot of my time thus far in Rabat with those seeking illegally to go to Spain. I have given this matter a lot of thought. It has been much on my mind. Let me tell you what I think. Paul says in Ephesians 4 that we are to speak the truth in love. I trust that what I say will be understood in this light.
I think you made a mistake leaving West Africa for Europe. Someone you know returned from Europe with enough money to buy a house and a car and you said, “Hey, what about me? Why don’t I get some of that money?” Some of you quit jobs that you don’t think paid enough and set off for Spain.
It has been a difficult journey and you have sacrificed a lot to get here. You have seen people die in the desert. You have been robbed. Getting here has been a costly journey. Now you sit in Takaddoum or Youssoufia and wait until you collect enough money to make your way into Spain. Some of you have paid 9000 dirham and failed in your attempt. Some of you have failed in your attempt to get to Spain two or three times. And still you sit and wait, trying to collect enough money to try again.
Person after person tells me, “God has called me to go to Spain.”
I’m not so sure about that. I don’t hear anyone saying that God has called them to take the Gospel to Europe (and God knows Europe needs to hear the Gospel). What I hear is that you are going to Spain to make money.
I think money has called you to Spain, not God. This is dangerous. Don’t ever confuse the call of money and the call of God. In the United States there are many who have followed the call of money and ended up very unhappy people. Don’t follow their example.
When you talk to me, please be honest. Be honest with me. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with God.
You left Nigeria because you thought you could make more money in Europe than you could by staying in Nigeria. That’s the honest truth for most of you. Don’t sugar coat your decision to go to Spain by saying that God has called you.
And now you sit trying to raise 9000 dirham to make an attempt to evade the patrols and make it into Spain.
There is nothing wrong in trying to make a better living. The United States is a land of immigrants, people who left their homeland to improve their ability to make a living. This is not wrong, but the problem is that you are choosing to disobey the law. You are doing this without legal papers and that is a large part of your problem here in Rabat. Jobs here are scarce, but there are some jobs for honest, decent, hard-working people. But without legal papers, you can not get these jobs.
With those of you trying to get to Spain, there are two problems. One is the same as with the beggars out front of the church. How are we to distinguish between who is in need and who is trying to take advantage of the situation? I am aware that there are Nigerian thieves who are robbing their fellow Nigerians and that some of these thieves are coming to church to try to get money from the church and people in the church. The church has given money in the past to a person who said he needed money to fly back to Nigeria for an emergency with his wife and family. This person kept the money and used it to live in Rabat. How do we distinguish between thieves and con men and genuine Christians who need help? There are some very convincing thieves and con men in our midst.
This is the first difficulty for the church, distinguishing between those in need and those who are thieves and bandits and opportunists.
But I have a second problem. Even for those of you who are genuine Christians, I think it is a mistake for you to be trying to get to Spain illegally.
Let’s say there is a casino in Rabat where people gamble, playing poker, roulette and the slot machines. If I pass the street by the casino and see a group of people trying to raise money so they can go into the casino, is it good stewardship to give money to these people?
That’s how I feel about helping West Africans trying to get into Spain. Each time you pay 9000 dirhams to make an attempt to cross over, it is like walking into a casino and hoping you will be the lucky one. Those 9000 dirhams are making some people rich, but are those people the ones God wants his money to go toward? Does God want us to use his money to support smugglers?
Nigeria is a troubled country and God needs Christians in Nigeria who are willing to work and sacrifice to turn that country around. Nigeria has a Christian president. The Christians of Nigeria need to pray for him and work with him to transform that country, to get rid of corruption, to pray against the spirit of greed that allows a very small percentage of the population to take most of the money out of the country and into Swiss and Caman Island bank accounts.
I am very impressed with the dedication and perseverence shown in trying to get to Spain. How would Nigeria benefit if that same dedication and perseverence was directed toward improving the life of those in Nigeria? If you took the faith and dedication you are using to try to get into Spain and put that toward making a life in Nigeria, what could God do with your efforts?
I challenge you to consider God’s calling. I have been impressed with some West Africans who have come to me and said they think they made a mistake in coming here. I appreciate that. I respect the honesty and integrity of these people.
I am being very direct in my comments but do not think I am uncaring. I grieve with West Africans who have difficulty living here in Rabat, who have not seen their family in a long time, who are of the age to be married and have no job prospects that will allow them to marry, have children and settle down. I am horrified at the conditions that cause young women to throw away their newborn babies. I am distressed at the violence that surrounds life in Takaddoum.
I grieve with you, but I need to remind you that you made the choice to come here illegally. You put yourself into this difficult position. You have no one to blame for your troubles but yourself.
That’s what I think, but I am still left with the question of what to do. How can I help?
RPF has linked with the French Church to have five West Africans make decisions about who to help and how to help.
I encourage you to pray for these five people, specifically Hilary Johnson and Franklin Elliot from our congregation. Pray that they will be guided by God as they make these decisions.
We can help them by not giving on our own. If someone comes up to you and asks for help, please refer them to Hilary and Franklin. We are trying to be as responsible as we can to what God calls us to. Work through this committee.
The money you would give if you were asked directly for help can be given to this committee. This morning as we come forward for communion, in addition to our regular offering, there will be a plate in which you can make a special contribution to this joint French/English Care Committee. There are many, many needs. Help this committee to have the resources to share with those in need.
I’ve said some hard things this morning about the decisions many of you in the church have made. Please know that I said these things in love. I do care about you. RPF cares about you.
RPF is a wonderful community. It is not perfect, but it is still wonderful. We will share together in the Lord’s Supper. At the Lord’s table there is neither rich or poor. Let us come forward as one family to share in this meal.
