Have you ever had a verse from the Bible seem familiar because it seems like you’ve heard it a million times?
Yeah, me too.
Have you then ever read the full passage that contains that verse, and been totally convicted after realizing that the meaning is far deeper than you previously realized when you only heard the smaller portion?
Yeah, me too.
That happened to me recently. And I walked away with one single thought, “Man, I do NOT want to be a goat!!” And trust me, you don’t want to be a goat either! I wrote this post because I’m afraid there’s way too many people out there who might end up as one if they aren’t careful. A goat? Yes, hold that thought…
This is serious stuff…
The passage that hit me wasn’t just about goats, it was also about the poor.
It’s pretty clear that the Bible takes helping the poor very seriously, which obviously means that God takes helping the poor very seriously, which makes it kind of obvious why Jesus took helping the poor very seriously. In fact, it’s how He entered the world. He could’ve been born into a wealthy family of royals, but that isn’t what God chose. He chose a poor couple, from a small town, and ended up being born in a barn. Why? According to Luke, chapter 4, it was to “bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captives, give sight to the blind, and help those who are oppressed.” (Paraphrase.)
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that if you “came to bring good news to the poor,” entering the earth as a poor person is a pretty good strategy. You don’t have to look very far these days to discover that poor people don’t like rich people very much, let alone have interest in listening to them.
So, Jesus was pretty serious about helping “the least of these.” And it turns out, He’s pretty serious about His expectations for us to help them as well. But you probably already know that, right? I mean, almost everyone has heard that phrase. “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto me.”
That’s pretty cool. I help and am nice to the poor, therefore I’m being nice to Jesus. Awesome. Until…
Until you read the entire passage, and realize that helping the poor isn’t just icing on your faith cake. Check this out…
Matthew 25: 31-46 (NIV):
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32All 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.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.’
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.’
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.’
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, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
This isn’t just about being nice to Jesus. It’s about your eternity. I think that passage speaks for itself, doesn’t it? If not, read it again and let it sink in, and realize that your life depends on this. Probably not because being charitable is your ticket to heaven, but because God as your creator, wired you in a way that allows you to be humbled and changed by the perspective gained when walking with the poor and needy.
When you learn to love what He loves, He captures your heart. And when Jesus has your heart, everything changes…including your eternity.
Seriously, don’t be a goat. Do something.
If you aren’t taking Jesus’ call to help the poor as seriously as you should, maybe it’s time to get real. One of the best ways I know how is to partner with Food for the Hungry by sponsoring a child. They’re incredible at loving and helping the “least of these,” exactly how they can be loved and helped the most. And they’re doing it one child at a time, with a dollar a day. A dollar a day! Are you kidding me? Seriously, you can find a way to sacrifice a dollar a day, by giving up something that is far less valuable than both the life of a child, and your future. I’ve seen their work, and it’s life changing, for the kids, their families, and for you.
Click here to sponsor a child. Follow through. It’s time, don’t you think?
Tags: don't be a goat, Food for the Hungry, helping the poor, least of these, matthew 25:31-46, sheeps and goats
