Matt 7 – Many will come in that day and
say, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we do a lot of stuff in your name?” Jesus will tell
them, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”
We live in such a clichéd society. We give people awards for writing
great songs. We idolize those who perform in front of large crowds. We think
because they reach lots of people they must be doing something great for Jesus.
But what are they teaching the crowds?
We boil down faith to what fits on a bumper sticker or a shirt. We think
because we “read the Bible” we know what we are talking about. I’ve seen a
bumper sticker that said basically “Do Acts 2:38,” as if faith can be boiled
down to one verse in a group of 66 books.
Luke 17:7-10 – “…we have only done what is our
duty.”
Jesus tells a parable about and master and his servant. The servant
worked in the field, but the master expected to be served first before the
servant sat down to eat. How many of us expect the accolades to be laid upon us
when “we have only done what is our duty.” Love is in such small quantities now
days that when we do something in the name of Christ we expect to be recognized
for it.
In reality we need to look at the parable of the sheep and goats in
Matthew. “When did we do these things, Lord?” Love has become a natural part of
the Spirit of God living within the servant of Christ that they just do. They
don’t think about what is their “Christian duty.” It is a part of who they are.
Matt 5:41 “And
whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.”
Whoever compels…
Dictionary.com
com·pel
verb, com·pelled,
com·pel·ling.
verb (used with object)
1. to force or drive,
especially to a course of action: His disregard of the rules compels us to
dismiss him.
2. to secure or bring about by force.
3. to force to submit; subdue.
4. to overpower.
History
At the time Jesus said what he did the Roman empire was in
control. A soldier could grab anyone off the street and make them carry his
pack for a mile by law. Simple Biblical example. Simon was made to carry Jesus’
cross by a Roman guard.
We don’t like to be MADE to do
anything. We don’t even like to do what we’re paid to do most of the time. We
have laws that make it possible that we don’t have to go the extra mile. We
don’t want to be bothered with doing something extra when it’s “not part of my
job.”
We are a ‘proud’ people. We think
because we went to college or are a supervisor or CEO of a company there are
things that are beneath us to do.
Or on the other end of the spectrum
we may be an unskilled worker who thinks just because he or she shows up for
work they demand a high wage. Working a job that requires working with the
public doesn’t require any type of civility. We don’t like going out of our way
to make the customer’s experience pleasant.
Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus told a parable about a man who
hired worker in the morning, midday and at the end of the day. Finally when he
paid everyone he paid them all the same. The ones who started in the morning
objected because “Hey, we worked longer than them! We want more.” The master
asked the servants “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to
me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?”
We live in uncertain economic times.
Those who don’t have a lot do begrudge those who live in mansions. We think
they need to give up some of their stuff and give it to us, whether we deserve
it or not.
It was once said, “That which you
strive to attain, you strive to maintain.” We will spend hours on our stuff but
don’t want to take a few minutes just to sit and talk to someone who is
hurting. We complain when we are taken away from our ‘favorite shows’ to help
someone move.
We live in a society with a number of
homeless families, yet we have apartments for our stuff. We rent storage units,
build bigger sheds for our stuff. We box things up and don’t look at them for
years.
Matt 25:31-46 – The sheep asked Jesus, “When did
we do these things, Lord?” He told them, “As you’ve done it to the least of
these, you’ve done it unto me.”
What Jesus said isn’t what should become our “Rules for Christians.” What
Jesus was trying to get across is behavior that should be characteristic of
someone committed to Him.
We love him, because He first loved us. What does that mean? It means
that He DID for us. He GAVE His life for us. He DIED for us, so that we might
LIVE for Him.
Living for Jesus means going that extra mile, sharing a meal, taken on
each other’s burdens, rejoicing with those who rejoice, mourning with those who
mourn.
I can’t expect others to live like this if I’m not living like this. But
then again, others can’t expect me to follow their rules if they go against
what I believe Jesus is requiring of me.
I Corinthians 13:1-8
Doesn’t matter what you do, if it doesn’t have love it means nothing.
What does that mean, if it is not grounded in God it means nothing. If we think
what we do makes us right with God, we miss that point of what Jesus did. What
Jesus did made us right with God. What we do is fruit of what is inside of us.
(Reference back to Matt 25:31-46)
Love Jesus, eat cheese cake, listen to Pink Floyd
