Posts Tagged: Matthew 25:31-46
“The Face of God”
“When did we see you?!?” (Matthew 25:37, 44)
Have you seen the face of God of late? Would you recognize God’s face if you saw it?
A friend of mine told a wonderful story in a twelve-step meeting recently. He was Catholic, but hadn’t gone to confession for a long time. He finally went to confession, a broken man. After pouring out his empty heart, he and the priest chatted a bit informally.
“Why do you do this priest thing?” my friend asked.
The priest replied, “Because it gives me the chance to see the face of God in others. And believe it or not, I see the face of God in you right now.”
So, how many times have I seen God’s face today? Well, there were the guys at the meeting today. There were those who served us at the restaurant after the meeting. There were all the driver’s I encountered. There was my sweet wife’s face. (Most definitely the face of God!) There were the people we got to meet and pray with at the turkey crusade. There were the people from a whole bunch of churches that were also seeking to serve those in need. There were the people at the exercise club, where we were signing up.
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus told a wonderful, but chilling, story about the Son of Man’s return to planet earth. He would separate the people of all the nations into two groups—the sheep and the goats. The criteria for the division were simple: Did these people (the sheep) take good care of those in need, or did they neglect (the goats) those in need?
Both the sheep and the goats asked the same question, at least up to a point. Both groups asked, “When did we see you . . .?” But then, there was a crucial split in the questions. The sheep asked, “When did we see you, and take care of your needs?”
But the goats asked, “When did we see you, and fail to take care of your needs?”
Apparently, Jesus (the Son of Man) identified with those in need so much that to care for or to neglect those in need was the same as taking care of Jesus. And they were blessed of Jesus’ Father, God (verse 34).
Why does God identify so closely with those in need? Jesus doesn’t tell us in this story. But in other teachings in both the Old and New Testaments, we are told. Apparently, God loves us so much that every person matters—especially those who don’t matter! So, the next person you see will reveal the face of God to you. How will you respond to that face? Will you see to that person’s real needs? Will you do your utmost to help meet those needs?
And, of course, the next time you look in the mirror, you will also see the face of God in a needy person. Yes, you can see the face of God in that person as well.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
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- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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