Ministering Unto Jesus

MINISTERING UNTO JESUS

Matthew 25:31-46

Introduction:  A young lady named Sally took a seminary class taught by Professor Smith, who was known for his elaborate object lessons. One day Sally walked into class to find a large target placed on the wall, with several darts resting on a nearby table. Professor Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or someone who had made them angry-and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s image.

            One drew a picture of another woman who had stolen her boyfriend. Another drew a picture of his younger brother. Sally drew a picture of Professor Smith, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on his face! The class lined up and began throwing darts amidst much laughter. Some of the students threw with such force that they ripped apart their targets. But Sally, looking forward to her turn, was filled with disappointment when Professor Smith asked the students to return to their seats so he could begin his lecture.

            As Sally fumed about missing her chance to throw the darts, the professor began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled image of their Savior-holes, and jagged marks covered his face. His eyes were virtually pierced out.

            Professor Smith said only these words, "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." In the Message Bible, it reads: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me, "you did it to me."[1]

            In the passage, we see how the Chief shepherd now as the King, when he returns to the earth would judge the people based on their actions or non-actions in His Kingdom.

            In Chapter 24, Jesus began to teach his disciples about the end times and the signs of His return to the earth. He warns them saying no one knows the day of their Lord’s return. Therefore, they were to be vigilant and prepared to meet their Lord at any unexpectant day or hour. To make them ready for his return, he tells them the stories of the Ten Virgins and the talents. Now it is not the Storytime anymore; it is the time to talk about the end times.

I. THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

            Vs. 31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him, and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.” The Message. Again, we see here the motif of a shepherd.

            At one point, Jesus, while predicting His death also makes a passing remark of his return. Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.” Here the Son of Man is referring to Jesus.

            One commentator notes, these verses speak of the judgment preceding Jesus’1000-year reign on the earth, where He will establish his Kingdom, sitting on the throne, he will judge the nations. His verdict is addressed not to the countries but the individuals in those countries.” As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.”     Right and left are not as you might think our political parties, but the two sides of Jesus’ throne. What about the separation of the sheep from the goats? While sheep and goats have many similarities, yet they are distinct in their behavior, and preferences of food and shelter.

            At the time of herding, a shepherd keeps both of them in the wilderness. But when he brings them home in the evening, he separates them based on their preferences. In a spiritual sense, the sheep and the goats represent the righteous and the wicked.

            On the day our Chief shepherd returns, to establish His millennial kingdom, He separates the righteous from the wicked. Until such time they both may live together without distinction. Here is the distinction in the end times. Malachi 3:18, “17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more, you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”

            In our world today, the righteous seem to be struggling, and the wicked prospering. When we see this happening over and over again, we wonder, is it worth keeping our faith? Do we wonder where fairness and justice are?  Welcome to the world of struggling Christians. To gain the right perspective of our struggles, let’s read Psalm 73: 1-24.

            “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of humanity. Therefore, pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment.  All in vain, have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence…

                But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.” That is why it is so vital that we come to church regularly so that we can learn to hold on to our faith when we feel like giving up. Coming back to our passage, we hear Jesus said two times, “the least of my brethren.”

 II THE LEAST OF MY BRETHREN!

            After separating the righteous from the wicked Jesus will address them based on what they have done or not done. He welcomes the righteous to inherit the Kingdom and sends the wicked into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and the demons, because of their treatment or the lack thereof towards the least of His brethren. Who are these brethren that he is referring to?

            There are various explanations as to who they are. Some would say this refers to other disciples. Some would apply this to the nation of Israel. The term “my brothers and sisters,” applies not only to the nearby disciples, but it goes even beyond as Jesus once declared to everyone who does the will of His Father in heaven are his brothers and sisters. (Matthew 12:50)

            I think that the phrase, “the least of my brethren” is much broader, it is not exclusively for his followers but to all those who are overlooked and ignored. In general, everyone who is in need is a brother and sister of Jesus Christ. Whatever we do or don’t do to them, affects Jesus.

III. MINISTERING UNTO JESUS

            Let’s see the discourse between Jesus, the righteous, and the wicked. Vs. 34-36, “ I was hungry, and you fed me, I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink, I was homeless, and you gave me a room, I was shivering, and you gave me clothes, I was sick, and you stopped to visit, I was in prison, and you came to me.” Vs. 37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say,

            ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth:

            Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.” The same set of circumstances and challenges were presented to the wicked as well. They too have responded just like the righteous saying when did we ever see you hungry etc. But when the final verdict was delivered the righteous were invited and welcomed into the kingdom, whereas the wicked were banished into eternal damnation.

            What is going on here? The righteous are living their faith out by involving in mundane and random acts of kindness. Their acts of kindness were being taken into account by God who notices everything and judges everyone based on their actions.

            Whereas the wicked because of their preoccupation and self-indulgence missed out on the opportunities. They ignored the plight of the poor, the sick, the hungry, the homeless, and the imprisoned. Hence, they were sent into the eternal fire. Let’s recap what we have learned so far.

            On the day Christ returns, he will separate the righteous from the wicked based on how they have responded or failed to respond to the needs of the least of His brothers and sisters. The righteous will be with God eternally in heaven, whereas the wicked will be thrown into the lake of fire which is prepared for the devil and the demons. What a dreadful end that would be!

            What does minister “to the least of Jesus’ brethren” look like? It sees the opportunities around us to minister to Jesus. As we visit someone who is sick, lonely, in a homeless shelter, prison, or going through a hard time, we will be ministering to Jesus. Sometimes these opportunities don’t come in pretty packages. If we are looking for the pats on our backs or scoring brownie points, we have missed it completely.

            Doing it unto the least of Jesus’ brethren may mean inviting someone over to your home or taking someone on a trip or out for a meal or helping with a practical need like mowing the lawn etc. Mother Theresa said of her motivation to establish a home for the dying destitute in Calcutta, “I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper’s wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?” She is an incredible role model to follow.

            At Hope Church, I have seen many of you ministering to Jesus in small and big ways. You send out get well cards, visit the sick in the hospitals, cook meals, make phone calls, give rides, give words of encouragement, and pray for the needs of our congregation. When we finally stand before Jesus, I don’t want anyone of us to miss out on hearing our Lord say to us, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you.”? Let’s not miss out on the opportunity to minister to our Lord Jesus, through random acts of kindness. Amen!

           

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[1] (Lee Rhodes, Wheeler, Michigan) https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/22661/angels-by-russell-brownworth?ref=TextIllustrationSerps

Lost and Found

LOST AND FOUND

Luke 15:1-7

Introduction:  Last week we talked about how a shepherd leads his sheep to a gentle stream in the desert to quench their thirst. Today in the passage we read, we will look at another shepherd’s concern. How will a shepherd respond to one of his lost sheep? To understand the hidden message and its implications, we need to get into the mind of a real shepherd. In his book “While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks,” Dr. Laniak shares a story of the return of a lost sheep.

            This story comes from the Aref family in a small village in Jordan.  Mrs. Aref cared for a flock of forty-five sheep. A joke in the family was that Mrs. Aref loved her animals as much as or maybe more than her children.  One day to her immense distress, Mrs. Aref lost track of one of her sheep. She checked with her neighbors that night to see if the sheep had gone home with someone else. But none of them had seen the missing creature.

            She inquired among more distant neighbors over the next week, but no one had noticed a stray or found unidentified remains. Weeks turned into months without a sign of the missing sheep. Then one day, two months later, a large flock came through the village led by a hired shepherd. As was still her habit, Mrs. Aref asked the young man if he had come across a lost sheep.  As the words passed her lips, one of the sheep in the solid pack of moving sheep lifted her head, immediately recognizing the sound of her owner’s voice.

            Mrs. Aref screamed with delight and rushed through the startled mass to embrace her lost sheep. It didn’t take long before the whole village heard the commotion and shared the reunion. Her flock was now complete again.  What a compelling true story of the joy of a shepherd who lost her sheep and finding it again. God uses nature and in particular, animals to teach us valuable life lessons. In the passage we read Jesus used the analogy of a sheep and a shepherd to teach us the importance of not giving up on the lost people, and the joy of their homecoming.

            The Gospel of Luke as the title suggests was written by Dr. Luke is known as the “beloved physician.” In the entire Gospel Luke portrays Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah of the Jews and also the savior of all humanity. Luke places particular emphasis upon the kindness of Jesus toward women, the poor, the outcaste, the weak, and those who were suffering in different ways. Two compelling themes can be found in this passage. The one is about a lost sheep and the second is the persistent heart of a shepherd who never gave up on one of his lost sheep.  

I A LOST SHEEP: (Vs. 3-4)

            Vs 3-4, “So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? What necessitated Jesus to tell in fact a set of three stories? It was the grumbling and the complaining of the so-called righteous people.

            Pharisees and the teachers of the law could not stand to see the collectors of Roman tax, and the irreligious or non-practicing Jews often referred to as sinners were coming to listen to Jesus. Not only that Jesus was going into their homes that was even more offensive. All these things made them an unhappy and sulking bunch of people. To them, Jesus tells this story.

            Imagine a shepherd had a flock of one hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, what would he do? He would leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and goes after the lost one. Did you know there are about one billion sheep in the world, but each one matters to a shepherd somewhere? In the book, I mentioned earlier; the author listens to the heartache of a Bedouin shepherd who lost a sheep. From the mountains surrounding ancient Petra, Ahmed related,

            “Since 1984, I have never lost a sheep or goat that I did not find again—dead or alive.” But, then, with hesitation and distinct feeling, he continued, “Except one.

            And that one I can never forget. She is on my mind every night before I sleep.” Although he had thousands of animals, he felt ashamed as a shepherd that he could not account for one that was lost.”[1] Here is another story of how much a shepherd grieves over his lost sheep. If having the sheep or not having them brings so much joy or grief to the shepherds, can you imagine how much more joy or grief we human beings can bring to our father in heaven?

            In the scriptures human beings are often compared to the sheep. The prophet Isaiah laments over the lostness of humanity. Isaiah 53:6, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” The scriptures compare no matter who you are; you are like a lost sheep.

            There are over 7.7 billion people in this world, according to the scriptures they all are like the lost sheep wandering in the wilderness of this world. God loves each one of them dearly. In John 3:16 we read, ““For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

            Thankfully around 3.5 billion people around the world have believed in Jesus and are saved or should we say they have been found by the good shepherd, and are back in the flock. But how about the rest?[2] If Jesus is living here today who would he seek after? He would go after the unreached people which amounts to 3.14 billion. They are lost and waiting to be found.

            Here is the challenge. Jesus is not here physically today, but He left his church to complete the remaining task of seeking and introducing the lost people to their savior. If that is the case where do you think the church should be focusing on and spending most of its resources? On those who are already saved and secured in the fold of God? Or on those who are lost and wandering in the wilderness? What did the good shepherd do in our story?

II THE PERSISTENT SHEPHERD

            Vs. 4, “Won't’ he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and goes to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? The imagery of a persistent shepherd who is out there searching and is unwilling to give up until he finds his lost sheep is very gripping and convicting. This verse depicts God ‘s persistent heart over one of his lost sheep. For God, everyone matters.

            Consider these scriptures: Isaiah 65:2, “All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.” Ezekiel 34:11, “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep.” Ezekiel 34:16 "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy I will feed them with judgment.”

            In fulfillment of these prophecies, Jesus came into the world and clarified his whole and sole mission, Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” John 10:14-16, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So, I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

            Vs 16, I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” Who were these other sheep that Jesus was talking about? They were: Zacchaeus, the tax collector, the woman caught in adultery. Mary Magdalene, the prostitute who was possessed by seven demons. Nicodemus who came at night for fear of his fellow Jews. It was the leper.

           

            The blind man, the woman with the issue of blood. It was the Sarmatian woman who was dejected by the society. It was the crowds who were like sheep without a shepherd. It was the repentant thief on the cross. Jesus was intentional in reaching them and many more with love and compassion. In the end, he sacrificed his life so that they all may be found.

            But that is not the end of the story. The Good Shepherd is not yet content; he is still going after the lost sheep of our time. Who are these lost sheep? Who would they look like? Where do we find the lost people? We don’t have to go far and wide to find them they are all around us, maybe some right here in our church. God has placed the USA in a unique place in the world.

            We are very privileged to have immense resources and freedoms in this country and we are to be grateful to God and never to take them for granted. That is not the case everywhere else. As we speak many are living in war-torn, poverty-stricken, and violent nations. Many are literally running for their lives in search of life and some have been heading towards a land filled with milk and honey called the United States of America.

            Would this presents a golden opportunity for the church of Jesus Christ to rise up and share and show the love and compassion of Jesus Christ? Or do we see it as an inconvenience and a bother? What should be the response of His Church? Let me remind you, Jesus sacrificed his life for the sheep. As I read through this passage, I felt exposed and challenged by the lack of my concern over the lost sheep and the self-absorption of my own needs.

            While working with Youth with A Mission in India, I was reminded continuously of the needs of the lost world and how I am to reach out and save as many souls as I could save. However, since moving to the USA, and becoming a pastor in New England where the Christians are termed as the “Chosen Frozen,” I felt hindered in my zeal for evangelism. 

            In n a highly intellectual and affluent society, I find it hard to make connections with people. I agonize over my inability to reach out at times. Maybe some of you here are also struggling in that area. How could we regain our passion for the lost? We ask our good shepherd to fill our hearts with his love and compassion. So that we might become as persistent and relentless as he is and go out and search the broken, and wounded sheep into God’s fold. Amen!

             

             

           

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[1] Timothy S. Lanikai, “While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks, page 77

[2] http://www.thetravelingteam.org/stats

Streams in the Desert

STREAMS IN THE DESERT

Isaiah 35:1-10

Introduction: Water is an essential commodity for the existence and survival of life.  We cannot live without it, but the abundance of it can be dangerous. This past week I enjoyed watching the gentle rainfall through our sunroom. It seemed like the flower plants, trees, and the grass were saying thank you to God as they gratefully soaked up the rainwater. At the same time, torrential rains caused devastating flash floods in New Orleans.

            In 1985, our small town in India was inundated with excessive rains causing flash floods. The floodwater made the streets impassable and homes unlivable. My family, along with a few other families, had no other choice other than to move up to a penthouse on the roof of their building. They stayed up there like in the times of Noah until the floodwaters receded.

            Later, my mother told me that she saw all around their building huts and mud houses collapsing. In spite of several warnings to evacuate that building by the local government, my family chose to remain up there trusting that God the good shepherd would protect them!

             If you have attended our Connect groups, we have introduced you to the “Inductive method” of studying the Bible. It is nothing but observing the passage by asking a set of questions such as: who, to whom, what, where, when, and why? As we study this passage, we will be following the same set of questions.  Who is writing this passage? To whom was it written? What were the circumstances, where was it written, when was it written, and why was it written? And what is the BIG idea of this passage?  So, let’s get started!

            As the title of the book suggests, it was written by Isaiah, which means, “The Lord is salvation.”  The prophecies written in the book of Isaiah are so crucial as it was quoted in the NT over 65 times, far more than any other OT prophet.  Isaiah prophesied during the period of the divided Kingdom, directing the major thrust of his message to the southern kingdom of Judah.

            Isaiah was written around 740 BC. His primary audience were the people of Judah, who were failing to live according to the requirements of God’s law. Isaiah prophesied judgment not only upon Judah but also the surrounding nations. On the other hand, Isaiah delivered also stirring messages of repentance and salvation of any who would turn to God.  At the time of his writing, the nation of Judah was in exile in Babylon. Let’s study our passage.

I. HOPE FOR RESTORATION (Vs. 1-2)

            Vs.1-2, “Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.  The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God.”

            In these two verses, we see a bunch of places and their names, and a sudden turn of events of restoration and abundance. What do these places mean? How bad was the situation before it turned for better? At the time of this writing, the Israelites were taken into exile away from their lusciously green pasture lands of Jerusalem into a desert location named Babylon. Perhaps all they could see around them was desert and wilderness.

            If you know anything about Judean deserts, they are treacherous. Everything is dry, and nothing grows. The heat is unbearable at times, rising to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. As Laniak mentions in his book While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks, “The desert is a place of death.” Just imagine what these exiles might have been going through in such situations?

            The Israelites strength might have been drained; joy vanished, and hopes of returning to Jerusalem were anywhere from little to nonexistent. Into such drought-filled and hopeless existence, the prophet Isaiah spoke a future prophecy of restoration. He said as sudden as crocuses will burst forth during spring, that was how God would turn their fortunes around.

            He was going to change their desert and wilderness experience into a place of abundance of flowers, singing, and Joy. He said, “the deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God.” What do we know about, Lebanon, Mount Carmel, and Sharon?

            The Mountains of Lebanon are known for their tallest and remotest peaks. These mountains were a place for the tallest cedars and most elegant cypresses in that region. Their deepest forests were untamable. (2 Kings 19:23). Mount Carmel rises over 500 meters (1,600 ft) above the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the country’s most lush and evergreen regions.

            The current Plain of Sharon is the section of the Mediterranean coastal plain, and the most densely settled of Israel’s natural regions. It extends about 55 miles north-to-south from the beach at Mount Carmel to the Yarqon River.[1] It was known for fertile areas renowned for their beautiful trees and foliage.  Our town Sharon is called a naturally beautiful place to live.

            Though this prophecy was directed towards the immediate restoration of Israel from the land of their exile into their homeland of Jerusalem, its implications are far-reaching. It is talking about how during the Messiah’s reign on earth, the whole world will become a flourishing garden, and this will offer encouragement to the weak and the feeble-hearted.

II. THE LORD IS OUR SALVATION: (Vs 3-4)

            Vs. 3-4, “With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”

            The prophecy of Isaiah was good news. One day the Lord will restore the fortunes of Israel. He will come with a vengeance to destroy their enemies. God will come to save them.

            So, with that news, they were to cheer one another up, strengthen the weak, and encourage the fearful ones. The Israelites were looking for a Messiah who would come and deliver them from the tyranny of their enemies. Did that ever happen? Yes, it did! After seventy years of exile in Babylon in 539 BC, God used a Persian king named Cyrus to overthrow Babylon and to make a decree for the remnant of exile to return to Jerusalem.

            With the return of Jews to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple one would think that the Israelites have finally learned their lesson and now they would live in accordance with the laws of God and never rebel against Him ever, again right?  But that was not the case.

            Fast forward to thousands of years to the first century AD, once again the Jews came under the tyranny of their enemies, this time the Roman emperor. They might have looked back to the prophecy of Isaiah for a Messiah to come and deliver them.  How about this time did the Messiah come to save them? Let’s see how the latter part of Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled.

III. STREAMS IN THE DESERT (5-6)

            Vs. 5-6, “And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.”

            Who was the prophet Isaiah referring here to when he says, “And when he comes”? He was referring to the future savior, the Messiah who would come and restore the physical abnormalities and ailments, and turn the wastelands into fertile lands by causing streams to flow in the desert. This scripture was foreshadowing the earthly ministry of Jesus.

            When we read through the gospels, we will see Jesus performing miracles of healing the blind, the cripple, the deaf, and the mute who could not speak. It was only a partial fulfillment of this prophecy. The ultimate achievement will be when Jesus comes back a second time.

            What is the significance of the streams in the desert?  To understand, we are to look at how the shepherds of Palestine took care of their sheep in the desert. While Shepherds tend their flock in the desert, they are very observant of where to find water for their thirsty sheep. They patiently look for rains, but what they truly desire in the desert is not so much rain but the streams that follow after the storm. That is where he leads his sheep to quench their thirst.

            What is the implication of the streams in the desert for us today? Our modern-day lifestyle can be compared to the desert experience of the Israelites in exile. It is often void of joy, full of worry, misery, exhaustion and spiritually famishing. In this fast-paced world, we are chasing after our dreams, not finding real purpose and fulfillment in life.

            In one way we are living in a desert, a wilderness, as I mentioned earlier the desert is a place of death. If we let him, Jesus can come into our spiritual desert and cause streams of living water to flow, and by drinking from those streams, we can be refreshed, revived, and bear fruit.

            Jesus, during his earthly ministry, gave an invitation to all those who were weary and thirsty to come and drink of Him.  He offered divine water to the socially isolated Samaritan woman who came in a search of some physical water to quench her thirst.

            Jesus said, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:13-14 In closing, would you join me for some self-assessment? How is your soul today? Are you physically weary and tired? Are you spiritually hungry? Are you going through a drought and desert type of experience?

            Would you consider coming to our good shepherd who can make streams in the desert and gently lead you by those still waters? Would you like the Samaritan woman drink of the divine water that Jesus is offering, so that it can be a wellspring of water within you? Amen!

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[1] https://www.britannica.com/place/Plain-of-Sharon