The Verdict

Matthew 25:31-46
Although we live in a land in which there are many sheep, have you ever really studied the way of sheep? Are they really as stupid as we are told they are? Do they just walk along with head down, blind to what is going around them, only interested in the next blade of grass? Or is there more to sheep than the picture that has been painted of them over the generations. Why does the Bible continually speak of God’s people as sheep, and not necessarily in a kind way? If someone said that you were like a sheep would that be an insult or a complement?
In Matthew 25: 33, Jesus called the sheep on his right, who are blessed by the Father and welcomed into heaven, the righteous ones. The righteous ones who have done good will enter eternal life. But is that you?
In today’s text, which came first, the evidence or the verdict? It was the verdict. The judgment was not based on what people did, but on who they were. The acts of our lives — whether good or evil—merely demonstrate the presence or absence of faith. It is a wonderful thing to be a sheep when you’re in Jesus’ flock. And in that light, what a compliment to hear someone say, “You’re acting like a sheep.”

Pastor Darryl

Photo by Dillon Pena on Unsplash