Are you an Instrument?
Jesus Said,
“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.
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,
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.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
“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.
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
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.’
“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?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-36.
As a Christian have you done anything like Jesus is telling us here in Matthew 25?
I was in the downtown of our city a while ago. The wind was bitter the temperature minus fifteen centigrade. A man in a dirty jacket was standing in between two doors that led into an office building begging for money.
Just inside the doors was a coffee shop and people were coming and going. Passing the man like he wasn’t their.
I had no cash on me so I went in with the intention of at least getting him a gift card so he could buy a meal.
Before I could do it however a well dressed man walked out of the coffee shop with a hot coffee and gave it to the man. He then offered to drive him to the Salvation army where he could get a room for the night and a warm meal.
The man accepted and they left.
As they did I though of what a wonderful example of what Christ wanted us to do.
We can’t change the world but we can if it is within our power help one person.
The Jews have something they call Tzadakah. It is something I think Christians need to practice in their lives.
I got the following definition of Tzadakah from a Jewish website it states,
“Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word “charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.
The word “tzedakah” is derived form the Hebrew root Tzadei-dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due.”
According to Jewish scholars there are various levels of Tzedakah,
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less than you should, bu giving cheerfully,
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows yours
Giving when you know and the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know yours.
Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity.
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant.
Francis of Assisi wrote,
Jesus Said,
“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.
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,
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.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
“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.
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
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.’
“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?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-36.
As a Christian have you done anything like Jesus is telling us here in Matthew 25?
I was in the downtown of our city a while ago. The wind was bitter the temperature minus fifteen centigrade. A man in a dirty jacket was standing in between two doors that led into an office building begging for money.
Just inside the doors was a coffee shop and people were coming and going. Passing the man like he wasn’t their.
I had no cash on me so I went in with the intention of at least getting him a gift card so he could buy a meal.
Before I could do it however a well dressed man walked out of the coffee shop with a hot coffee and gave it to the man. He then offered to drive him to the Salvation army where he could get a room for the night and a warm meal.
The man accepted and they left.
As they did I though of what a wonderful example of what Christ wanted us to do.
We can’t change the world but we can if it is within our power help one person.
The Jews have something they call Tzadakah. It is something I think Christians need to practice in their lives.
I got the following definition of Tzadakah from a Jewish website it states,
“Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word “charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.
The word “tzedakah” is derived form the Hebrew root Tzadei-dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due.”
According to Jewish scholars there are various levels of Tzedakah,
Giving begrudgingly
Giving less than you should, bu giving cheerfully,
Giving after being asked
Giving before being asked
Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows yours
Giving when you know and the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know yours.
Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity.
Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant.
Francis of Assisi wrote,
“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
Francis of Assisi
If you claim to be a Christian are you truly an instrument of God?
Please think about it.
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