Is it Important to be Kind?

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”
Matthew 25:31-45 (NKJV) 

What is the difference between those who will be on Jesus’ right hand (the sheep) and those on his left (the goats)?

Reading on in Matthew 25, with verses 34-40, “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

And likewise, to those on his left hand, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.” (verses 44-45)

Jesus shows that our actions are important because if you did/did not do it to the least of His brethren, you did/did not do it to Him. The people who are kind to those who are the poor of the world, who visit the sick and those in prison, are those to whom He says in verse 34, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Prayer
Father, as we go about our daily lives, help us to be prepared and to know how to show kindness to the poor, the sick and those in prison.
Amen 

Study by Duncan McLean

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About the Author:
Duncan McLean and his wife, Shirley, attend Grace Communion Church Luton, where they regularly contribute music.  They run a monthly choir workshop, which is also a social occasion where all are welcome–see www.kingsfold.org

Local Congregation:
Grace Communion Church Luton
Farley Hill Methodist Church
North Drift Way
Farley Hill
LUTON
LU1 5JE

Meeting Time:
Saturday 10:30am

Local Congregational Contact:
Harry Sullivan
Phone:  01908-582222
Email: harry_sullivan@wcg.org.uk