Matthew 25:31-46 Stir up Sunday

 Matthew 25:31-46 Stir up Sunday.

  This is the Sunday before Advent.  This is Thanksgiving week Sunday. It is also called Christ the King Sunday " 

STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." ( 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Sunday next before Advent)

from A Calendar of Saints by Bentley " The strong must make sure that they care for weak.  The rich must be certain to give enough to supply all the needs of the poor .  The poor must thank God for supplying their needs.... We all need each other: the great need the small, the small need the great. In our body, the head is useless without the feet and the feet without the head. The tiniest limbs of the body are useful and necessary to the whole." Clement 

This sums up today's message quite well. 

All week what has struck me about the Scripture today , the Final Judgment is first what category are we in?   Sheep or goats?

There is a separation .

But in what manner do we who claim to be His sheep do things?

---Do all things to the glory of God of course.

But again, do the little things matter?

----How we speak to others?  / How we treat the least of these my brethren? v. 40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

" Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Of course it starts with the summary of the law.  Matthew 22:35-37Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

It should not be what can I do in this situation so I do the least, but I should be asking, what does this situation need and what can I do to help in Christ's name?

Begin well, and end things well.  Listen, have stability ( do not walk away from what you have committed yourself to); process of being engaging our attitude and life-style and listening carefully and responding activitly from the heart ( Spirituality for Daily Life- Will Derkse " It is also allowing others to tell you something, being willing to listen to advice, and giving up of my conceit as difficult as it may be." p. 28 Derkse

I have often thought of what Ogilivie said in his book, 12 Steps to Living Without Fear " The Lord may come to you in persons that frustrate you the most"  ---they may be the least of these my brethren

Someone said when we make wrong choices, it is like being in the desert with the wrong orientation.  It may not be a life or death decision, but the little choices we make do matter.

Do all things to the glory of God.  In Him we live and move, and have our being.

We do not want to hear " Depart from me" .  Our Christian faith is not having once believed, but having truly believed we practice love, obedience to God and honor all despite their littleness, so perceived.  

Who are least of these my brethren?  They often do not know what they do .  Our responses are challenging to say the least.  What would God want us to do and believe about others?  If we have turned to Him in faith for answers, we should flee from the devil---"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 

"The strong must make sure that they care for weak.  The rich must be certain to give enough to supply all the needs of the poor .  The poor must thank God for supplying their needs.... We all need each other: the great need the small, the small need the great. In our body, the head is useless without the feet and the feet without the head. The tiniest limbs of the body are useful and necessary to the whole "---what Clement said I end with too.

We are thankful to God our King in this season and should be stirred up .  "STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." ( 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Sunday next before Advent)