Trying to be like Jesus - knowing God

Another part in the New Testament that kind of bothered me was in Matthew 25, when Jesus speaks of separating the sheep from the goats. I thought it was down on goats, and I felt sorry for them as an animal lover.

Maybe this is a good time to write about it because I have recently seen some of each.

 Mentally I have one picture of goats and one of sheep, and they are pretty easy to tell apart. Some varieties are more similar.

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2014/12/21/371714463/is-this-a-goat-or-a-sheep-its-harder-than-you-think

In context, someone who has to separate the two is clearly keeping both. That part is just that there is a sorting into two groups that are different; it is not a judgment on goats.

It is a judgment on those who withhold service.

There are things to be done: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and welcoming the stranger. Some do them, some don't, and the interesting thing is that many of them don't seem to have thought much about the significance of doing it. The Lord tells them that whether they give this kindness or withhold it, it is as if it is to him, but both sides seem surprised.

If serving people because you want to go to Heaven is how you start, I think that's okay. I suspect that more frequently things are done because of love, or not done due to a lack of love. I also do not expect that to be a stagnant thing.

The chapter has two other parables, dealing with the ten virgins and the talents. The foolish virgins are turned away as not being known by the bridegroom (despite being invited guests). With the talents, the servant who squandered his makes the excuse that based on his knowledge of his lord, he was afraid of losing it. The lord replies that if the servant knew him, then he should have known to invest it and create an increase with it.

Perhaps of these three parables told together, the last one contains the key: we will get to know our Lord by serving others.

I have written about how sometimes there were lessons built into healing, and time advised to ponder it after, but this is a good time to focus again on how freely given the healing was.

He healed those who asked him and some where others asked on their behalf. He healed people whose affliction was not due to sin (like the man blind from birth) and some where it is strongly implied that sin was a factor (the man lowered through the roof). He healed one who does not even seem to have been particularly repentant (John 5:14).

We may not be able to heal miraculously or turn a few loaves and fishes into food for a multitude, but we can give what we have. We can choose to let more people have access to health care and food and clothing. We can visit those in prison and work for their good, which would probably lead us to see that there should be far fewer people in prison in the first place.

As we work for his children - focusing on their needs rather than their worthiness - we will come to know him by becoming like him. Rather than imagining (mentally creating) a God who is as petty and spiteful as our worst selves, we will be re-creating ourselves in his image. He gave us a good start, but the only way to complete that process is by becoming filled with love, and that love will overflow into works.

It cannot be more clear.