Matthew 25:31-46

“Thanks be to God, today is a new day, a new beginning in a new year. I want to rise and shine for Christ, I want to radiate light and warmth to my surroundings. I want to do this because Christ has loved me and I love Him.

Jesus delivered a message specifically to His disciples (cf. 24:1), about the final judgment that will confront all people and divide them into two parts before the throne of His glory, just as a shepherd separates the sheep on his right from the goats on his left (31-33). The Son of Man (31) Jesus is referring to is Himself, the One who will judge mankind at the time of judgment.

To those on the right, Jesus will bring them into His kingdom which has been prepared for them since the foundation of the world. To those on His left, Jesus said, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Why? Because those on His right did what was right and what He wanted, but those on His left did not. This message was delivered to those who had come to know and follow Him, the disciples.

Our belief in Christ is seen in the fruit we bear, which is what we do to our fellow human beings. A true follower of Christ will do good to his fellow man as a form of his love for God, but the false disciples did not. In Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus unites the law of loving God and the law of loving our fellow man. The apostle John in 1 John 4:20 summed it up thus, If anyone says: "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. Therefore what makes the difference between the two is their treatment of their fellow human beings in terms of feeding, giving drink, lodging, clothing, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned.

We live in an age where man's selfishness is getting stronger, man is becoming less sensitive to his surroundings, and his hand is heavy to extend to help his fellow man. Who is that human being? It is us, Christians, those who say, "I love Christ", those of us who are in churches, those of us who sit in Christian institutions, those of us who are daily occupied with ministry and church activities, those of us who jump up and down singing hymns and shed tears when singing "worship" songs in church, those of us who have been Christians since the womb, and those of us who have known Jesus for decades.

When we say that we are disciples of Christ and love God, then we must also love the people around us. What should we do?

First, feed and water. Our love exists to fulfill the most basic and basic needs of the human body. Around us, we come across people who, due to economic limitations, cannot even afford to eat and drink. They could be our neighbors, our family, and the people we meet in the corners of the city. They all need our love and good deeds.

Second, give a ride. There are so many people who are rejected by their environment, by their social circle, rejected in the work environment and even the church, rejected by their family, worse they reject their own existence. They need a "ride", people who are willing to embrace and accept them for who they are. Also to people who are completely homeless, homeless, and vagrants on the streets. The ancient Israelites were so fond and honored to have people who wanted to stay in their homes, unfortunately that has been lost in the time of Jesus, and Jesus saw and criticized it. What about us? Let's open ourselves up to those who need a ride.

Third, to clothe. Clothes give people warmth and cover them from nakedness and shame. When love has lost its warmth, what is left is a cold world. Let us be present to give warmth in our homes, at work, even in church, because maybe that's where love starts to get cold. Clothing also means identity. People don't know who they are anymore and what they are in the world for. They can no longer see God's purpose for them. Let us be there to help them rediscover who they are before God and what they are called to do for Him.

Fourth, be present to care. When love has become so cold, people hurt each other. We are surrounded by people who look healthy on the outside, but on the inside are filled with inner wounds that fester day by day. There are so many people who suffer from mental illness because they are hurt by their loved ones. It is to them that God wants us to be present and to visit.

Fifth, be present to those who are imprisoned. Sin is a prison for the human soul. Too many people are bound and shackled by it. They want to get out but can't, because the bonds are so strong. No one is able to free themselves. They need Christ, and Christ "needs" us to bring them to Him. People cannot come out of sin because we make their sin the subject of our stories and conversations, it will only blind them to the love of Christ. It is to them that Jesus wants us to be present and bring His liberating love.

If God is willing, we have three hundred and sixty-five days ahead of us, and that is a short time. While there is still time and opportunity for us, do it all for Christ, because we will never know when our time will end. And we want when that time comes, He says to us: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and give you grace; the LORD set his face upon you and give you peace. Amen. (Numbers 6:24-26)

Happy New Year, God's grace be with us all.

Happy New Year.