Why should we care

为何要关心？ 自己都已经忙到半死了，还要去关心别人？但是上帝并不那么认为。

他在马太福音第二十五章第三十五节到第四十六节说：

‘ 当 人 子 在 他 荣 耀 里 、 同 着 众 天 使 降 临 的 时 候 ， 要 坐 在 他 荣 耀 的 宝 座 上 。

万 民 都 要 聚 集 在 他 面 前 。 他 要 把 他 们 分 别 出 来 ， 好 像 牧 羊 的 分 别 绵 羊 山 羊 一 般 ，

把 绵 羊 安 置 在 右 边 ， 山 羊 在 左 边 。

於 是 王 要 向 那 右 边 的 说 ： 你 们 这 蒙 我 父 赐 福 的 ， 可 来 承 受 那 创 世 以 来 为 你 们 所 预 备 的 国 ；

因 为 我 饿 了 ， 你 们 给 我 吃 ， 渴 了 ， 你 们 给 我 喝 ； 我 作 客 旅 ， 你 们 留 我 住 ；

我 赤 身 露 体 ， 你 们 给 我 穿 ； 我 病 了 、 你 们 看 顾 我 ； 我 在 监 里 ， 你 们 来 看 我 。

义 人 就 回 答 说 ： 主 阿 ， 我 们 甚 麽 时 候 见 你 饿 了 ， 给 你 吃 ， 渴 了 ， 给 你 喝 ？

甚 麽 时 候 见 你 作 客 旅 ， 留 你 住 ， 或 是 赤 身 露 体 ， 给 你 穿 ？

又 甚 麽 时 候 见 你 病 了 ， 或 是 在 监 里 ， 来 看 你 呢 ？

王 要 回 答 说 ： 我 实 在 告 诉 你 们 ， 这 些 事 你 们 既 做 在 我 这 弟 兄 中 一 个 最 小 的 身 上 ， 就 是 做 在 我 身 上 了 。

王 又 要 向 那 左 边 的 说 ： 你 们 这 被 咒 诅 的 人 ， 离 开 我 ！ 进 入 那 为 魔 鬼 和 他 的 使 者 所 预 备 的 永 火 里 去 ！

因 为 我 饿 了 ， 你 们 不 给 我 吃 ， 渴 了 ， 你 们 不 给 我 喝 ；

我 作 客 旅 ， 你 们 不 留 我 住 ； 我 赤 身 露 体 ， 你 们 不 给 我 穿 ； 我 病 了 ， 我 在 监 里 ， 你 们 不 来 看 顾 我 。

他 们 也 要 回 答 说 ： 主 阿 ， 我 们 甚 麽 时 候 见 你 饿 了 ， 或 渴 了 ， 或 作 客 旅 ， 或 赤 身 露 体 ， 或 病 了 ， 或 在 监 里 ， 不 伺 候 你 呢 ？

王 要 回 答 说 ： 我 实 在 告 诉 你 们 ， 这 些 事 你 们 既 不 做 在 我 这 弟 兄 中 一 个 最 小 的 身 上 ， 就 是 不 做 在 我 身 上 了 。

这 些 人 要 往 永 刑 里 去 ； 那 些 义 人 要 往 永 生 里 去 。’

Translated to English:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"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. 35For 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, 36I 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? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When 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. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I 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 25:31-46

这绵羊与山羊的比例真真实实地说明关心渺小，关心社会贫贱，贫穷，关心被社会遗弃的不幸人士。 为何？ 让我们一一解开这一段经节。

为何要关心别人？ 理由壹：因为主耶稣能理解与体恤世间的创伤。理由貳：因为对贫穷施爱，就是对主耶稣施爱。理由叁：天堂正等着真心跟随主耶稣的信徒。

So why should we care?

1. Because Jesus identifies Himself with the hurting of the world.
Right from the start of His public ministry, we can already see that He had compassion for the poor, the needy, the outcasts. He healed lepers, paralytics, the blinds. He healed prostitutes and adulterers. These are people whom we always brush aside and forget. But we know that when God created the church, He is in fact creating a family where everyone matters. Not someone, but everyone. To put it plain, there is no selection process. You join in the family anytime. Therefore, if these are the people whom Jesus cares for, then as followers of Christ, shouldn't we do the same, since our Lord has already set an example for us?

2. If we show love to the poor, we show love to Jesus too.
As such, when we show love to the poor, we know that we are pleasing God, we know that this is what God wants for us. To serve the underserved. It is mentioned quite blatantly in the passage that we show love to Jesus by showing care to the other needy. Often it is ironic that we say that we dun have time to serve the underserved, when we say that we love God. But God did tell us to love our neighbours as ourselves, which includes the underserved. I mean, if as Christians we dun reach out to these underserved, how can we expect other people to do it? As Christ followers, we are in the best position to do so cos we have the love of God in us.

3. Heaven awaits the genuine follower of Christ.
If Heaven has to be the motivation, then let Heaven be the motivation. It is not wrong to be motivated by the prospect of Heaven in doing good. But then, we cannot be good, unless we are justified by the blood of Jesus. Not one man is good, as we are in a world corrupted by sin. But once we are justified by faith in Jesus, it gives us the perfect position to do good, as we are now like branches connected to the true vine.

I will not elaborate any further, as I think to those who even bothered to read this far should have gotten my point by this point. 我也不多说了。

But it was quite an adventure yesterday when I listened to this sermon. Because.... because.... because.... because.... because.... because.... because.... because.... because....

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HANSE RECEIVED CHRIST!!!! Hallelujah!!!!!

I got so excited that everytime I mention this to anyone, I get excited... (duh)

我想当一个人接受主进他的生命时，那一个时刻，是真的一场真欢喜。真的没有字眼可以形容那刹哪的心情。 喔， 开心！！