Ah-Ha Moments!

I've been reading Richard Stearns book, A Hole In The Gospel. The book tells a bit about Richard's life growing up, becoming CEO of some top companies, and leaving it all to become president of one of the world's largest relief organizations--World Vision. Though I've heard some of the stories before, including the Bible stories, they struck me in a different way this time as I read them. This is what I heard:

The good news Jesus proclaimed had a fullness beyond salvation and the forgiveness of sins; it also signified the coming of God’s kingdom on earth (thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven). The kingdom of which Christ spoke was one in which the poor, the sick, the grieving, crippled, slaves, women, children, widows, orphans, lepers and aliens--the “least of these” (Matthew 25:40) were to be lifted up and embraced by God. The perfect kingdom of God was to begin here on earth.
I’ve heard the Lord’s Prayer many times and have even recited it over and over. However, while reading the above passage from THE HOLE IN OUR GOSPEL, I saw something I’d never really thought about I guess. I’m talking about taking care of the “least of these” while here on earth. That makes since doesn’t it? Heaven will be a perfect place, and we can strive to make things a bit more perfect while we’re here on earth. I realize it will never be perfect but we can work towards that. Since God mentions the poor and the needy throughout scripture, it sounds like they’re important to him. In fact, I think there are 2,000 verses that deal with “the least of these”. What can we do in our communities and around the world? What can I do? What can you do?

The story of the sheep and goats was another. (Matthew 25:31-46)
The sheep were put on the right. They fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, invited the stranger in, clothed the needy, took care of the sick, visited the prisoners as if they were doing it for Christ. The goats did none of this and were told to depart. The criterion for dividing the two groups is not that the sheep confessed faith in Christ while the goats did not, rather the sheep acted in tangible and loving ways toward the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, and the vulnerable--while the goats didn’t. Those whose lives were characterized by acts of love done to “the least of these” were blessed and welcomed by Christ.
Here’s another Bible story that I have heard before. However, I never really thought about the sheep taking care of the poor, the hungry, the sick. Maybe I didn’t really pay that much attention in the past. Though I’d heard the story, it really “clicked” with me this time. Taking care of “the least of these” is so important to our heavenly Father.

Faith and works were never meant to be in dichotomy. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Look at the next verse: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (vs. 10) We are saved through faith alone, the amazing gift of a loving God, but we are saved for a purpose: to do the good works God actually prepared beforehand for us to carry out. We are:
--saved BY faith
--saved FOR works
Now, as for these verses, we were meant for good works. God has prepared these works for us to do. Could it be to feed the hungry, clothe the needy, give the thirsty a drink, visit the prisoners, set the oppressed free--care for “the least of these”?

Though I've heard these things, it was a great reminder for me. Now, I need to get up and get busy.