I'm still working on what I promised, but this one got inserted in the middle.
Back to the other project...
This will appear in the Windom paper the Cottonwood County Citizen

…The Least of these
By Pastor Tom Tuura
One of the most enduring story lines are those with a scene where the king is disguised as an ordinary citizen. He goes around in disguise to find out how the people treat one another.

This is in a sense what Jesus is preaching about near the end of the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. This is the passage where Jesus gathers all nations before Him and separates the sheep from the goats to the right and the left. Those sheep on His right are ushered into his kingdom with this statement, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me: I was in prison and you came to Me."

If that wasn’t amazing enough, listen to the response from the "sheep". "Then the righteous will answer Him saying, "Lord when did we see You hungry and feed you…thirsty and give you drink…etc. The answer is startling. Then the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to me."

All of the parables, and stories in this chapter as well as the one previous are apocalyptic, known as the Olivet Discourse because it was given to the disciples from the Mount of Olives a couple of days prior to Jesus’ crucifixion. There are two major themes that come out of this passage.

First, it deals with the certainty and scope of the Second Coming of Christ. Our church creeds and confessions are right in keeping before the body of believers the legitimate teachings of not only the first advent, but also the second. This passage speaks a word of reverential fear about the coming judgement. No one should think or take lightly what will take place after death.
Second Jesus makes a very powerful statement about the attitudes and action of the sheep. No where does He imply that the loving sacrificial feeding, giving, clothing, visiting is what makes sheep sheep. They are already sheep, and are surprised at the statement of the Lord. They didn’t know they were doing anything other than what was needed under the circumstances.

Many attempts are made to make this the basis for salvation. Even very famous contemporary theologians, have stated so much. However that view would contradict Jesus’ own statements, such as all of John chapter 3, and chapter 5, not to mention the work and teaching of His holy apostles.
It does however teach us of the priority of the ascended and glorified Lord as to looking out and taking action on behalf of the needy "brethren". As one nineteenth century commentator stated, the behavior is evidential of faith, not the attainment.

This is why the goats were judged by the same criteria. If we don’t have this compassion, or if this is absent, then we have to ask if faith is absent!
On the positive side, this passage has ignited a fire of Christian compassion and charity around the world for the past 2000 years. Ever notice how many hospitals are Christian based such as names like St. Mary’s, St. Lukes etc.

Of course we’d all go out of our way for Jesus if He were right here before us. But like the fictional King in disguise, He is the face of the poor and downtrodden. That has always been our mission, and it will always be our mission, both as a corporate body, but also as individuals. But it cannot make us righteous, as those on His right are called. That righteousness was accomplished a couple of days later after telling this parable, when Jesus went to the cross.

That's what I know a poor part-time country preacher.