The Culture of the Righteous
Matthew 25:37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Read verses 31-46 for context)The Scriptures remind us that God's priorities are often different from our priorities. It seems that popular Christian culture is bent more in the direction of "me" than in the direction of "others."
One definition of culture is: "The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization."
The culture of "me" that permeates a lot of Christian activity and ministry doesn't square with the teachings of Jesus. Matthew 25 is a troubling read because it seems to make doing good deeds the basis of entrance into God's eternal kingdom. We must remember that this story is told to emphasize the importance of serving others, not a lesson in salvation.
The culture of the righteous is serving and giving, not receiving. Jesus identifies with people in trouble because he wants them to discover God's grace and power.
Those of us who are blessed and favored must cultivate a culture of service in others so that we do not turn inward and lose sight of Christ's priorities.
