23/08/2019
LESSON 8
THE LEAST OF THESE
“ ‘And 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” ’ ” (Matt. 25:40, NKJV).
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36, NIV). Jesus presents something almost extinct in our society: compassion. We are so smothered with demands for attention that that silent stranger on the corner stands absolutely no chance.
But . . . if only . . . if we would only stop and ask ourselves if the compassion of our Savior lives in us; really lives—oh, my!
SUNDAY
The difficult truth for Christians is that, in the face of great evil, we must keep our Spirit-led composure. We must never stoop to the level of the oppressor. But what does it mean to “heap burning coals” on an enemy’s head (Rom. 12:20, NIV)? Are we to do good in order to hurt our enemies? Can our motives for well doing be to ultimately destroy our enemies? Well, no!
The Bible is remarkably consistent from beginning to end. When it comes to social justice, Christians are expected to be the first to stand in the way of injustice. We must always fight for the good of the oppressed. But we are called to do so in a way that is honorable and redemptive even to the oppressor. May our conduct be so filled with the character of Christ that those who are in the wrong willingly bear the heated coals of repentance on their heads.
