This week we are asked to meditate on a pivotal passage:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
We have all been through these moments. Will I be chosen? Did I do well enough? Am I prepared? Year end reviews. Layoffs. The Varsity team. College acceptance. Marriage proposal. Final exams.
But wait. There is something different about this selection. Look again, what makes the sheep different from the goat?
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father”
It is not about what I have earned or contributed. It is about God’s blessing. When did this occur?
“prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
This choice was made in eternity past.
“inherit the kingdom”
The choice was made in eternity past that our Lord Jesus Christ would die for me!
In fact, all the Beatitudes are written in this past tense.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Does this mean I don’t have to do anything? No! It just means that what you do, is because of what God did.
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