February 3 - Matthew 25: Technicalities or Obedience?

While looking through some commentaries on these last parables of Jesus and especially the sheep and goats verses, I realized that there has been much thought and effort put into parsing the text to determine who's really a sheep and who's a goat;  who are the poor and are the poor also expected to fulfill Jesus' commands here by feeding and clothing others; did Jesus really mean eternal damnation for those who overlooked the poor; and what actually counts as feeding, clothing, housing, and visiting?  These pharisaical concerns are a reflection of our hearts' desires to know the letter of the law, to check a box so that we can feel fulfilled and secure in Christ.  Is that what Christ most wanted His disciples to be thinking about as He entered His last days with them?

In Matthew 25:35-36, Jesus was taking His disciples back to the prophecies of Isaiah, where the true meaning of worship was defined by what it is and what it isn't.

Tell my people what's wrong with their lives... They're busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me.  To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people - law-abiding, God-honoring.  They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?' and love having me on their side.  But they also complain, 'Why do we fast and you don't look our way?  Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?'

Well, here's why:  The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit... You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.  You fast, but you swing a mean fist.  The kind of fasting you do won't get your prayers off the ground.  Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after:  a day to show off humility?

...What I'm interested in seeing you do is:  sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.  Do this and the light will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once.  Your righteousness will pave your way.  The God of glory will secure your passage.  Then when you pray, God will answer.  You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'  (Isaiah 58:1-9, Msg)

Paul later expands on this call to worship God and to fulfill the greatest commandments,

Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians.  It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God.  This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ.  You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone.  (2 Corinthians 9:12-14, Msg)

No technicalities. No need to define who are the poor, the hungry, the prisoners.  Jesus' last parable seems to be one more call to love Him by obeying Him and obeying Him by loving others.  He defines that as true gratitude, true worship, true love of the One who has given us the ability to love in the first place.