Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats drives home a
critical point. Namely, that faith is what really makes a person holy. Your work
is for the service of your neighbor.
Faith alone saves. But faith that saves is never
alone. Works are necessary. But never arbitrary. Faith is what makes you holy. Works
are always done in the interests of the neighbor.
Faith is the hand that reaches up to Christ. Works is
the hand that reaches out to help and serve the neighbor in love. You come to a
worship service. Then, in service, you support your neighbor.
The difference between the goats and the sheep is not
that the sheep were nice and friendly, while the goats were mean and insular.
The dividing line is not based on the good work and charity and giving money to
foreign missions of the sheep. Or the lack of civic love and welfare on the
part of the goats. NO!
What divides them is Faith. And more precisely. It is
CHRIST for you, in you, and with you, that sets you on His Right Hand. Jesus
said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John
10:27 Those who have received Jesus are lambs and sheep. Those who reject Him
are goats.
Both sheep and goats forget to realize that it was the
Lord. The goats failed to recognize Jesus, while the lambs didn't remember
serving Jesus either. How so? The lambs did not look to their own works. They
looked to the finished work of Christ their Good Shepherd. They looked only to their
Shepherd who alone produces works that are accounted as good.
The sheep hear the shepherd’s voice and they follow
Him. They are sheep of His fold. Lambs of His flock. Sinners of His own
redeeming. The sheep follow their Shepherd wherever He makes them lie down in
green pastures and leads them besides still waters. (Psalm 23)
In his Introduction to the book Romans, Luther stated
that saving faith is, “a living, creative, active, and powerful thing. Faith
cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works
ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and
continues to do them without ceasing. Thus, it is just as impossible to
separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire!” - "Luther,
An Introduction to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans".
This month of October another harvest will begin.
There is also a harvest of souls. Christ has won for you full salvation. All
you receive is a gift. No strings attached. You are now free to love and serve
your neighbor. Every. Single. Day. You are compelled to do so. You can do no
other.
There is nothing sectarian about Jesus. He does not
intend to be limited. He is for the entire world. He died for all humankind. He
commissions His disciples to preach the gospel to all nations. He is a
universal Savior. He envisions the universe to be one flock under one shepherd.
Because Jesus has “other sheep” the church needs its program of
evangelism and missions to gather the other sheep into His fold, the church.
Lord God, our shepherd, You gather
the lambs of Your flock into the arms of Your mercy and bring them home.
Comfort us with the certain hope of the resurrection to everlasting life and a
joyful reunion with those we love who have died in the faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Collect for Easter 4, Lutheran Service Book
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