Sir Sheep or Impostor Goat?

Jesus said that as King, He will separate the sheep from the goats. Only His sheep will have eternal life. So we cannot be sheepish about being sheep.

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Which are you?

Imagine you stand before Jesus in all His glory. He is seated on His throne as King of everything and everyone. You know that no one ever shielded the weak, served the sick, or befriended the neglected and forlorn like this King did. You know that He was a knight, and that He commissioned you to be a knight too. You remember He said that, in the end, He would know whether you truly loved and followed Him by looking at how you loved and served, shielded and befriended, the least of your brothers and sisters.

Friends, he will know: Did you feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, or hoard God’s gifts for yourself? Did you take in the stranger, or stick to your clique? Did you clothe the naked, or undress people with your eyes? Did you care for the sick, or let brothers and sisters suffer alone? Did you visit the prisoners, or keep God’s grace to yourself? Jesus says that those chivalrous “sheep” who served the least of the world served Him. Those impostor “goats” who did not serve the least of the world did not serve Him, even if they called Him Lord. “Whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did to Me.”

Salt and Light Means You’re a Knight

Jesus told us, “You are the salt of the earth.” He said, “You are the light of the world.” Brothers and sisters, we’ve been commissioned as knights.

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“I dub you Sir Christian”

Imagine you’ve been following Jesus of Nazareth from place to place to hear Him teach, and you want to know, what does He expect of you? What thrilling words of commission will this thrilling man of peace give you to treasure in your heart? One day, on a hill near the Sea of Galilee, you and many other Jesus followers gather to learn from Him at length. At one point in this “sermon on the mount,” Jesus looks directly at you, fixes His gaze with yours, and says, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Let your light shine.”

Friends, when you and I follow Jesus, He calls us to His quest. He calls us to go about doing good, just as “He went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). Man or woman, young or old, He calls us to be His knights. He expects us to be the salt of the earth, seasoning life and preserving it from decay. He expects us to be the light of the world, shining with reflected light to be sure, but still shining into the darkness. He warned us never to lose our savor and charged us to radiate His love, so that people might see chivalrous deeds and praise God.