Lesson 16 – Blessed with the Father’s Inheritance

Matthew 25:34-36 (NIV)
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

The church is made up of those who are blessed by the Father with an inheritance, the right to belong to the kingdom of God. So real is our adoption and citizenship into this kingdom, God gives us the rights of sonship, making us joint-heirs with Jesus.

In this passage, Jesus explains that the Father will one day separate those of the kingdom from those who are not, moving some to his right side and some to his left. And how will God make this separation? He will look at our works. Those who do the Lord's work are identified as of the kingdom, and those who do not are declared to be outside.

Of course, no believer is at work to somehow merit God's love, but we work for Jesus Christ because we are grateful for the cross and desire to give God glory in our lives. Still, it is this work which identifies the church as worthy of the Father's inheritance.

I'm always stunned by the simple tasks which identify those of the kingdom. God didn't say that our work was some monumental task, like personally convicting the world of sin, or traveling the world as a missionary, or the building a large congregation. He doesn't even point to work within the church, tough we know these tasks are important.

Instead, Jesus teaches that the Lord's work comes in caring for the least of those in this world. These are those who are hungry, thirst, friendless, poor, ill and imprisoned. These are those for whom our Lord yearns to give his love, so these are those to whom we go in the name of the Father.

In his life, Jesus identifies with these people with his very existence. He lived with many of them, sought them out as he traveled, and healed their diseases. Whereas the church ignored them, Jesus went to them. Likewise, Jesus taught that when care for these people, we are caring for him.

Surely this is impetus for the church of every age--to be socially active in our world, going to those in need and bringing the love of Christ is real and tangible ways.