Lent Day 36 [4.15.2025] / Relentless Compassion

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46 / 마태복음 25:31-46

Proverbs 28:27 - Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

Overview:

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He would come in direct conflict with religious leaders and their interpretation of the scriptures. The resounding message He had for such holy-appearing folk appears in John 8:37-59, rebuking them for their misbelief that their bloodline and heritage would ultimately save them. His heart and desire is that they too would be saved by believing in Him. We predominately think that Jesus spent His time with the outcasts, downtrodden, and sick; however, a more accurate understanding of Jesus’ ministry could be understood when we follow His stream of kindness. Jesus’ kindness was the signal and gateway of His miracles for those who would approach Him with desperation and reverence. In other words, wherever we see Jesus’ compassion received, we experience the miracles that follow.

Our scripture today presents a characteristic that Jesus values highly in every believer: kindness. The parable of the sheep and goats portrays a king who separated the sheep from the goats. He put the sheep to his right and the goats to his left. To the sheep, the King welcomed them into the kingdom based on their kindness but to the goats, the King banished them for their unconcern. When both the sheep and the goats asked the King when they were kind to him, the King replied, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

The King’s Heart:

The King did not base His judgement on how kind each was to Him, but rather to those He loved dearly. Therefore, our greatest function is to live out the compassion of Jesus Christ in this world relentlessly as He did during His ministry. We are to actively seek, provide, and help those around us who are in need physically and spiritually. Yet, no matter how much we pay respect to God, all of this would be considered lip-service without the condition of living out the command of the King. We know for certain that salvation is by faith alone. Nobody can be saved based on self-merit or good works; however, we also know that faith without works is dead according to James 2:14-22. This means that those who have truly received salvation have also received in their hearts Jesus Christ; and in receiving Jesus Christ, our very identity and motivation becomes living out His active compassion for the world.

The True Believer:

Importantly, Jesus is teaching us His measure of discernment between true and lukewarm Christians. Remember, lukewarm Christians are in fact not Christians at all, but are those who simply claim they are Christians but are dead in their spirit. Revelation 3:16 tells us that God can know if we are cold, hot, or lukewarm based on our deeds. To those who are lukewarm and good for nothing, God spits them out of His mouth in distaste. What are these deeds that He is referring to? Feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the weary, looking after the sick, and visiting those imprisoned. Truly if we are believers of Jesus Christ, then His purposes become our purposes and His passions become our passions. The true believer would live out the relentless compassion of his or her savior not only out of the joy of being saved, but also in the desire to honor and proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to the world. We do such things because we are saved, not to get ourselves saved; therefore, how can we tell between a true Christian and a fake one? By the presence of true kindness within a life that is surrendered to Jesus Christ.

Reflection:

There is a famous example that is always used to explain the sentiment behind this parable. If a homeless man were to walk in through church doors, how many churches in the world would receive him with open arms, something to eat, and clothes to wear? Little do we know, this homeless man is actually Jesus according to our parable today. Jesus teaches us that the kindness He identifies with is unconditional, unrelenting, unprejudiced, and unlimited and it is through kindness we can experience the miracles of God at work in us, our community, and in this world. The believer’s kindness is the very mark of salvation that brings the light and hope of Jesus Christ into the world.

Prayer:

1. God, thank you for teaching me the importance of the believer’s kindness.

2. Jesus, help me to be unconditional and unprejudiced in my kindness to all those around me.

3. Holy Spirit, give me the strength to care and sacrifice for those you love.

   
   

개요:

예수님의 사역 전반에 걸쳐, 예수님은 종종 종교 지도자들과 그들의 성경 해석에 대해 직접적으로 충돌하셨습니다. 요한복음 8장 37절에서 59절 말씀을 통해 알 수 있듯, 예수님은 혈통과 유산이 구원을 보장해줄 것이라고 믿는 그들의 잘못된 믿음을 꾸짖으셨습니다. 예수님의 마음과 바람은 그들 역시 예수님을 믿음으로써 구원받는 것이었습니다.

우리는 예수님이 주로 버림받은 자들, 낙심한 자들, 병든 자들과 함께 하셨다고 생각하지만, 예수님의 사역을 좀 더 정확히 이해하려면 예수님의 친절함이 어디로 향했는지를 따라가야 합니다. 예수님의 친절은 그분의 기적의 신호이자 문이 되었으며, 절박함과 경외심으로 예수님께 나아간 자들에게 기적이 나타났습니다. 다시 말해, 예수님의 긍휼이 받아들여지는 곳에는 그에 따른 기적이 있었습니다.

왕의 마음:

오늘의 성경 말씀은 예수님께서 모든 믿는자에게 매우 중요하게 여기시는 성품인 ‘친절’을 보여줍니다. 양과 염소의 비유에서 왕은 양과 염소를 나누어, 양은 오른쪽에 염소는 왼쪽에 두었습니다. 왕은 양들에게 그들이 보여준 친절함을 근거로 그들을 하나님 나라로 맞아들였지만, 염소들에게는 무관심함 때문에 그들을 멀리하였습니다. 양과 염소 모두 언제 왕에게 친절을 베풀었는지 물었을 때, 왕은 이렇게 대답하였습니다:“내 형제 중에 지극히 작은 자 하나에게 한 것이 곧 내게 한 것이니라.”

왕의 판단 기준은 자신에게 얼마나 친절했는지가 아니라, 자신이 사랑하는 자들에게 얼마나 친절했는가에 있었습니다. 그러므로 우리가 이 세상에서 해야 할 가장 큰 사명은 예수 그리스도의 긍휼을 끊임없이 살아내는 것입니다. 우리는 육적으로나 영적으로 도움이 필요한 자들을 적극적으로 찾고, 돌보고, 돕는 삶을 살아야 합니다.

하지만 아무리 하나님께 존경을 표하더라도, 그것이 실제로 친절을 실천하지 않는다면 모두 헛된 말에 불과합니다. 우리는 구원이 오직 믿음으로 말미암는다는 것을 분명히 알고 있습니다. 누구도 자신의 노력이나 선행으로는 구원받을 수 없습니다. 하지만 야고보서 2장 14절에서 22절에 따르면, 행함이 없는 믿음은 죽은 믿음이라고 말하고 있습니다. 참된 구원을 받은 자는 예수 그리스도를 마음에 영접한 자이며, 예수님을 영접한 자는 그분의 긍휼과 사랑을 살아내는 삶으로 변하게 됩니다.

참된 신자:

예수님은 참된 믿는자와 형식적인 믿는자를 구별하는 기준을 가르쳐주고 계십니다. 미지근한 그리스도인은 사실상 구원 받은자가 아닙니다. 그들은 자신이 구원을 받았다고 주장하지만, 그 영은 죽어 있습니다. 요한계시록 3장 16절은 하나님께서 우리의 행실을 통해 차가운지, 뜨거운지, 혹은 미지근한지를 분별하신다고 말씀합니다. 미지근하고 쓸모없는 자는 하나님께서 입에서 뱉으신다고 하셨습니다.

그렇다면 하나님께서 말씀하신 ‘행실’이란 무엇일까요? 배고픈 자에게 먹을 것을 주고, 낯선 자를 환대하고, 헐벗은 자를 입히고, 병든 자를 돌보며, 갇힌 자를 찾아가는 것들입니다. 예수님을 믿는 자라면, 그분의 목적이 우리의 목적이 되며, 그분의 열정이 우리의 열정이 됩니다. 참된 신자는 단지 구원받은 기쁨으로만이 아니라, 예수 그리스도의 사랑을 세상에 전하고자 하는 소망으로, 그분의 긍휼을 끊임없이 실천하게 됩니다. 우리는 구원받기 위해 이런 일을 하는 것이 아니라, 이미 구원받았기 때문에 실천하는 것입니다.

그렇다면 참된 그리스도인와 거짓된 그리스도인을 어떻게 구별할 수 있을까요? 바로, 삶 속에 진정한 친절함이 있느냐는 것입니다. 이 친절함은 예수 그리스도께 순복된 삶에서 자연스럽게 나오는 열매입니다.

묵상:

이 비유를 설명할 때 자주 인용되는 예화가 하나 있습니다. 만약 한 노숙자가 교회에 들어온다면, 과연 전 세계 교회들 중 몇 곳이 그를 따뜻하게 맞이하고, 먹을 것을 주고, 옷을 입혀줄까요? 우리가 알지 못하는 사이, 이 노숙자가 바로 오늘 비유 속의 예수님일 수 있습니다. 예수님께서 가르쳐주시는 친절함은 조건 없는, 끊임없는, 편견 없는, 무한한 친절입니다. 이 친절을 통해 우리는 하나님의 기적이 우리 삶과 공동체, 그리고 이 세상에 나타나는 것을 경험할 수 있습니다.

믿는자의 친절은 곧 구원의 증거이며, 예수 그리스도의 빛과 소망을 이 세상에 가져오는 표시입니다.

기도:

1. 하나님, 믿는자의 친절함의 중요성을 가르쳐주셔서 감사합니다.

2. 예수님, 제 주변의 모든 사람들에게 조건 없이, 편견 없이 친절을 베풀 수 있도록 도와주세요.

3. 성령님, 당신이 사랑하시는 이들을 돌보고 헌신할 수 있는 힘을 제게 주세요.