What is the difference between a sheep and a goat? Many would say that is easy, all you have to do is look at them. What if you had never seen a picture of a sheep or a goat? Could you tell the difference by the way they sound? Most people could not, especially if they had never heard either before. One would probably have to describe the things they do. You may talk about the way a goat plays, climbs, and goes from one thing to another and do the things they want to do when they want to do it. They may talk about how the sheep follows its master around because it knows who takes care of it.
This is the idea behind Matthew 25:35-45. Jesus describe his true followers as the sheep. Those who know his voice and he tells us what they do. He does not tell us how they sound because sadly many people who sound like followers of Jesus do not do what Jesus says. They may warm a pew, say all the right things, and even dress the part. It isn’t until you look at the things they do that you can tell who is really a disciple of Jesus and who is not. He describes the things the followers do in Matthew 25:35-40.
“35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (ESV)
Those who are not the followers, the goats, do not do this they talk about all of the things they do and think they have done good work but Jesus says “depart from me…”(41).
I want to be a follower, a sheep, a Disciple who knows the voice of my Lord and Savior doing what he has called all those who follow him to do. This is what our ministry is about.