One of the central teachings of Jesus, seemingly ignored by todays American Christian establishment can be found in Matthew. It is quite clear and unambiguous. No doubt can be cast on its central message or the teaching implied. It is about the judgment Jesus the Christ will visit upon the nations of earth and its people. The judgment is based not on many of the issues American Christians busy themselves with, but is based instead on political issues they find themselves on the seemingly wrong side of at this time. The passage is as follows:
[31]"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. [32] All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33] He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. [34] “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. [35] 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, [36] 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.’ [37] “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? [38] When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? [39] When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ [40] “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ [41] “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [42] For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, [43] I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ [44] “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ [45] “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ [46] “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
— Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV)
The central theme is the caring of one another. Not just fellow countrymen but the 'stranger', or immigrant. Rather than the xenophobia of closed borders Jesus says those who will be judged worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven 'took them in'.
Notice that judgment falls not on acceptance of gays or transgendered people. Not on who was the most successful in markets and capital. Not on who closed their business to 'undesirable' clientèle. Not on who pushed for prayer in schools. It is quite clear, judgment falls on those who took in the weak and needy and provided for them and those who did not. Judgment falls on those who took care of the sick and the well treatment of prisoners and those who took no care of the ill or imprisoned. Not a word about abortion, about paying your fair share, about those who stood alone as rugged individuals.
Rather the judgment is upon those who treated their fellow men and women as brothers and sisters versus those who treated them without love and care. Regarding the pursuit of wealth, the goals of Capitalism, Jesus had something rather pointed to say.
[23] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. [24] Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
— Matthew 19:23-24 (NIV)
This is not an isolated message from Jesus, for he says again:
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
— Mark 10:23 (NIV)
Accumulating great wealth requires hoarding resources and money. Resources and money that could go toward caring for the needy and destitute. It requires paying laborers far below fair wages. It requires ignoring the hungry, the thirsty, the needy, the ill. It requires considering your fellow men and women not as ends unto themselves but as means to an end - the acquisition of wealth. Jesus could not be more clear in his warnings against this.
Modern Christians often bemoan how we have fallen away from the teachings of Jesus, how our Nation has turned away from God. Based on Jesus's own words they are right - but not in the way they often claim. Rather it is in our worship of money and pursuit of wealth that we have fallen away. In our tearing up social and financial safety nets for those who struggle. In our monetizing and restriction of healthcare to those who are fortunate enough to be able to afford private coverage while we let those who are poor and destitute suffer or die and go into debt and bankruptcy.
It is not the many social issues Christians rally behind and push that Jesus will perform his separation of nations into those who are judged worthy and those who are not. It is in how we care for the downtrodden and poor, how we parcel out healthcare and how we treat our prisoners.
Does your church have a prison ministry? Do you regularly visit the imprisoned to give them comfort and contact with the outside world? Do you help to care for their families with food and drink, care for their ill, shelter for those with none?
Have you really listened to what Jesus judges as worthy behavior by our nation? By our people? By Christians?