Pro-Life for All of Life: The Gospel & Human Dignity
Matthew 25:31-40
Main Idea: The gospel compels us to uphold the sanctity of all human life, because Jesus stands with the vulnerable & powerless.
I. Who are the Least of These?
The “least of these” are the human beings who are deemed insignificant, invisible, or unimportant by a society. Jesus emphasizes that they are in need of the basics for human existence: food, water, clothing, shelter, and companionship.
“I believe that’s what a fetus is: a human life. And that doesn’t make me one iota less solidly pro-choice… Here’s the complicated reality in which we live. All life is not equal… a fetus can be a human life without having the same rights as the woman in whose body it resides. She’s the boss. Her life and what is right for her circumstances and her health should automatically trump the rights of the non-autonomous entity inside of her. Always.” ~ Mary Elizabeth Williams (pro-abortion commentator)
If the church is going to have conviction & compassion here, we ought to humbly consider in our own lives who it is that we are prone to devalue & ignore. Who would we rather not think about? How have we tacitly contributed to a society where “all life is not equal?”
II. The Church & the Least of These
Jesus says that the church has a responsibility to the least of these, because we have a responsibility to him. We can step into this courageously and faithfully for 2 reasons:
1. We know the truth about human dignity & sanctity.
We know from God’s Word that every single human being – regardless of age, size, shape, color, abilities, or cognitive faculties – is created by God, bears the very image of God, and therefore has inherent worth, value, and dignity.
“The whole concept of the image of God, is the idea that all men have something within them that God injected. . . . And this gives [mankind] a uniqueness, it gives him worth, it gives him dignity. And we must never forget this . . . there are no gradations in the image of God.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
2. We know the real enemy
Ephesians 6:11:12: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Throughout Biblical & human history, Under the orchestration of an ancient enemy, when human beings grasp for unhealthy power, the vulnerable get hurt (especially children), and a culture of death reigns.
“There is no one more pro-choice than the Devil on the way into the abortion clinic, and there is no one more pro-life than the Devil on the way out of the abortion clinic. Deceit and accusation are the most powerful tools in his arsenal against us. But those in Christ have something more: we have forgiveness, redemption, and the promise of Christ’s perfect righteousness.” ~ Russell Moore
If you are carrying the shame & guilt over having a hand in an abortion, there is hope in Christ Jesus:
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 4:16: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
III. Jesus & the Least of These
The surprising part of this passage and what baffles both the sheep & the goats is the fact that Jesus identifies with the least of these. The King of all Kings came & identified with the powerless, the weak, & the vulnerable.
“It should not surprise us that the spirit of every age seeks to define human worth in terms of power and usefulness, while the gospel of the kingdom defines human dignity in strikingly different terms, as Christ himself identifies himself not with the powerful but with the vulnerable. A fallen universe seeks to wipe out vulnerable human life precisely because such life bears the unmistakable imprint of the one who overcomes not by might nor by power but by his blood.” ~ Russell Moore
If we want to follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross & follow him. Following Jesus often takes us to an uncomfortable, vulnerable place - but this is precisely where Jesus is. The church is to care for the least of these because we see Jesus there and we see ourselves there.
