TMNT Life in the Sewer - Pt 4

To finish the series we looked at Michelangelo. The orange one is also the most fun of the bunch. He does not take life too seriously and always loves a good joke. He has a tendency to not think through the consequences of his actions which cause him to miss something important.

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was an incredible artist both as sculptor AND painter. He is considered to be one of the best EVER. His marble statues, like the Pieta and David, are unmatched in their perfection. He took a single stone and chiseled "until he set the statue free." He was very modest about his painting and felt inadequate to be selected for such a task as decorating the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (133'x46'). But he knocked it out in a short four years. Then later in his life he tackled the altar wall (40'x44'). These masterpieces have changed the course of art history and set the bar for other artists to follow.

In Matt 25:31-46 Jesus tells about the last (or final) judgment, which happens to be the name of Michelangelo's painting of the Altar wall. Jesus says very clearly that a distinction and separation will be made followed by either an eternal reward or punishment. The painting eloquently portrays this in a simple way. Jesus, with his mother, is in the middle, and angels are pulling people up into heaven on his right and taking/pushing people to hell on his left.

This is a scary question to ask sometimes - Which side would I be on? We often freak ourselves out and it causes us to "get saved" over and over again. While it is very serious the only requirement, according to scripture, is to believe, to have faith (John 3:16, Eph 2:8). God's grace is a gift we cannot earn. So if we have accepted, believed, and confessed, then WE ARE SAVED, and we should not worry. We understand that it is not about what we DO that gets us into heaven.

But Scripture also makes it clear that there must be more than simple belief. Once we believe there must be action. James 2:17 teaches that faith WITHOUT works is dead. Matt 7:24-27 quotes Jesus teaching that whoever hears his word and DOES NOT PUT IT INTO PRACTICE will be destroyed. And Prov 14:31 reveals that oppressing those in need shows contempt for their maker. So while our salvation does not depend upon our works, it appears that our works depend upon our salvation. And having NO works speaks of one's faith or lack thereof.

Jesus reveals the qualifier in his goats vs sheep message. He says, in response to the people asking why they are on that particular side, the things you did for one of the least of these you were actually doing them to him.

So are you on the Right of the Left? Are you missing something in this equation?

Who is ONE of the least of these in your life? What can you do for them - something that will give life?

Maybe today you just need to be reminded of the truth Michelangelo taught in speaking of his sculpting. "Every stone has a statue in it...just waiting to be set free."

What inside does God want to set free?

As life takes you in the sewer...stay on the RIGHT,  give LIFE to others, and let God set you FREE!