Dear Christian friends:

We are responsible people. Every person is responsible. Some people say, "I don't want any responsibility." Really, man cannot shrug off his responsibility. School teachers are responsible for teaching and training children. In Seattle, Washington a family sued the school district because they said their son was permitted to graduate even though he could not read. Businesses and manufacturers are responsible for their products. A family recently sued the Ford Motor Company be- cause their son was killed while riding in a Ford Pinto. The gas tank exploded in a rear-end collision. The parents argued that the gas tank was located in a dangerous place and poorly designed. They won several million dollars. Parents are responsible for raising their children to grow up and become good citizens.

We are responsible persons. Responsible to one another and also responsible to God. In our text, Jesus tells about the final judgment. Jesus shows very clearly that we are responsible to God for what we do and for what we fail to do. We need Jesus to remind us about this. Why? We often try to avoid our responsibility or make beautiful excuses for our failures. So let us attend to our text and be reminded that we are"

Man's nature is that-he-avoid responsibility or tell a lie or make excuses for his failures and sins. That is man's way, his nature. In our text, Jesus tells the people on His left side, “Away from Me, you who are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! Because I was hungry and you would not feed Me, thirsty and you would not give Me drink; I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me into your homes etc." When Jesus said this to them, they tried to excuse themselves. But Jesus does not accept their excuses.

After Adam and Eve picked from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden, when God came to visit them, Adam tried to excuse himself. He blamed Eve and He even blamed God. He said to God, "The woman You gave to me tempted me and I did eat." Eve also tried to excuse herself. She blamed Satan. But nevertheless God punished them. He forced them out of the beautiful Garden: They later died as he had warned them before.

We are responsible to God. We cannot avoid that responsibility and we cannot lie to God or make beautiful excuses to Him on the Judgment Day.

Well, what can we do? How can we escape God's punishment? We know that we are sinners. We know that we have refused to feed the hungry and welcome the strangers. True, we perhaps feed the hungry and welcome the strangers, but we do not do it with love and with a willing heart and spirit. We didn't want to welcome the Koreans to share our church here. Many of us are still upset and angry. We feel forced.

What can we do? How can we escape these terrible words:"Away from Me, you who are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and His angels!" How can we escape God's righteous anger and terrible punishment?

There is only one way! Accept responsibility for our sins and failures. Stop avoiding responsibility. Stop telling lies to ourselves and to others and to God. Be honest and confess our sins and change our evil ways. Accept Jesus Christ for our Savior.

Here we see Jesus as the Judge of all people on the Last Day. But we must remember that Jesus is also our Savior. Jesus is both our Savior and our Judge. If we now are sorry about our sins and confess them and believe that Jesus died for our sins, we will not be condemned when He comes to judge all nations on the Last Day. By faith in Jesus we become the sheep on His right side. to the sheep, the believers, Jesus will say, "You are blessed of My Father: Come! Come, and receive the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. Because I was hungry and you fed Me, thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed Me into your homes etc." Then we will be surprised to hear Jesus say that to us. Why? Because we know that we are sinners. We know that we have not really done that. But Jesus nevertheless. says that we have done it. Although we are not, our- selves righteous, perfect, Jesus says that we are. Why can Jesus say that? He gives us His righteousness. The holy, innocent Jesus God has made sinner for us, that we might become the righteousness of God through faith in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Martin Luther prayed to God, "I am Your sin and You are my righteousness." St. Paul asks, "Who, then, will condemn_us? Will Christ? No! He is the One who died for us!" (Romans 8:33-34)

Jesus who is our Judge, is also our Savior. Let us believe in Him and we will not fear His coming again on the Last Day. We will rejoice and eagerly wait for His coming. And while we are waiting, let us with His love and new life power feed the hungry visit the sick and welcome the strangers. Let us welcome the Young Kwang Church and willingly share our church facilities with them. They are strangers in our neighborhood and they need a worship house. When we welcome the Korean strangers, we are really welcoming Jesus. Jesus says here in our text, "I tell you the truth, Because you did it to one of the least of these, My brothers, you did it to Me." (v. 40)

We prove our faith to Jesus and to all men when we show mercy to the poor and needy and share our money and homes with them. Let us remember to do this.

May God's love and mercy in Christ Jesus lead us to do this more and more. Then we are truly responsible to God.

Amen