This is further illustrated in Matthew 25:31-46: (The Sheep and the Goats), it states that if you are caring and giving to your fellow neighbours then you will have a place in heaven. However, if you are selfish you will go to hell. Jesus states that if you help someone in need then you are actually helping Jesus. The goats represented bad behaved Christians and the sheep are the people in need. The goats did not help those in need.
Moreover, when attending Church, the mass challenges us in the parting words, “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord”. We love and serve God by loving and helping others. Through the mass we meet Christ, and in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats we are challenged to meet Christ in everyone, especially the poor. By helping the poor we are doing as Jesus did and so help ourselves by becoming more like him. The mass invites us to be more child-like.
Christians should face their responsibility for others as well as for themselves; these people are known as stewards, as they share what is given to them with others. This is reflected in Jesus’ saying that using wealth wisely means using it to show compassion. In today’s society the need to help those who are less fortunate than us is shown in the Vatican Council II stating that Christians should be closely involved with poor people’s struggle for justice. For example, by maintaining and supporting charities and organisations that helps the poor.
It is also shown in the New Testament that Jesus loves the poor and has a real compassion for them. He condemns those who do nothing for the poor and praises those who help them as he feels that if one should suffer so should all. This is illustrated in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body”. This shows that if one part of the church suffers, the whole church suffers. This point is also argued by Edmund Cox a Catholic teacher “Religion is the vision or set of ideals to which a man binds himself, and therefore, is ultimately a formative part of his lifestyle”.
In today’s society Christian leaders are associated with the poor. Examples of Christian leaders are Desmond Tutu and Mother Teresa who continually support and encourage society to help those in need.
The examples of the teachings and practices of the people above do inspire some Christians today to help the poor and people who are less fortunate. We all have the ability to help others, even in the smallest of ways. The use of the media, the work of charities/organisations and the work of average every day individuals is enough motivation to do something about the problems the world faces on a daily basis through the use of hearing about stories in Church and the media. As Christians we should act and give help even if at times we would not normally do so.
