ostrasize him. Few offer to help in a time of real need. They, too, like the flock with the sick sheep, butt, batter, and trample the one that is down. Come to think of it, instead of the ministry’s catching this attitude from the membership, maybe the membership caught it from the pulpit! At any rate, both groups may know that the Bible says, “Bear ye one another’s burdens,” and “If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual re store him” (Gal. 6:1-2); and the song which says, “lift up the fallen,” but to them, fa r too often, they are only words for quoting or singing and are never taken seriously as a philosophy of life or guide to service. It was this attitude that caused the Psalmist to say, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me, no man cared for my soul” (Psa. 142:4). It was the same attitude the impotent man encoun tered when he said, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool” (John 5 :7 ). Evidently he thought, “If I can but get to the house of mercy, I know those who have been healed will have concern and help me when they see my need.” But alas, it was with him as with the flock toward the sick sheep; no one cared. It is this same attitude that will cause professed sheep to be grouped with the goats at the judgment of the nations when He says to those on His left, “Inas much as ye have not done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have not done it unto me” (Matt. 25:45). I t will be a sad awakening for many who have had the attitude of the flock toward the sick sheep when they stand before the Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus, and say, “Lord, we have preached, we have taught Sunday school class, we have taken active leadership in Men’s or Women’s work, we have served on committees, have planned budgets and building programs, have attended meetings and conventions, and have been loyal to the de nominational program, and in thy name have done many things,” but when the Lord sees they had no compassion for the lost, and did not try to help the stumbling, or to lift up the fallen, He will say, “Depart from me” (Matt. 7:22-23 liberalized). They will depart with bloody hands, for even though the righteous man may die because of his unrighteousness, his blood will be required at the hands of those who did not offer help (Ezek. 4 :20), and this will be another reason why there will be “weeping and wailing” and why God will leave to “wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Rev. 21:4 ). “Seeing then that all these things shall be . . . what manner of persons ought we to be?” (II Peter 3:11). ■
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Rev. J. W. Lasater is pastor of the F irst Baptist Church, Bellevue, Texas.
MARCH, 1970
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