Matthew 25:31-46

When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’

Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.

INHALE

Help us reclaim the ethics of Jesus

EXHALE

And live a cross-shaped life

The Jesus Way

Munther Isaac

Questions

  • Through a rigorous rejection of the theologies of empire, Rev Dr Munther Isaac, Director of Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice, impels all Christians to resist Christian Zionism and reclaim the Jesus way.

    To deny the genocide is not only an assault on truth, it is an assault on Palestinian humanity, enabled by the evangelical church in the USA, which has, for years, provided theology for the Zionist narrative. Palestine is a place of revelation, exposing the bankruptcy of theologies that serve power and domination, and revealing the presence of God in the midst of pain and suffering. It reveals a Christ who is in the rubble. A Christ who is in solidarity with the marginalized and the oppressed. The very same Christ who is revealed in Scripture, who lived among us.

    Christian Zionism is the antithesis of the God revealed in Jesus Christ. It portrays God as violent, exclusionary, and favoring one ethno-religious group, thereby replacing Jesus with a secular genocidal state. There is no Jesus in entitlement and exceptionalism. It is not Christ-like. For it is through Jesus that all nations will be blessed – not one nation-state – but all people. Christian Zionism places Israel at the centre of the biblical narrative and replaces Jesus with Israel in its theology.

    Munther calls on Christians to recover the way of Jesus in our theology and in our ethics. Where the way of empire declares, “God is on our side”, the way of Jesus reveals God is for humanity in its pain and anguish. The way of Jesus is the way of the cross. It is the way of love towards neighbors. True discipleship means service, humility and mission towards others.

    The eschatology of Jesus declares we will be judged by how we treat the least of these: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the prisoner. (Matthew 25:31-46). On the cross, Jesus revealed an alternative to empire: a life of sacrificial love. The cross is both our salvation before God and our pattern for life here and now. Jesus calls us to live a cross-shaped life of love, justice and mercy in the world.

1. What challenged you in this message? What resonated?

2. Do you think the church can walk both the way of empire and the way of Jesus?

3. What might a church that practices a Jesus-centred discipleship look like in your particular context?

4. In what ways does your own life reflect a Jesus hermeneutic of discipleship?

5. As we approach Good Friday, what would it look like for you to pick up the cross and enact costly solidarity with Palestinians and peoples oppressed by violent settler-colonial governments in your own context?

In Partnership with

In partnering with Red Candle Light for Palestine, this week’s action will be a little different.

On Easter, light a red candle.

  • Share a photo or video and tag @redcandlepalestine as a symbol of solidarity with Palestinian Christians—bearing witness to resurrection and the promise that even now, all things can be made new.

  • Ask your pastor to light a red candle at your church's Easter service.

A note from the team at Red Candle:

On Easter Sunday, we’ll be inviting people to light red candles as a symbol of light in darkness, resurrection, and hope for all things made new.

We envision this practice continuing through Bright Week, with participants sharing photos and videos across social media.

Then, on Orthodox Holy Saturday the following week, we’re working to organize a red candle lighting at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This will serve as a culminating moment, centering Palestinian tradition.

God of the cross-shaped love,

We repent of the ways in which we have participated in the service of power and domination, dehumanising your beloveds and perpetuating their pain.

Give us the courage to live lives of sacrificial love, the strength to pick up the cross and follow you, and the readiness to serve through love, justice and mercy.

Amen

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