First - I do not think it is an incorrect interpretation of Matthew 25:31-46. I think, rather, that it is an incorrect interpretation of Mother Theresa's words.
Matthew 25:31-46. (The Sheep and the Goats."
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory." = Verse 31. Certainly SOUNDS like Christ to me.
"All nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." = v 32.
"He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left." vs 33.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." = vs 34. Again, obviously Christ speaking of Christ.
"For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in," = vs 35.
"I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." = vs 36.
"Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?" = vs 37. (Sounds like the attitude many of you have on this thread.)
"When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?" = vs 38. (Again, sounds like some of you people.)
"When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?" (And there you go again.) = vs 39.
The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." = vs 40.
So, what Mother Theresa is saying, is that whatever you do for the poor, you have done for Christ.
And- be wary of discouraging love in the name of Christ.
The rest of Christ's message follows.
"Then He will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." verses 41-43.
"They also will answer, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?" = vs 44.
"He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." = vs 45.
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
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By the way, what she ACTUALLY said about the poor is, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise." Which is EXACTLY what the parable of Christ said. It is a scripture commonly taught that way, and those who teach it that way do not mean "This human being is literally Christ," but rather, "treat every person as if they are Christ."
Was she a Christian.
Did she teach people about Christ?
"I know God will not give me anything I cannot handle."
"No, I wouldn't touch a leer for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God."
"Jesus said love one another."
"Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus."
"Sweetest Lord, make me appreciative of the dignity of my high vocation, and its many responsibilities."
"There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the wor. This is where the respect and love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible."
"We need to find God."
"Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness."
"Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet, especialy your family. Be holy. Pray."
"God loves a cheerful giver."
"God made the world rich enough to feed and clothe all human beings."
"Pride destroys everything. To imitate Jesus is the key to be meek and humble in heart."
"Keep the light of Christ always shining in your hearts. Only He is the Way to be trodden. He is the Truth we must speak out. He is thej love we must speak out."
"Faith in action is love, and love in action is service. By transforming that faith into living acts of love, we put ourselves in contact with God Himself, with Jesus our Lord."
"Let us bring love and compassion to win the world, to bring the world the gospel of Christ. Let us all bring the good news that God loves the world!"
"Communion with Christ gives us our strength, our joy, and our love."
The attitude that this woman "could not be a Christian" because she was Catholic is utterly shameful for anyone professing to be a Christian to possess.
Christ said, "Judge not, lest ye be judged."
Christ said, "The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, and the second is this, to love your neighbor as yourself."
And the bible teaches if you break the commandment of love, you have broken ALL the LAW.
This woman taught that God loves us, that Christ is our only hope, that Christ is our salvation.
How is that "unChristian?"
What have YOU done that Christ TOLD you to do today that is above and beyond what this dear woman did with her entire life?
Have YOU done the DOs of God's word?
it's not pantheistic, she's jsut taking that verse and applying it to how she lives her life.
