“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “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 and 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.’ “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?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 25:37-46 NIV
Often in our lives we get caught up in the busyness. I am the same way. We get in our own little worlds and often just don’t see the people around us. In this passage Jesus reminds us what truly matters to God. What it means to be a follower of Christ is not to chase wealth, positions of power, religious performance, etc. Our call instead is to something much greater. It’s not a path that will earn wealth or fame. In fact, often living like Jesus is living with a love and compassion that is quiet.
This is probably something you have heard many times. You might be thinking you don’t need another reminder, but if you read this passage you see that even the righteous were surprised by the words of Jesus. These words are not something we participate in when it’s convenient. In fact, when we truly live like Jesus it is often very inconvenient for us. This passage is challenging because it requires us to do a survey of our hearts. Do we feed the hungry? Do we clothe the naked? Do we look after those who are sick? Do we care for those in prison?
These are obviously very specific questions but hopefully you understand the point I am trying to make. If we aren’t living in to the words of Jesus every day then we must reevaluate what is important in our lives.
Prayer:
God open our eyes to those around who are in need of your love. Empower us to seek out those who are in need. Encourage us to inconvenience ourselves in order to fill the needs of the people around us. We thank you for your love and your grace.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Lake