Matthew 25:40 AMPC
And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.
Yesterday I heard of a deed which left me embarrassed and a bit ashamed!
I asked a client, in an email, if they had enjoyed Christmas. Their reply was, yes, it was busy though. They proceeded to tell me that they had cooked a large meal and took some to share with the truckers stuck on the M20!
Wow! I thought, why didn't it occur to me to do the same? Have I become so insular that I forget to reach out to others? When I heard about the truckers who were stuck, all I thought about was, what a nuisance, it will be difficult to travel anywhere around the locality!
This COVID thing has stung most of us into inaction and separation from others. It is a shame and is also the trademark of the evil one.
Like those at the Nuremberg trials, we would like to say "we're only following Government orders".
For God that's no excuse, like those at the those trials that excuse didn't wash.
We should always be on the alert to help those in need.
Another person I know reached out to someone late at night, someone who had lost her mum to COVID. She was a listening ear to that dear one when no one else was available. Although she wasn't able to be there in person, the phone gave that grieving person a "shoulder"!
When you read the whole of Matthew 25:31-46 it is a stark warning to not ignore the needs of those around us.
The sheep and the goats
31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 ‘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. 35 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, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
37 ‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison and go to visit you?”
40 ‘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.”
41 ‘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. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was ill and in prison and you did not look after me.”
44 ‘They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or ill or in prison, and did not help you?”
45 ‘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.”
46 ‘Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.’
Behind everything you do or fail to do for anyone is the person of Jesus!
Selah
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