ffor I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in … naked and you clothed me … sick and you visited me … in prison, and you came to me. Matthew 25:35-36 WEB
At the close of chapter twenty-five in Matthew, Jesus speaks about his second coming. He says in Matthew 25:31-32, “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. WEB”
You Did These Things for Me
Continuing his parable, Jesus puts the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left hand. He praises the sheep for feeding him when he was hungry, giving him a drink when thirsty, and for the other loving things that they have done. Then, the Lord rewards the sheep. He gives them their inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.
The sheep ask a question in verse thirty-seven, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? WEB” Jesus responds in verse forty, “Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. WEB”
On one hand, Jesus gave an inheritance in heaven to his faithful, on the other hand, Christ followed with a strong condemnation of those who fail to demonstrate love for fellow believers. To the goats he says in verse forty-one, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels. WEB”
The Lord follows with these words from Matthew 25:42-43, “for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me. WEB”
The Body of Christ
If we are part of the body of Christ, then we are the sheep in this story. It is our responsibility to love one another in submission to the will of God. Sincere believers not only receive an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven but are charged to help establish God’s kingdom here on Earth. As servants of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus teaches that whatever we do for even the least of his followers, we do for him.
Christ lives in each believer. We live in him, and he lives in us. In the Spirit of God, we are called to care for one another as Christ cared for us. When we love one another, we are also living in obedience to the word of God and demonstrating love to our Lord.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, thank you for the example of your Son and my Savior. Give me a heart that is responsive to the needs of others. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: Good Gifts
