These are some of the most haunting words in scripture, and they came from the heart of Jesus. They are words he spoke near the end of his ministry and just prior to his arrest and crucifixion. I have often found words spoken just before death to be profound. These certainly are.
Matthew 25:34-40, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Is not Jesus making it clear that we bear a responsibility to care for brothers and sisters who are especially needy? Is he not saying that those who are a part of God’s eternal kingdom are those who have separated themselves from others, not by getting their doctrine perfectly correct, but by caring for the hungry, the naked, and the thirsty?
Sharon Baker calls us to consider Christ’s words in the context of the society and culture in the time of Jesus. “Poverty was epidemic in Jesus’ day. The Roman leaders bled the people dry with high taxes. The violence of Jewish rebels often left lands burned and husbands and sons dead with no way for their women and children to earn a living. Jesus commanded his followers to love God, but he also commanded them to love others. Loving others means you take care of them if they are in need.”
Sounds to me like things have not changed all that drastically in the last 2000 years. Governments are still imposing sanctions upon their own people. Violence is still predominant in our world. Few live in the freedom we have been afforded in our country. Suffering is rampant. Real suffering. Suffering like starvation, disease, and child mortality. Suffering that is exacerbated by hunger, thirst, and the lack of basic necessities. The need Jesus saw about him is need like we still encounter today. Surely then, his call to care for the “least of these” carries the same significance for us as it did for those who originally heard him speak.
If we fail to do what pleases Jesus, we are goats (and no, that is not greatest of all time.) Goats are a disappointment. Goats are those who need correction. How fortunate we are that we have been given the opportunity to put others ahead of ourselves, and in doing so, minister to Jesus himself.
Last modified: December 8, 2023
