The Least of These

 I was hungry and you fed me,

 I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

 I was homeless and you gave me a room,

 I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

 I was sick and you stopped to visit,

 I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 (The Message) 

In this scripture passage, Jesus tells the story of the sheep and the goats who are divided by the Son of Man. The King tells those who have been blessed by God to take their inheritance because they provided him with food, drink, shelter, clothing, and companionship when he needed it. The listeners do not believe him and ask when they provided those necessities of life. The King replies that whenever people helped one of the least of the brothers and sisters, they did it for the King. And by doing so, the righteous will have eternal life. 

Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of problems we see in our nation or community, we can take this lesson to heart and reach out to help one person. Whether it's someone we know personally or a complete stranger, our assistance can mean a great deal to the person who is in pain. During this period of Lent, as we prepare for the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord, let us look around to see where we can assist someone in need. For by helping another, we are serving the King, our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the blessings you have poured down on us. Help us to remember that our inheritance awaits us in your kingdom. If we see someone who is hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, or in prison, let us remember that what we do for any one of them, we do for our Lord.  

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2017)