WEEK 3 “WHATEVER YOU DID FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE...” (MATTHEW 25:40)

Read Matthew 25:31-46, THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND GOATS.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for ONE of the LEAST of these BROTHERS of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

This is what will be said by our Lord and saviour Jesus to the righteous SHEEP who are put on His right hand side (the place of honour- 1 Kings 2:19, Psalm 110:1) when He returns again to this earth with His powerful angels, to take His rightful throne and rule the world at His SECOND COMING!

A few observations......

1.FIRSTLY notice that Jesus says that whatever these sheep did for one of His followers (brothers of mine), they did for HIM (Matthew 25:40)? In the verses leading up to this (vs 34-39) Jesus said “I WAS HUNGRY......I WAS THIRSTY......I WAS A STRANGER......

I WAS IN PRISON...”

This reminds us that JESUS TAKES IT PERSONALLY WHEN YOU HELP HIS FOLLOWERS!! In Proverbs 19:17 we are told “He who is kind to the poor LENDS TO THE LORD...”

(Let us remember this the next time we don’t FEEL LIKE helping out a fellow brother or sister in Christ in need, because it is actually Jesus we are choosing not to help!)

2.SECONDLY we see from this passage in Matthew 25:34-40, that JESUS UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH! Notice in vs 34-40 that when Jesus’ followers were going through hunger and thirst and imprisonment, Jesus said “I WAS HUNGRY......I WAS THIRSTY...I WAS IN PRISON..”

And on the flip side in Acts 9:4-5, when Saul was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians, Jesus appeared to him and said “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute ME?”

But who was Saul on his way to persecute? Jesus’ followers!! Notice Jesus took it personally and felt persecuted when Saul was persecuting His followers? (Let us remember this the next time we are tempted to “put down” another Christian, because it may actually be Jesus we are putting down!)

When we as Christians are being persecuted and going through suffering and hardships for our faith, it is comforting to know that JESUS FEELS OUR PAIN and understands what we are going through!!

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us that we do not have a high priest who is UNABLE TO SYMPATHISE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES but one who was tempted in every way just like us!

It is comforting to know therefore, that WE DO NOT SERVE A GOD WHO IS INDIFFERENT TO OUR HURTS AND SUFFERINGS, but because He came to this earth as a human and experienced what we face in life (Hebrews 2:14-18), JESUS UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH!!

3.THIRDLY, notice that Jesus said whatever you did for ONE of the least of these brothers of mine....

Jesus doesn’t expect us to help EVERYONE, but to be willing to help the ONE we can help! Soo often in life, we can get OVERWHELMED by the number of people that need help, and this stops us from DOING SOMETHING to help at least ONE of those in need! In Luke 16:19-31, the rich man wasn’t held accountable for not helping all the poor beggars in his city, but for not helping the ONE that was on his doorstep, Lazarus, the ONE he could help! LEARN TO BE FAITHFUL TO THE ONE!

4.FINALLY, Jesus said “Whatever you did for one of the LEAST...”

In Luke 14:13-14 our saviour Jesus told a prominent Pharisee and teachers of the law, “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they CANNOT REPAY YOU, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

It can be so tempting for us as christians to only help those who can help us back, but if we take on board what our Lord Jesus says here, May we learn to help the “LEAST OF THESE” who cannot pay us back!

May what our saviour Jesus says here in Matthew 25:34-40 help us to learn to look out for “THE LEAST OF THESE” as part of the fruit of being truly saved by His grace!

God bless!