“Unto the Least of These”
While reading an article recently, I was reminded of this truth: In multiple ways, lots of people in our community are suffering and regardless of who the President of the United is he or she is not going to assist them. But you and I actually can help in small and big ways. And if we truly aid them and improve their lives in the name of Christ, God will be pleased, the country will benefit, the kingdom of God will expand and we’ll be blessed no matter what happens in Washington. This isn’t wishful thinking. Paying attention to the least, the last and the lost matters for them and for us. Jesus said so:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 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 foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:31-46 ESV).
The fact that people are saved by grace through faith in Jesus doesn’t mean we can ignore Jesus’ words; it means all the more reason to obey Him. Faith in Jesus equals allegiance to Jesus. Allegiance to Jesus requires obedience to Him out of love for Him in response to God the Father’s love for us. Jesus demonstrated the Father’s love for us by His humble obedience to His Father to the point of death on a cross (John 3:16; Philippians 2:1-11).
In their commentary The Message of 2 Peter & Jude (IVP 1995), Dick Lucas and Christopher Green write,
Without contributing anything to our salvation, the acid test of the genuineness of our faith is that either we make costly life changes on the basis of it, or we treat sin and judgment as irrelevant to a Christian (p. 63).
Part of the beauty of the life changes God brings about in us when we cooperate with Him is that He uses them to help bring about positive life changes in others!
May the peace of Christ be with you all,
Bart W. Newton
Note: This article was first published in the February 2021 print newsletter of Owensville First Christian Church.