Jesus paints a breathtaking picture in Matthew 25:31-32. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another…”
He calls to the righteous, “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 something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink” (34-35).
He declares judgment on the unrighteous: “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink” (41-42).
Both righteous and unrighteous express confusion at Jesus’ words in this passage. The condemned are indignant, convinced they never missed an opportunity to do some notable work for God, and the commended are astonished to hear that they served Him so intimately. Jesus explains: “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me” (40, 45).
FEEDING THE HUNGRY
This explanation is unexpectedly simple. Jesus doesn’t call out a list of monumental moments in His follower’s lives as He offers them their reward. Instead, He reveals the significance of compassion for those in need and a pattern of service to others.
Over 630 million people regularly suffer hunger and an estimated 790 million do not have access to clean, reliable water. Hunger and thirst are also used by Scripture and society to describe spiritual and emotional longings and distress. However you look at it, our world if full of hungry, thirsty people.
Jesus’ message is this: If we love Him, we’ll love others. If we love others, we’ll spend our lives reaching out to them, offering the nourishment, love, understanding, encouragement, and truth they need. And when we minister in this way, it will be as if we’re ministering directly to Jesus.
MIRRORING GOD’S LOVE
Jesus is the ultimate example of love and service, but we can also learn from the women who surrounded Him during His earthly ministry. They were mirrors of His love, a love that held possessions, position, and reputation loosely and shared itself freely with others.
We each have different amounts to give and different ways of giving, but all of us can give, and this is what Jesus calls us to do. This is what He declares true religion and true worship. “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him…? Then your light will appear like the dawn…Your righteousness will go before you, and the LORD’s glory will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 58:7-8).
EVIDENCING TRUE FAITH
No one will be welcomed into God’s kingdom at the final judgment because they have earned their place through service to Him and generosity to others. That place can be secured only through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. But from repentant faith springs a redeemed way of living. Our works are the evidence of our faith (James 2:14-26).
Like the woman who wept and anointed Jesus’ feet with precious fragrance, we love much because we understand how much we have been forgiven (Luke 7:47). Like the servants in Luke 17:10, we say, “We have only done what was our duty.” And like the righteous in Matthew 25, we may be amazed at what God accomplishes through us.
All quotes are from the Holman’s Christian Standard Bible.
