October 19 — Serving Christ in Others

“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 something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’”

— Matthew 25:34-40

 
 
What would we do if we knew that Jesus was coming to visit us today? We might prepare carefully. We would probably make room in our schedules. We would want to welcome Him warmly and make certain that He had whatever He needed. Few Christians would knowingly turn Jesus away from the door. Yet in Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that He comes to us in ways we may not recognize. He comes hungry. He comes thirsty. He comes as a stranger. He comes needing clothing. He comes sick. He comes imprisoned. And Jesus says that when we respond with compassion to people in these circumstances, something remarkable happens: our service to them becomes service to Him. The people Jesus describes are surprised. They do not remember seeing Him hungry or thirsty. They do not remember welcoming Jesus personally into their homes or visiting Him when He was sick. Their acts of compassion apparently were not performed because they believed they were doing something extraordinary. They simply saw people in need and responded. Then the King tells them, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” These words give ordinary acts of compassion extraordinary significance. A meal offered to someone who is hungry can become an offering to Christ. Hospitality extended to a stranger can become hospitality offered to Christ. Sitting beside someone who is sick can become time spent with Christ. Visiting someone whom society would rather forget can become a visit with Christ Himself.
 
Pause and reflect: Would the way I respond to people change if I consciously remembered that Jesus receives my acts of compassion as service offered to Him? It is easy to treat some people as interruptions, problems, statistics, or categories. Jesus asks us to see something more. He teaches us to recognize sacred worth in the person before us. There is an important connection between yesterday’s story of the Good Samaritan and today’s passage. Yesterday Jesus challenged us to become neighbors by crossing the road toward someone in need. Today He tells us that when we cross that road, He is somehow waiting for us there. This does not mean that serving people earns our salvation. Throughout the New Testament, salvation is the gracious gift of God. Rather, compassionate service reveals something about a heart that has been touched by grace. When the love of Christ takes root within us, that love begins to move outward toward others. Notice also the kinds of needs Jesus mentions. They are deeply practical. Hunger requires food. Thirst requires water. Strangers need welcome. People without adequate clothing need material assistance. The sick need care. Prisoners need human contact. Jesus does not separate spiritual concern from physical and social need. His compassion embraces the whole person. That challenges us to resist a faith that speaks warmly about love while remaining distant from human suffering. Prayer matters. Sharing the good news of Christ matters. Worship matters. But the same Jesus we worship also asks whether hungry people are being fed, strangers are being welcomed, sick people are being cared for, and forgotten people are being remembered. Sometimes we can respond personally. We can prepare a meal, visit someone in the hospital, welcome a newcomer, give clothing, support a food ministry, or spend time with someone who is lonely. At other times, the needs are larger than any one person can address. Christians can serve together through congregations, ministries, community organizations, and other efforts that address the conditions that leave people hungry, homeless, isolated, or vulnerable. Compassion can involve both helping the person immediately before us and asking how we might help prevent others from experiencing the same suffering. Jesus’ teaching also invites us to examine whom we find easiest to overlook. The phrase “the least of these” reminds us that human importance is often measured very differently in the kingdom of God. Society may notice the powerful, successful, wealthy, and influential first. Jesus repeatedly directs our attention toward those who possess little status or power. Christian service therefore requires more than generosity. It requires attention. Who is unseen? Who is forgotten? Who is hungry? Who is lonely? Who needs someone simply to show up? We cannot personally meet every need, and Jesus does not ask us to pretend that we can. But we can remain available to the opportunities God places within our reach. We can resist becoming so accustomed to suffering that we stop seeing the people who experience it.
 
Today, ask God to help you recognize one person you might otherwise overlook. Perhaps you can offer practical assistance, make a telephone call, give generously, provide encouragement, or simply spend time with someone who needs companionship. As you do, quietly remember the words of Jesus:
“You did it for Me.” That changes the way we understand service. We are not merely helping another person. We are not simply fulfilling a religious obligation. We are encountering an opportunity to express our love for Christ. We may never know all the places where Jesus will meet us today. He may be waiting in someone we almost failed to notice.
 
 
Heavenly Father,

Thank You for teaching me that loving You and loving others cannot be separated. Thank You for Jesus, who continually noticed people who were hungry, hurting, excluded, forgotten, or in need.

Give me eyes to see people as Jesus sees them. Keep me from becoming indifferent to suffering or so occupied with my own concerns that I overlook someone You have placed before me. Give me compassion that becomes action and love that expresses itself in practical ways.

Help me to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, care for the sick, remember the forgotten, and stand beside those who are vulnerable. Show me how I can serve personally, and also how I can join with others to respond to needs that are greater than I can address alone. Above all, help me remember that when I serve someone in need, I am offering that service to Christ. May this truth make me more attentive, more generous, and more willing to love.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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