Our text for today is taken from Matthew 25:34-40:
“‘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 invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
In this passage, Jesus teaches us that serving others in need is like serving Him directly. He notices when we turn away from those who need help, but He also sees when we lend a hand to those who need help.
Once Liz and I were waiting in a lab for me to have blood drawn for my doctor. While sitting there, an older lady rose from her chair and walked haltingly toward the lab. Liz told me, “Go help the lady.” I questioned whether she wanted help so Liz did a typical Liz thing. She got up and helped the lady herself. When she came back to me, she said, “She has cancer of the spine.”
There was nothing I could say because I knew I had blown the opportunity to do good.
How often do we avoid helping someone because we judge their situation? Yet we never know the full extent of people’s needs. Like Liz, we must open our eyes to see the needs around us. Then we can serve Jesus by serving others.
To help others, the first thing to do is to open our eyes. There are many who need our help. A simple act of kindness done in His name can make a world of difference to someone going through a hard time.
Lonnie Davis