THE LEAST OF THESE
Matthew 25:40 – “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”
The final judgment and the separation between eternal punishment and eternal life (v.46) is decided by how we treat “the least of these.” The question then is, “Who are the least of these?” Jesus identifies them as the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned. God’s people must be feeding, welcoming, clothing and visiting (v.44).
It’s interesting to note that the Lord identifies closely with “the least of these.” In our text He calls them, “My brethren,” denoting the closeness He has with them. Then He tells us that when we minister to the “least,” we are ministering directly to Him.
Dear friends may we not miss this. We can do a lot of good things “in the name of the Lord.” But are we doing what the Lord requires and what is really important to Him? It’s so important that according to Jesus our eternal destiny is determined by it. So, when you see a “least of these,” look past the outward stuff. It just may be Jesus in disguise.