40 Days to the Cross - Day 19

Day 19 Doing it for the Least
Who is your least?
Scripture
31 “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. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. 34 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. 35 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; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’ 40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ 41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take Me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of Me.’ 44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46

Devotion
Jesus says that when we serve those who are the “least of these” we have served Him. Who are the least? Jesus describes some of them as the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick. But who are the least to you? You probably passed them by this week. Maybe it was the student no one else will sit by in the cafeteria. Maybe it was the guy who smells bad at the office. Maybe it was the homesexual or the homeless man on the street. Who do you see as the least? Jesus says “whatever” you do for thse, you do for Him. And he goes further to say that whatever you don’t do for them, you failed to do for Him. The Bible is clear that we are saved by grace through faith. No doubt about that. But the Bible is also clear (here and elsewhere) that we will be judged for our actions. Apparently those who truly belong to Him, will do for the least of these. Those who aren’t won’t. Which one are you?

Questions
What have you done recently for the least?
How will you do more in the future?
What can you do this week for the least?

Prayer
Dear God: Help me serve You by serving the least. Amen