“For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.”
– Jesus, to the disciples (Matthew 25:35-36)
In speaking about the events that will transpire on the Day of Judgment, Jesus described Himself as a King giving His subjects permission to inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the beginning of time. The King then commends the people on His right for taking care of Him and sharing with Him whenever He had been in need.
The good deeds that the King recalls cover three essential areas of human need. The people have given Him sustenance, shelter and support. They gave Him sustenance by alleviating His hunger and thirst with food and water. By opening their homes to Him and giving Him clothes, they provided Him with shelter. They supported Him even when He was sick and in prison by coming to visit Him.
Jesus expects us to be involved in these same works of mercy. Christians must be on the frontlines when it comes to helping the needy, especially when those in need are followers of Christ. As Jesus continues foretelling the events of Judgment Day, it will become clear that it is our service to others, especially to Christ’s disciples that He counts as being service to Himself.
If you claim to believe in Jesus and yet deny others access to your home, give the cold shoulder to a needy brother or sister in Christ, or look away from the physical needs of those in desperate straits, you are living a lie. Authentic faith cannot be relegated only to the realm of belief; it must have its outworking in practice.
Giving a cup of water to the thirsty in Jesus’ name may seem a trivial action, but God takes notice of our faithfulness in the little things of life. Our actions may seem small and insignificant, but God sees even our “little” acts of service that identify us as His Son’s disciples.
