The Grace Street Blog

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40

What if we were in the sandals of those whose towns He passed through but we were too caught up in other things that we didn’t even glance in His direction?

I am sure there were many during those times who never stopped and looked. Who doubted the blessing that would come with interacting with Him.

For them, my heart hurts. For I am sure at the time of His death, some had thoughts similar to, “If only I had….taken a moment to look….set aside my task to listen….gave up my free time for Him…”

It is easy for us to look back and shake our heads at the unawareness of these people. But we would only be hypocrites in doing so.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” says Jesus shortly before His death.

How often have we turned our eyes from the needy? Justifying our dismissal of them by claiming some are not truly in need. How often have we mistreated others in service industries because we deem their job more lowly than our own? How often have we rationalized holding back on giving to others because it was too tough of a sacrifice for ourselves?

Each and every time we refuse to offer love, help, joy, or support to others in hopes to preserve our own personal stability or security, we miss Jesus.

We miss the chance to show others what He is like and miss experiencing the blessing of being a blessing.

In the book of Esther, we see her placed in a position of great advantage. She has the ability to fight for the deliverance of the Jews, but hesitates when faced with a difficult path. Her cousin, Mordecai, tells her then, “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish, And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Ann Voskamp says, “You are where you are for such a time as this. Not to gain anything, but to risk everything….You miss Jesus when you aren’t looking for His two disguises: the smallest and the servant.”

We are quick to believe we would run out to Jesus and do everything we can to serve Him well if we were to be in His presence. But we see in Matthew that He is with the lowly. The overlooked. The hurting. The homeless. The widows. The one’s we are too busy, distracted, or prideful to care about.

This world makes it easy to idolize phases of life. We associate success with the stage of life where we have a good career, stable finances, a good family, and respectable reputation. And unfortunately that’s not only the world pushing this mentality. The church often glorifies marriage in a similar way. As if we are partly complete in Christ, but then fully ready to be on mission when we find a spouse.

Christian, do not fall for the lie that God is only waiting to use us once we reach a certain point or position in life. You are where you are because there are people around you now that can benefit from your sacrifice. Whether it be your time, money, listening ear, encouragement, or testimony, there are endless opportunities in all seasons to share the good news of Jesus and the abundant love He fills you with.

So what if instead of waiting for God to open a door to the next season of your life, you ask God to open your heart and eyes to see how you can express love to Him by loving the least of these?

We have no authority to determine who deserves our help. For none of the grace and love we share was deserved by ourselves. But God gives to it to us abundantly and freely.

My dear friend, God has a plan that He is inviting you and I into. But for every person we look away from in fear that it costs us too much to give, we are preventing ourselves from growing a heart more like Jesus’. For His redemption over the whole world will come one day whether we decide to be a part of it or not. But your heart can only become more like His when you decide that the risk of loving and giving is always worth it.

Thoughts To Consider:

Who are the “least of these” you are most tempted to overlook, and why?

Where might God already be inviting you to love, serve, or sacrifice with what you have today?

What season or circumstance are you waiting for before you feel ready to serve God more fully?

Consider that our circumstance isn’t the thing that needs to change, but our perspective on who we have the opportunity to love right where we are.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40