Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 25:31-46 on biblegateway.com
Verse 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. Verse 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, Verse 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Verse 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; Verse 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, Verse 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Verse 37Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? Verse 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? Verse 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' Verse 40And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Verse 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; Verse 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, Verse 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Verse 44Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Verse 45Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' Verse 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Devotion
I can’t help but wonder: How might Christians be perceived by non-believers if those of us who confess Jesus as Lord were to open our eyes to see Christ in our neighbor? In Jesus’ parable, whether receiving commendation or condemnation, both the righteous and the accursed seem equally surprised. Both ask the same question: “Lord, when was it that we saw you?” Those of us who trust Christ is present wherever two or three are gathered in his name, who proclaim Christ truly present in, with, and under bread and wine, who are sent out from our places of worship in peace to love and serve the Lord—how can we not see Christ in our neighbor? Having come to know God’s transforming love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness, we must surely know that to love and serve our Lord is to love and serve our neighbors in need.
Prayer
Open our eyes, Lord Jesus, to see you in everyone we encounter. Open our hearts to love one another as you love us and to forgive others as we ourselves have been forgiven. Amen.