March 5, 2023
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:40 (NLT)
“Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40 (MSG)
“Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to His rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form, he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8
Tuesday of this past week, Karen led our prayer group. Her Scripture reference was from Matthew 25:31-40 which says, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 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. 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.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” (ESV)
As many times as I have read and referred to Matthew 25:40, and quoting especially Matthew 25:40b, “when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Tuesday it ministered to me in a special way, reaffirming in my heart that I never want to be guilty of offending God in any way!
Matthew 25:40 is a verse from a parable that Jesus told His disciple about the Final Judgment. Noted in this parable, Jesus describes a scene in which He separates the righteous from the wicked based on how they treated others. Those who showed kindness and compassion to others are welcomed into eternal life, while those who did not are sent away to eternal punishment.
Explicitly, this verse emphasizes the importance of serving others, especially those who are truly in need or less fortunate. He was not talking about those who are lazy and can work or those who feel entitled. He identifies the importance of serving others, especially those who are truly poor, hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, or in prison. He is saying when we are serving these individuals, we are serving HIM!
This verse from the parable of the Final Judgement teaches us that we will be judged not only by what we say we believe but also by how we treat others. We are to show the love and compassion of Christ fulfilling a reasonable and practical need. Doing what Christ has told us to do, we are demonstrating our faith in Christ, the fruit of the spirit, and the Selfless Love of God!
The Life And Teachings of Jesus Were SELFLESS.
Matthew 26:39, 42. He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” Again, he left them and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.”
John 10:18. “No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right to lay it down when I want to and also the power to take it again. For my, Father has given me this command.”
HOW CAN WE REPRESENT CHRIST AND BE MORE SELFLESS?
We are to walk in the Holy Spirit following Jesus’ example and teachings.
♥ Luke 9:23. Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.”
♥ John 13:14-15. “Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”
♥ Luke 22:26. “Among you, those who are the greatest should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.
♥ Galatians 5:13. You, dear friends, have been called to live in freedom-not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. Jesus was the model example of servanthood. I should follow that model.
♥ Philippians 2:3-5. Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had.
♥ Esther 4:16. “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I am willing to die.”
♥ Matthew 18:1-4. “About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
A SERVING 
HEART: Galatians 5:22-26 is clear about what fruit we should display! When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Living by the Holy Spirit is following the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Living by the Holy Spirit is following the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.
FATHER GOD: Thank You for Your Word that teaches us how to live and glorify You! Help us to demonstrate selfless love and represent You well by being obedient to Your commands, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen!