Whatever you did for the least of these…

My dad used to tell me to eat everything on my plate because there were kids in Africa who were starving for food. I used to dismiss his statement—having heard other friends who heard the same thing from their parents.

But, today, I find value in his statement—both literal and spiritual. Yes, I do need to find out what my involvement should be in joining the fight against world hunger. But there’s a spiritual element that even Jesus talked about.

As I was reading through Scripture about this issue, the Holy Spirit led me to Matthew 25:34-46. Today, I just want to share that lengthy passage with you. It jolted me into thinking about this issue from God’s perspective. Hopefully it will get you thinking about your involvement as well.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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 invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Obviously, this is a serious issue to God. So shouldn’t it be for us as well?

[By Kaylan Christopher]