Serving Others

Matthew 25:38-40 “When saw we a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Through out his earthly ministry Jesus gave us instructions on how we are to live and deal with those around us. Service is a word that many shun on a daily basis. This action is contrary to what Jesus taught. Jesus came to be a servant. He said he did not come to be served but to serve.
Many of our daily actions would indicate we do not fully understand or believe His instructions. He exhorts us “take no thought for tomorrow” and yet we worry ourselves to death fretting over something we don’t even know will show up. He promises our burden will be light if we will but cast our load upon Him. Yet we continue to struggle under the ever increasing load we heap upon ourselves. He says, “If you love me keep my commandments” and yet we ever strive to separate the two. “You cannot serve God and money,” is His warning, but we continue to strive to join the two.
The instruction we seem to ignore the most is this: if you do anything for the least of Jesus’ brethren, it is as if you have done it to Jesus himself. No one wants to admit they have ignored Jesus or turned Him out into the street. Yet we do it every day.
Have you visited a nursing home; given to foreign or home evangelism; reached out to broken addicts; taught a child about Jesus--- all as if you were doing it to Jesus? So often our daily lives cause us to rush by the faces of those who are hurting or lonely because we feel they are beneath us. And yet the King says, “you have done this to me?”
Did you wake up this morning with the realization you could minister directly to Jesus? How could you minister to Jesus what does he need? Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” We all need to live and act like everything we do or say is done directly to Jesus. If that were true how would we change our lives? Help the hurting, reach out to the recovering addict, teach the Bible, encourage the down cast, help the needy just the way you would if Jesus was the One you were encountering today. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.