WATCHWORD:
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34 “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 creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “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 25:31-40
Meditation:
Who Are the Least of These?
The least of these? Now wait, just a dang gone minute! Who are you calling “least of these”? That sounds like a putdown to me. I am not one of those “least”! Would you want to be a “least of these”? How would that make you feel? Like a failure, like a sinner, like one that doesn’t measure up, that’s how!
Just calm down. I think you are missing the point. Remember, this is Jesus teaching, and while He does use the phrase “least of these”, it is for a reason. He also uses sheep and goats, and that is also for a reason.
I learned a lot of things during my years as a volunteer at Heifer International Learning Center at the Ranch in Arkansas. One of the things I learned was the difference between sheep and goats. At the Ranch, we dealt mainly with the babies. From a distance it is almost impossible to tell a sheep from a goat when they are babies, and the only visible difference is that a lamb’s tail stands up, while a goat kid’s tail lays down. However, it would not take you long to also discover that the temperament of a lamb is so much more docile and calm than the temperament of the kid. It was because of this difference in temperament that sheep and goats were separated.
Okay, but what do sheep and goats have to do with this “least” thing? Well, the sheep and goat analogy was just a familiar visual aid, to make a point, while “least of these” refers to those in a variety of needy situations; you know, hungry, thirsty, sick, etc. You say, you are not one of those “least”. Really? Have you ever been sick? Ever felt a little lost and in need of talking to someone? Ever felt the need to hug a crying child, a child in need?
Empathy is a marvelous gift. If you had never experienced need, I wonder how much empathy you would have for one showing need. What do you think? I also wonder if you can be a follower of Christ and not have empathy. Note what Jesus says at the end of that passage. He said that those who cared for those in need were not merely serving other people, they were serving Him. Serving Him.
This theme of empathic action keeps popping up in Jesus’ teaching. We see it in “Who is my neighbor?” We see it in lessons on giving and charity. We see it in the Samaritan who did not pass by on the other side. We see it in restoring sight to Bartimaeus, the healing of lepers, raising Lazarus from death, the casting out of demons. We see it most boldly in Christ’s charge for us to love others as He has loved us.
Yes, we are neither sheep nor goats but we are both the least of these and those who respond with compassion to those in need. Who are the least of these? Often times, we are. So be it.
Closing Prayer:
Good morning, Lord! I offer to you my day, All of my joys and my sufferings, my cares and my concerns,
My accomplishments and my failures. All that I have, all that I do, is yours. Keep me in your care. Guard me in my actions. Teach me to love, and help me to turn to you throughout the day.
The world is filled with temptations. As I move through my day, keep me close. May those I encounter feel your loving presence. Lord, be the work of my hands and my heart. Amen.
