October 2, 2018

Good Morning Fellow Travelers,

Read: Matthew 25:31-46

“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”. Matthew 25:40

I cannot read this portion of scripture without coming to deep conviction that I have failed Christ in failing to respond in love to ”the least of these”. Are we engaged in the business of reaching the souls of men and women and children by seeking to meet their needs? It is evident that Christ expects us to do so. He fully expects us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and go to those in prison. We don’t need to think about this very long. I wonder if we think we’re doing it because we’re thinking about it. That’s not good enough. This is probably the case with those who were cast into hell.

So often we become overwhelmed by the extent of the need, so we do nothing. Christ has not asked us to meet every need, just those that are before us. We do this to one person at a time. Many times we fail to give to needs because it is a one-time encounter, and we think we will never see them again. Why does this matter? If they are in need, help them, where they are, right now.

Jesus fed the five thousand. Did they get hungry later? Sure, but that is not the point. The point is that we are to serve others as their needs come before us. We can make a difference in the world, one day at a time, one person at a time, one moment in time.

We can show forth the love of Christ. Maybe the reason our efforts seem so futile is because we are failing to love each one as we ought. Let us abandon ourselves to love as Christ did.

– James Baer