As Unto Jesus

By Danny Saavedra

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 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, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”—Matthew 25:31–40 (NIV)

After explaining what the end times will look like and warning us over and over again to “watch out,” “keep watch,” “be on guard,” and stay on mission (His mission), Jesus describes what it will be like when He returns in glory. He says, “He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” The sheep are the ones who were faithful and the goats are the ones to whom He will say, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41 NIV).

The key difference between the sheep and the goats is how they treated the “least of these.” Jesus is telling us that any time we help someone in need, advocate for the vulnerable, defend the defenseless, act as a father to the fatherless, or care for the weak, downtrodden, hurting, sick, broken, and lost, we’re doing it for Him! You see, the way we care for the vulnerable is a genuine, pure act of worship and an offering of love to Jesus, who Himself came to serve, to seek and save the lost, “to proclaim good news to the poor . . . freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18–19 NIV). Thus, our imitation of Jesus in this way is a crystal-clear picture of the Spirit of God dwelling in human hearts.

Now, notice something with me: The commendation from Jesus doesn’t come because evil has been done to the least of these. Instead, it comes because nothing has been done! You see, there’s NO ROOM for indifference in the life of a Christ follower. None. The difference between action and indifference from the church is the difference between life and death, both in the literal/physical sense and in the spiritual/eternal sense.

We can’t afford to be indifferent towards the people Jesus has called us to serve, love, and reach with the gospel for His kingdom to the glory of God. We can’t afford to be indifferent towards the Holy Spirit who prompts our hearts toward advocacy and action for the vulnerable. We can’t afford to be indifferent toward the needs of the people in our neighborhoods, communities, and world whom Jesus loves, has compassion toward, and came to die for. And we can’t afford to be indifferent towards injustice. Why? Because God is not indifferent toward them. God is a God of justice and mercy, He’s “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, . . . God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing” (Psalm 68:5–6 NIV).

And listen, as bluntly as I can say this, to see something wrong, to see injustice, hurt, brokenness, and need and to do nothing, the apostle John would ask, “How can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17 NIV). Proverbs 21:13 (NIV) tells us, “Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.” You could say that to do nothing is to participate in injustice!

So, my charge to you (and me) is this: Don’t be the one who asks Jesus, “Lord, when did I see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help You?”

Pause: Can you remember when a stranger helped you out when you had no one to turn to or from whom to receive a helpful hand?

Practice: Reach out to someone in need today. Whether it's preparing a small bag of food and water for a homeless person or cooking a meal for a struggling family, take an active step to love as Jesus loves us.

Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for considering me family and adopting me as Your child through Christ! I don’t deserve Your grace, yet You have labeled me worthy. I ask You to give me the boldness and courage to be Your ambassador who actively shares grace and love with others not only today but every day. I pray there would be no traces of apathy or indifference in my heart toward the vulnerable and needy. Instead, I pray there would be an unquenchable fire in my heart for the people around me, for those who are hurting, broken, marginalized, and downtrodden. Give me the boldness, courage, and passion to advocate and act on their behalf for their good, their salvation, and Your glory. Amen.