And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:40

The way we treat marginalized, vulnerable, and overlooked people plays a decisive role in our eternal destination. That’s because it exposes our hearts and reveals whether or not we love Jesus enough to obey His commands.

In the parable of “The Sheep and the Goats,” Jesus describes an intense scene where all the nations are gathered before Him, the King, on the day of judgment. He divides everyone into two groups, just like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep are positioned on His right side, representing the righteous, while the goats are on His left, representing the unrighteous.

The King praises the sheep for their care and acts of kindness toward Him—they fed Him when He was hungry, gave Him water when He was thirsty, provided Him shelter when He was homeless, clothed Him when He was naked, cared for Him when He was sick, and visited Him when He was in prison. Perplexed by the commendation, the sheep ask the King when they did all those things for Him. The King replied, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (v. 40 NIV).

Conversely, the goats are condemned for their lack of care and failure to act. They didn’t do any of that—for anyone. Also confused, the goats ask the King when He was ever in need because, of course, they would have helped Him. He explained, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (v. 45 NIV) Then Jesus ends the parable with the sobering statement, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (v. 46 NIV).

Make no mistake, Jesus is the ultimate King of all people, and He makes the final determination of righteousness, rewarding and punishing accordingly. But He also represents the “least of these,” hence the dual role in this parable. The point He’s making is clear. The last are first. The servant is the greatest. The King identifies with the least. Serve the King by serving the least.

We love this about Jesus and His upside-down Kingdom; we just struggle to apply it in our daily lives. Sure, we talk about it a fair bit, especially in Bible studies and small groups. However, the subsequent action part often leaves us confused because, of course, we would help “the kings” in our communities, but those naked, sick, starving, imprisoned people? Come on. Is that even safe?

Our excuse-making and personal-comfort-protecting notwithstanding, sheep-like faith is demonstrated through acts of kindness. Caring for marginalized, vulnerable, and overlooked people exposes our hearts and reveals that we love Jesus enough to obey this command: serve the King by serving the least. It also indicates our eternal destination; we’re not just talking about loving Jesus, but actively participating in His upside-down Kingdom, for Him and with Him. And we’ll be rewarded accordingly.

Prayer Focus: Praise God for meeting needs through compassionate, faithful people. Ask Him to help you examine any biases, prejudices, or judgments you may have toward others, and to cultivate a heart of compassion. Thank Him for allowing you the privilege of meeting the needs of others.

Adapted from The Chosen, Book Five, Amanda Jenkins