Matthew
25:31-46
Who
are 'the least of these'? Our minds often go
first to underpaid workers, children not getting a good education, the
unemployed and homeless, the sick: the ones for whom it's easy to feel
compassion. But some people
seem more deserving of help than others: Some create their own problems; some are unpleasant and
we'd prefer to avoid them. When there's only
so much I can do, only so much I can donate, who should get it?
Jesus doesn’t make exceptions about who qualifies,
he identifies himself with all of them:
The
son who demands his inheritance now, blows it all, and comes back begging
forgiveness and help.
The
troubled teenager who is facing court proceedings for possessing illegal drugs.
The
single mother who is expecting another child, and lacks resources to care for
her children.
The
elderly man next door who is cranky and hard to get along with.
The
girl at school, uninterested in learning, who disrupts classes with
unacceptable behavior.
We
don’t get to choose who
is worthy of our help and who isn’t
— they all are the
least of these, and Jesus identifies with all of them. They are everywhere
every day, and they are in need. Look for them and
you will see them. What can you do to
help them?
