Daily Devotion, April 13, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read Matthew 25:31-46.

According to Matthew’s Gospel, this is the last thing Jesus shared with the public before some private time with his disciples prior to his arrest. It is a powerful story of the essence of God’s kingdom.

The ones who kept the stories of Jesus in their hearts and minds must have understood how important these words of Jesus were.

At first glance, this could simply be a list of ways to serve others. But it goes much deeper than this. It calls us to honesty about how we “see” others. If we knew the Queen of England was arriving in our neighborhood soon, how would we prepare for her visit?

“Undercover Boss” is a popular television program. Often the employees are surprised to find that the person, who has been working beside them, is the CEO of the company! And the CEO is often surprised by the compassion demonstrated by the employees! 

In this parable, Jesus has reversed the “class system” of his day and surprised his hearers with the memorable words in verse 40, “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.’”

The essence of God’s kingdom is seeing, hearing and serving others as Christ sees them. The essence of God’s kingdom is a willingness to sacrifice and to share with others. The essence of God’s kingdom is to do this, not for any reward, but for the joy of walking in the footsteps of Christ.

Jesus knew what was facing him in the days ahead. He wanted his followers to open their eyes to his ways of service and mercy unto all people. Christ’s call to serve others is not to serve in a condescending way. We are called to serve others as if we are serving Christ!

Personal Worship Option:

Forgive us, O God, because we fall short in serving others. Sometimes we fail to see you in others. Sometimes we forget that you have called us to share what we have. Open our eyes and our ears to see and hear the cries of the needy. Help us to trust you as we share and care. Help us to live into the joy of Christ’s calling. Amen.