December 7 - Serving Where You're Needed
Matthew 25:31-46 | Bethany Theological Seminary
Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,[a] you did it to me.’
Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,[a] you did it to me.’
Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Daily Reflection Questions:
While we often talk about Jesus in exhaulted terms ("King of Kings and Lord of Lords;" "Highest One" etc), Jesus the Christ came into the world as a helpless baby. In today's text, he reminds that while our inclination may be to serve God through outward works that appear righteous, we truly serve God when we serve others - particularly the most vulnerable in our society.
- When was the last time you saw someone who was in need of something? What did they need? Did you help them out
- Consider who, in your community, is one of "the least of these?" Do you know anyone who is lonely, or hungry, or sick or imprisoned. Maybe they're trapped in a literal cell, or maybe they are home-bound, trapped in an unhealthy relationship, or "stuck" somewhere in some other way. How could you reach out to them to lessen their suffering?
On-line or On-Campus: options help students at Bethany Seminary stay rooted in their place & serve where they are needed.
Bethany Theological Seminary is a leading pioneer in online theological education.
While residential programs require students (and sometimes their families) to relocate in order to take courses, Bethany’s innovative online option allows students to stay connected to their home community and existing careers.
As a result, students are able to get the education they need, while continuing to serve the people who need them.
While residential programs require students (and sometimes their families) to relocate in order to take courses, Bethany’s innovative online option allows students to stay connected to their home community and existing careers.
As a result, students are able to get the education they need, while continuing to serve the people who need them.