Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. —Matthew 25:40

Some years ago, when my now husband and I were dating, he told me that his mom required surgery for which she needed to travel abroad, to Merida, Mexico. The surgery would cost $6,000, but the more challenging problem for the family was the number of days off work that would be required for one of them to accompany his mom. They felt she could go on her own. I was not yet familiar with his mom or family, and I had never been to Merida, but because my dad had recently had a surgery and needed much support, I felt strongly that she could not go alone. “Plan the trip,” I told him. “I will take the time-off from work and accompany your mom.” His relatives could not understand how a stranger could be willing to make that kind of sacrifice for their mother. The eldest sibling called me and asked why I was doing this favour for someone I did not know. It so happened that I was studying Matthew 25 at the time, and I shared verse 40 with her, where Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of his brothers and sisters, we do onto him. “I’m doing it for Jesus,” I said, adding that because my dad had also had a surgery, I knew what their family was going through.

That scripture really stayed with me: Jesus explaining, in verses 31-40, how He would return as King, separate the faithful from the unfaithful, and will give His faithful people their promised inheritance prepared since creation:

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.’

Verse 40, especially, was the verse that ignited my passion to keep serving people and reaching others with the Gospel with every opportunity I have. We just cannot give up on Jesus by ignoring people’s needs after all He has done for you and for me. I will serve him until the day I die, remembering that whatever we fail do for His people, we fail to do for Him.  We are ambassadors for Christ Jesus. He wants us be a blessing to others because it is in blessing others that we serve Him, our living King.

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