Matthew 25:40

I recently just read through all of the Gospels, and I honestly wished I had done so a lot sooner. I figure this will be a recurring pattern I'll continue for the rest of my life, because it draws me back to the character of Jesus and reminds me what His teaching truly meant whenever I start to forget or wander off the path He has for me.

One of the parables that really stuck out to me was “The Sheep and the Goats” in Matthew:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory ... All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance ... 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.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?’

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.’”

— Matthew 25:31–40 (NIV)

This really sticks out to me because it's something I unfortunately forget about so often. I get so caught up in my own issues and everything going on around me that when I have an opportunity to help someone, not be rude, or even just say a kind greeting in passing, I usually miss it or avoid it.

That doesn't portray the character of Christ, and this passage emphasizes that every time I read it. It's very grounding for me. I'm not living for myself. I'm living to love and help others, as Christ taught us to.

What's especially convicting is that the righteous didn't even realize what they were doing for Jesus. They weren't keeping score. They simply loved people, and Jesus told them that in doing so, they were loving and serving Him.

I think that's something I want to carry with me: looking for the small opportunities right in front of me to reflect Christ. Because if I'm going to call myself a Christian, I want the way I live to actually look like the person I'm following. I love Jesus, and I am forever indebted to Him for what He has done for me.

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

— John 14:21 (NIV)