Context No. 3534 of 4322 · Matthew

Matthew 25:37-46: in context

37“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ 40“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 43I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’ 45“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ 46These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

In this scene of final judgment, the King identifies himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner: as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. And what is striking is that the righteous are surprised; they had not realized that in serving the needy they were serving Christ himself.

Their compassion was not a calculated religious performance but a natural overflow of love, so instinctive that they did not even keep count of it. Meanwhile those condemned are equally surprised, for they too had not recognized Christ in the needy, and so passed them by. The lesson is searching: Christ comes to us disguised in the hungry and the suffering, and how we treat the least of these is how we treat him. Genuine faith shows itself in mercy to the needy, offered not for reward or recognition but out of a love that does not even notice it is serving the King.

Do I recognize that Christ comes to me in the hungry, the stranger, and the suffering, and does my faith show itself in mercy to the least of these, done out of love rather than for reward?

Sources

Matthew 25:40: "Because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."
Matthew 25:45: "Because you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me."
Matthew 25:46: "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."