Matthew 25:31-36: a reflection

31“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. 36I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’

Jesus describes the final judgment, when the Son of Man will separate the nations as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. And to those on his right he says: Come, inherit the kingdom; for I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, sick and imprisoned and you came to me. Astonishingly, Jesus counts what was done for the hungry, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned, as done for himself. To serve the needy is to serve Christ.

Notice the identification Jesus makes: what is done for the least, the needy, is done for him. He so identifies with the hungry, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned, that what is done for them, he counts as done for himself. When we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, care for the sick, visit the imprisoned, we are, Jesus says, doing it for him. Christ is present, in a mysterious way, in the needy; and to serve them is to serve him.

That identification transforms how we regard the needy and our service to them. We can think of caring for the hungry, the stranger, the sick, as a good deed done for them; but Jesus says it is done for him. To serve the needy is to serve Christ himself, who identifies with them. When you meet someone hungry, a stranger, sick, in need, do not pass by, or see only a person to be helped as a good deed; see Christ, who identifies with the needy, and serve them as you would serve him. What you do for the least, you do for Christ. Let this transform your service to the needy, from a mere good deed into a ministry to Christ himself, who is present in the hungry, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned. Serve the needy as serving Christ, for he counts what is done for the least as done for him; and do not neglect the needy, for in them you have the opportunity to minister to Christ himself.

Lord Jesus, you describe the final judgment, and say to those on your right: come, inherit the kingdom; for I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in, sick and imprisoned and you came to me. Astonishingly, you count what was done for the hungry, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned, as done for yourself. Show me the identification you make: what is done for the least, the needy, is done for you. You so identify with the needy that when we serve them, we are doing it for you. Christ is present, in a mysterious way, in the needy; and to serve them is to serve you. Let that transform how I regard the needy and my service to them. I can think of caring for the hungry, the stranger, the sick, as a good deed done for them; but you say it is done for you. When I meet someone hungry, a stranger, sick, in need, keep me from passing by, or seeing only a person to be helped; help me see you, who identify with the needy, and serve them as I would serve you. What I do for the least, I do for you. Let this transform my service to the needy, Lord, from a mere good deed into a ministry to you, who are present in the hungry, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned. Help me serve the needy as serving you.