12-23-2025 PART 1: When You Served Them, You Served Me

Section 1

Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 reveal how deeply He identifies Himself with His people. When He speaks of feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting those in prison, He is not offering a vague moral suggestion. He is declaring a profound spiritual reality: what is done to His brothers and sisters is done directly to Him. This passage is not meant to be softened or detached from its context. Jesus clearly defines His brothers and sisters as those who do the will of God, those who belong to the family of faith. In this, He emphasizes that God is not distant or uninvolved. He is Emmanuel, God with us, present in the lives, struggles, and needs of His people. Trials, confusion, and hardship do not signal God’s absence. Even when the disciples were in the perfect will of God, storms still came, yet Christ was with them in the boat.

Section 2

The contrast Jesus draws between those on His right and those on His left is sobering and unmistakable. Those welcomed into eternal life served with compassion, often without realizing the eternal significance of their actions. Those sent away failed not because of ignorance, but because they never recognized Christ in the needs of others. Their service was selective, motivated by visibility, recognition, or spiritual appearance rather than obedience and love. Jesus exposes a heart issue, not a logistical one. True service flows from humility and responsiveness to God, not from convenience or benefit. The tragedy of those on the left is that they were willing to appear religious, yet unwilling to act with genuine compassion when it mattered most.

Section 3

This passage calls believers to a deeper awareness and a softer heart. God brings people into our lives intentionally, never by accident, and our responsibility is to respond as faithful neighbors. The example is not perfection, but obedience, like the Good Samaritan who went beyond obligation and bore personal cost. If the heart feels resistant or indifferent, the answer is honesty before God. Asking Him for a greater love for His people is a prayer He delights to answer. Service rooted in love, humility, and obedience may go unnoticed by the world, but it is never unseen by God. He keeps the record, and He rewards faithfulness in His perfect time.