The Least of These.....

Matthew 25:31-46

31 “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. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Recently I have been reminded, encouraged... and reproved, that my current mission field is my home and my disciples are these wee monkeys at my skirts.

These verses keep coming up in my mind....  Speaking of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring and nurturing those who neeeeeeed to be loved.

I look to my service.  Am I keeping them fed?  Clothed?  Am I teaching them when I rise and when I sit and when I walk?

Now....

Am I doing it as if FOR THE LORD?  When my children are pressing me and seem to be pushing all my buttons.... am I responding to them as if THEY were trial and hardship, or my chance to shine and my blessing?  Am I standing up to the challenge as a child of God responding to His call, or just reacting to the moments trouble with my own emotional and unbalanced attitude?

I might feel like my day is meaningless and more than a little tedious.  Dishes, Laundry, Diapers, Wipe Noses, repeat all day, every day.  But here Yahshua sums up our ENTIRE service to YHWH and His subsequent acceptance of His servants based on this criteria.

Did you serve?  Selflessly?  When no one was looking??

Apparently, it is not unnoticed at all and it's worth is more than this world holds.

May He look on our service and call us, "Come, you blessed of My Father..."