The Least of These
January 16, 2009

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” – Matthew 25:40

Do you remember the litany of “the least of these”? The hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, the prisoner.

It is so easy when we have food, shelter, comfort, family, friends, and freedom to cozy down in our little nook and shut our eyes to the rest of the world.

But “the least of these” are still there. And you don’t have to go far to find them:

• They are in your city’s jail or prison. Alone, caught in the cords of sin, fighting anger, depression, addiction, and fear.
  
• They are in your church. The young mother struggling to feed her children, desperate that no one know how tight things really are.
  
• They are in your local nursing home. Once vibrant parts of the church and community, they now sit lonely and forgotten.
  
• They are in your office. The odd-man-out, the socially-awkward woman, trying to fit in and failing miserably.
  
• They are in your neighborhood. The young boy who hides the bruises on his arm. The little girl who hides the bruises on her heart.

You have to get out of your comfort zone to find “the least of these.” Jesus knows who they are. Do you?

• Who do you know right now whom you could reach out to with help, support, and encouragement?
• What is one activity you could engage in this year that would bring you out of your comfort zone and into contact with “the least of these”?