Serving Jesus

Matthew 25:31-40 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in Heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 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.’”
 
JESUS gives his disciples a fascinating picture of his coming to save and to judge. One image Jesus says four times in Matthew is about the angels with him on that day. He surely will not come alone, but accompanied, as he was on his first coming, by heavenly host (Luke 2:13-14) displaying God’s glory come to his earth. Immanuel, God with us, has come as the baby Jesus in a manger. Next time he will come with the angels’ glory as King Jesus, sitting on the clouds of Heaven.
   Then Jesus spoke to the priority he places on our servant-hearted care for others. Consider the sovereign LORD God Almighty saying, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” All of God’s saving work since Eden has been and is being done to welcome you to Heaven one day. He has empowered the faithful followers to live in love of their neighbors: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the homeless, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, helping the prisoner. Loving the least is loving the King. Jesus is then glorified. His power and holiness are made evident to the world when we serve him in love.
 
Jesus Teaches: A faithful, loving heart serves the King.