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Caring for the King

Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling
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"And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'"

Matthew 25:40

We are saved, not by our works, but by God’s grace received through faith (Eph. 2:8). Yet that’s not the end of the story. God has saved us in order that we might live a life of good works. We become citizens of his kingdom so that we might do the works of the kingdom in every aspect of our lives. Among these works, we care for those who are needy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, tending the sick, and visiting the prisoner. We do these things, not in order to be saved, but in response to God’s gracious salvation already given to us.

The surprising twist of Matthew 25:31-46 comes when the King says, “[W]hen you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” By implication, when we care for people in the name of Jesus, he receives our actions as if they were for him. One way to love Jesus is to reach out with tangible love to those around us, especially to those with special needs.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Do you think of the needy people in your life in the terms of this parable? Whom might you care for today in the name of Jesus? Does your worship spill over into acts of kindness and charity?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, today I am reminded of how I might show my love for you in tangible ways. In addition to adoring you in my songs and prayers, I can care for you by caring for people in need. What a wonderful opportunity! What a high calling!

Help me, even this day, to see the needs of people in my life. May I reach out to them, so that in loving them I might express my love for you. Receive my acts of kindness and charity this day as gifts of worship. Be glorified, Lord, through me in all that I do. Amen.

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