September 10th

September 10th -- Matthew 25:31-46

Please read the passage!

Just gonna' focus in on one part of this passage. I really love this particular part, is all. When God begins saying that the righteous at His right hand fed Him, clothed Him, or cared for Him in any other way, those He is speaking about/to are incredibly confused. They ask Him what He means, and He tells them that everything they did "for the least of these" they were doing to Him. He says the same basic thing to the ones on His left - when they saw people who needed caring for, they left them, which was like leaving God. Have you ever looked at it that way? REALLY looked at it that way? Really, we sort of all are God in some sense. Not in the sense of being in any way omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent, but in the sense that we are all made in His image. We are all made in the image of God and image-bearers of God (basically the same thing - I just phrased it two ways). Each and every one of us is made in the image of God in some way or another. Now, people can be exceptionally hard to get along with - trust me I know. Sometimes, our life seems miserable or just chaotic - trust me, I know that, too. However, think of how many people you pass on any given day. 200? 300? Maybe even 1000? There are so many lives. Now, I'm not encouraging anyone to run up and hug strangers, but imagine seeing God or Jesus in that crowd - wouldn't you go way out of your way to reach them? So, why is it when we see God in those crowds, maybe holding a sign begging for money, or crying alone on a park bench, or just in some way obviously struggling, we pass right by like we don't even see the person? I think we just lose perspective. I think that we get so lost in our human nature's calls to put ourselves first, that sometimes we do it without noticing. So we don't help, because then we have to give up something of our own. However, that is basically leaving God there without help. I would hope you'd help God, so help those made in His image. Also, although it shouldn't need to be incentive, just remember that you will be rewarded for what you give for His glory. Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Treat each person in need like you would treat Jesus or God Himself! God bless! Shalom!