“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 have all experienced it before, right? You are walking down the street, you see someone standing there asking for money, and you tell them you do not have anything to give them. Or maybe you are at a stoplight, hoping it turns green before the person with a sign asking for help gets to your car window. If you are like me, you leave these moments feeling awkward and wondering if you did the right thing.

During our reading today, Jesus is telling us that these moments are holy moments. Our reading for today is the last of Jesus’ public teachings. We find Jesus in Jerusalem during what we call Holy Week, and we are just a few days out from the Passover and the Last Supper. This also means we are a few days out from Jesus’ betrayal and death on the cross. I find it so fitting that Jesus’ last teaching was about loving and caring for others. Jesus’ message has always been about seeing others as God sees them and treating them with this love.

Giving to those in need has always been on God’s heart. The Torah (God’s law in the Old Testament) required farmers to leave the edges of their fields from being harvested for widows and orphans to take from as needed (Leviticus 19:9-10). The prophet Amos talks about those who do not pay attention to the needy (Amos 4:1) and Isaiah reminds everyone that they are to feed the hungry and clothe the naked (Isaiah 58:6-7). Jesus carries on this tradition of caring for all people—he lived it out. Jesus fed the hungry and healed the sick. Jesus showed worth to all people, not just those he felt comfortable around.

As followers of Christ, we are also called to show worth and dignity to all people. We are called to care for the “least of these” who are our brothers and sisters. So do not look away from those in need; instead, acknowledge their existence and show them the same love God has shown you. This might mean giving them something to eat, or it might mean looking them in the eyes and seeing that they, too, are humans loved by God.

Go in peace and care for the “least of these”!

Reflection:

  • What is your usual reaction when you encounter those in need?
  • What are some examples of how Jesus met people where they were? Helping while not requiring anything in return from them?
  • What are three ways you can provide for the “least of these” this week?