Have you ever been driven to compassion for someone who was hungry, thirsty, sick, an outsider, or in prison? A few years ago, I went to the county jail to visit a childhood friend who was serving time. He could not figure out why someone whom he hadn’t spoken with in years would suddenly drop in on him in jail. He owned up to his crime, acknowledging that he was behind bars for a reason. Looking back, I’m confident it was God who kindled in me such a servant’s heart for this old friend. The experience reconnected us and opened the door to share about my faith.
Jesus portrayed the compassionate heart of a servant as the defining mark of the Christian life. On the day before the crucifixion, He sat with His disciples, assuring them of His return at the second coming. As recorded in chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel:
Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” (Matthew 25:34-36)
Contrary to a world that ranked servants on the bottom rung of society, Jesus defined the inheritors of God’s kingdom by their servant-like conduct. The crux of Jesus’ message comes in v. 40: “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!” While one might be inclined to give food, drink, accommodation, clothing, treatment, or companionship to the high and lofty seeking something in return, Jesus lauded those who looked out for “the least of these.”
Jesus embodied the self-giving demeanor of a servant. Although the King of kings, His ministry was marked not by receiving acclaim or service from others but by meeting them at their point of deepest need: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). In giving all of Himself for us, even to the point of death, at the proper time, God established Jesus with incomparable honor and renown (Philippians 2:9-11). The kind of service that makes a difference in God’s eyes is giving of our time, energy, and resources to the disadvantaged, regardless of any immediate reward.
LORD, give us a servant attitude. Help us lead “the least of these” to the very kingdom hope we have by meeting them at their time of need. Empower us by Your Spirit to walk in Your compassionate love today.
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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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