And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" Matthew 25:40, NKJV

When Jesus told the parable of the sheep and the goats, He wasn’t trying to scare anyone. He was trying to reveal something simple, something surprisingly down-to-earth about what it means to be ready for His return.

He described a scene that will one day unfold: the King returning in all His glory with every angel by His side, gathering all nations before Him. Can you imagine the sky filled with light, the sound of thousands of wings, the awe of every living person standing before the King of the universe?

And yet, with all that glory, the thing Jesus chooses to highlight isn’t majesty or power.
  It’s mercy.

The King looks at the sheep as those prepared for His kingdom, saying, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father… For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat” (Mt. 25:34-35).  Notice that the King DOESN’T  affirm the great things they built or impressive miracles they performed.  Just the fact that whenever they saw a need, they showed simple love.

What’s beautiful in Jesus’ story is that the sheep are surprised. They don’t remember doing anything extraordinary. “Lord, when did we see You hungry? When did we welcome You? When did we visit You?” (vv. 38-39).  And that’s the point.

FOR THE SHEEP, LOVE HAS BECOME SECOND NATURE.

They weren’t keeping score. They weren’t serving to earn points with God. They were simply living out who they had become — people shaped by the Spirit of Jesus spontaneously living out the love of Jesus.  

And while they were serving others, they were in fact serving Jesus.  “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me” (v. 40).  We may think service is something we do for others, but apparently Jesus sees every act of kindness as an act of worship — something we do unto Him. The King receives what we offer, no matter how small, as love for Him.

Being ready for Jesus’ return isn’t about predicting dates or deciphering charts. It’s learning to live with a heart that loves like His — naturally, consistently, quietly, in the small and hidden corners of everyday life.  This isn’t something that comes through grunt or grit.  It comes as we allow the grace of Jesus to transform our hearts into His image.  When God’s love becomes part of who we are, we may not even notice we’re doing anything remarkable.  But Jesus surely does.

🙏 Prayer

“Lord Jesus, please transform my heart to know you and love like you.  When you bring me in touch with others’ needs, give me a loving willingness to move toward those needs in personal and practical ways.”

🌿 Small Group/Family Reflection

1. Which part of the list in Matthew 25:35-36 (hungry, thirsty, lonely, sick, imprisoned) feels easiest for you to respond to? Which feels harder? Why?
2. How does it change the way we see people to know that when we show love to them, we’re actually showing love to Jesus?
3. Who is one person we could show simple kindness to this week — as a family or individually?

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