April 20
The Least of These
Have you thought about the "least" these people in our world? Jesus certainly does. He proved that in His life and work in ministry on Earth. He was about God's business in serving and ministering to the people that seemed seemed to have forgotten. Among these were the sick, the poor, the lame, the blind.
This week we've seen our team serve some of these same people here in Ecuador. They have looked past their impressions or even preconceived ideas. Instead they have looked for Jesus in each face they've seen.
Today our work in Quito drew to a close. We were blessed to serve hundreds this week with medical care, dental care, and provided glasses. These children, youth, and adults were able to get the referrals they needed and all medicines and vitamins for each.
We won't have the opportunity to serve in this exact same way again. But this experience encourages us to look for the least, the last, and the lost that are within arms' reach in our own contexts back home. Those that we seem to pass each day on the way to work. The ones we forget about that live near us. The ones that Jesus would spend time with--the least of these.
How about you? Who are the least of these in your own context? Are you ready to serve as Jesus did? Are you ready to use the gifts and graces that He has given you to serve? It doesn't have to be across the world. Maybe it is to be across the street. Maybe it is across the hall. Wherever it is, ask God to show you who you can serve and how. He'll show you. He wants to show compassion and love to His children. And He wants to use YOU to do so.
We have been very blessed to work with SIFAT (Servants In Faith and Technology). To learn more about their work and how you can also be involved visit www.sifat.org.
In Ecuador we've worked at sites where Compassion International is making a difference in the lives of children as they release them from poverty in Jesus' name. Visit www.compassion.com
In early blogs, we mentioned the work of Dr. and Mrs. Paul and Flor Fellers and Bayside Medical Mission. Visit them at www.baysidemedicalmissions.com
To learn more about the ministries of Fairhope United Methodist Church, visit www.fairhopeumc.org
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
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