HomeWord - December 17, 2012

You Serve Jesus by Serving His Children

This devotional was written by Jim Burns

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." —Matthew 25:40

Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier and a Christian. One cold winter day, as he was entering a city, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms; Martin had no money, but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, and Martin gave what he had. He took off his soldier's coat, worn and frayed as it was; he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar man. That night he had a dream. In it he saw the heavenly places and all the angels and Jesus in the midst of them; and Jesus was wearing half a Roman soldier's cloak. One of the angels said to him, "Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?" And Jesus answered softly, "My servant Martin gave it to me."*

This Scripture and story bring a chill to my body when I read it. I feel two opposite emotions. I want to run and care for every person I see as if they were Jesus, and I want to run and hide in selfishness and self-pity and not touch a soul with my life. The choice is mine to make. I think I'll try to see the Jesus in each person, and I think I'll ask God to help me see, with the eyes of Jesus, each person's needs. How about you?

GOING DEEPER:

1. Rewrite Matthew 25:40 in your own words.

2. List some practical ways you can serve Jesus by serving one of His children.

FURTHER READING:

Matthew 10:40,42; Proverbs 19:17; Hebrews 6:10, 13:2

*William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew (Philadelphia:Westminster Press, 1975), p. 326.