Kindness: Towards the Least of These

" '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; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' " -Matthew 25:35-40

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant..." -1 Corinthians 13:4

"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." -Ephesians 4:32


Jesus has said that when we do something for the "least of these" we are doing it for Him. The interesting thing about doing something for someone who has nothing to give in return is that you must really be able to give from your heart. Otherwise you might be tempted to hold their needs in disgust in view of what it might have cost you to show kindness.

Showing kindness towards a homeless person, for example, is something that must be done with the utmost intention upon serving someone who cannot give anything back in return. Also, mark my words, if you are doing so to be seen by men... Jesus talked about that as well! Do not fall into the ranks of the Pharisees and their hypocritical "righteousness"... There is no room for such foolishness in a true kingdom-minded believer's life. I speak from experience when I say "You will be blessed beyond words by simply serving those who cannot, in fact, help themselves." Give of your time... give of your resources (food, water)... and watch as the homeless man or woman goes from hopeless to hope-filled. Just talking with someone for a few minutes can make all the difference in their life! To know that you care... this gives them great hope! They will most likely ask you why you are helping them or anyone else out on the streets... my answer has been, "God has already blessed me, so I'm taking that blessing and I'm sharing it with you!"

Perhaps this is not your gifting... perhaps you are more of the "I was sick, and you visited Me..." type of person. To show the kindness of a servant's heart is something to be greatly sought after. To show compassion for those who are weary... this too is a great kindness that Christ has said will be taken account of. Or maybe you are gifted in the area of hospitality... there are many ways in which we might show kindness towards others.

However, we must be careful... for we have also been warned of what will befall us if we turn our backs on the needs of others! "These will go away into eternal punishment..." (Matt. 25:46). We are, quite simply, asked to do as Christ has already done. To continue His ministry, in His name, and give all glory to the Father.

Your kindness may very well be your best ministry tool that you possess. For people will see your kindness and will wonder what prompts such selfless giving. Then is your opportunity to give all praise and glory to God, your Heavenly Father! And watch that you do not fail to give Him all glory, or you will have received your reward in full... for the praise of man is something we desire, but it is not the greatest reward we might receive. It is, however, the only reward we will get, if we allow it to sink into our hearts and become a seed of pride. Kindness must be shown with all the humility that we can muster!

Friends, let us practice kindness without thought of anything in return. To learn such selfless giving is something that will only cause us to draw closer to, and become more like, our Lord and Savior. I have a long ways to go in learning to give completely of self, without the need for recognition or acknowledgement from others... this is a cursed area upon my life. I hope to soon be rid of such a plague! Friends, let your kindness speak for you... let it bear forth the light of Jesus into this dark world in which we shine like stars in the universe!

Grace and Peace!


Questions or Comments? E-mail me at afflquestions@yahoo.com .