What Does Jesus Really Mean When He Says “Whatever You Did for the Least of These”?
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Many of us are familiar with Jesus’ words regarding how we treat “the least of these.” We usually hear them in sermons designed to guilt us into giving. The message goes something like this: Jesus loves the poor. Therefore, if you really love Him, you’ll donate to this cause.
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not denying the general truth represented by this statement. My concern lies in how we tend to apply it. God never strong-arms, manipulates or coerces us into behaving a certain way. Rather, He motivates us with love that first flows in us, fills us, then streams from us. We must interpret all of Christ’s words through this premise. Only then will we accurately understand His message in Matthew 25:40, which reads,
“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.’”
Literary Context
This verse comes from a parable Jesus told during the last week of His earthly ministry. This was the third and last analogy used to discuss what Scripture terms “the end of this age” (Matthew 25:3-14). He began with a story of ten brides awaiting their groom to illustrate that we won’t know the day or hour of His return, and therefore must remain alert and prepared.
Next, He shared a story of a rich man who entrusted his wealth to three servants. This reminds us that all we have comes from and belongs to God, and He expects us to manage His resources well (Matthew 25:14-30).
Next, we reach the passage in which we find two related phrases:
“…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40b).
And
“Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Matthew 25:45b).
These read as harsh statements, and the surrounding text does little to soften their intensity. Beginning in verse 11, He said when the end times come, He will gather all the nations before Him and separate their people like a shepherd removes goats from his herd. According to His words that follow, He bases His dividing criteria on peoples’ generosity, or lack thereof.
Christ’s Declared Qualification
In Matthew 25:34-46, He said:
“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.’ Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say, ‘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!’ Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”
Jesus’ Heart Revealed
This passage speaks comfort to the impoverished, defeated, sorrowful and oppressed. Jesus doesn’t just see our pain, nor does He simply feel compassion for our struggle. He hurts with us. He so closely aligns Himself to us that He experiences our wounding personally, as if He was standing in our place and enduring every blow.
As a mother, I understand this. I’ve felt deep compassion for many people, and their stories of hardship have often brought me to tears. I’ve prayed, fervently and persistently, for those I care about. But my daughter’s struggles hit me at a visceral level, more intensely than if I found myself walking through them. If you’re a parent, you can probably relate.
Consider Jesus’ words regarding the hungry, thirsty, and imprisoned through this lens. Although the Lord advocates mercy and compassion for all, it’s important to note that not everyone in a first-century dungeon committed crimes. Greek and Roman sources indicate many, if not most, of those incarcerated landed in that place due to debt. Further, scholars estimate that 90% of the population struggled to meet their family’s basic needs, let alone pay the exorbitant amount of taxes imposed on them by Rome and its dishonest collectors.
Cultural Relevance
This dire reality was further complicated by the fact that most people thought an individual’s socio-economic status was assigned at birth. Those with wealth received honor and influence while the impoverished experienced a lifetime of shame and public disdain. A vast majority also believed all resources were limited, and therefore one person’s gain resulted in someone else’s lack. As you can imagine, such a scarcity mindset and judgmental view did not encourage generosity.
In view of all this, one can envision the impact of Christ’s words. He not only advocated for those first century society scorned. He also elevated them by association while highlighting a core attribute of His followers. He wasn’t saying that people could earn salvation through compassionate living and lose it through selfishness and greed. We know this because Scripture affirms, in numerous places, that eternal life comes through faith in Christ.
John 13:34-35 says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
To phrase it differently, their intimacy with and vital connection to Christ would necessarily impact how they treated the men and women God created. The closer I am to the Lord, the more grace I feel toward others.
For example, there’ve been numerous times when a critical thought about someone pops into my mind and I immediately sense God’s conviction and feather-soft whisper. In those moments, He often reminds me of two important, unchanging truths: He loves them fiercely, and deep within their souls, sometimes buried beyond their awareness, they long for His love. This, in turn, softens my heart toward them.
What Jesus Didn’t Say
This doesn’t mean the Lord expects us to give all that we have to whomever we encounter. We know this, again, from considering other passages in Scripture. In Proverbs we’re encouraged to manage our finances well so that we can provide for our families and even leave an inheritance for our children (Proverbs 13:22).
Scripture also emphasizes the importance of merging truth and love. I’m reminded of the apostle Paul’s instructions in Ephesians 4:29, which states,
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
While this verse speaks specifically to the words we use, we can apply the broad principle of responding to the needs of others to all interactions. A recently laid off single mom needs financial assistance. A drug addict who refuses treatment does not. Similarly, God might ask us to drive an elderly man to and from his cancer treatment while encouraging us to allow the teenager who lost their license to walk to school.
Our Response
Considering all this, how should we, God’s children, apply Christ’s words in Matthew 25? I don’t believe He meant for us to take them as “pass” or “fail” qualifications. They do, however, provide something of a litmus test to gauge our spiritual health and maturity. If we rarely feel drawn to help those who are in material, physical, or emotional need, we might need to connect, more fully and consistently, with Jesus. More specifically, we might need to more fully and consistently receive His love.
This brings to mind two inseparable verses. The first comes from John 14:15, where Jesus said:
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
For years, I read this as, “If you disobey Me, you don’t truly love Me and therefore must love Me more.” In other words, I placed the emphasis on myself and my efforts to muster increased attachment to Christ.
But then I reflected upon this verse’s necessary companion, which comes from 1 John 4:19. It states:
“We love because he first loved us.”
This tells us where our love, for God and others, comes from, and it’s not from within ourselves. Therefore, if we want to love others more deeply, more compassionately and sacrificially, we will prioritize our time reflecting upon and learning to receive Christ’s love for us.
This is what He illustrated in John 15:4-5:
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Pause to consider the life of a tomato, raspberry or grape. Their role is to remain connected to the vine that nourishes them and to absorb every drop of vitality it provides. The necessary result is beautiful, sweet, life-giving fruit. God wants us to live with that same level of dependence, because the soul filled with Him naturally overflows His goodness onto others.
He also counters the scarcity mindset that fuels our desires to hoard. As we rest in His unconditional, unending love, He reminds us that we are well-cared for and therefore can give of our time and resources to others without fear. We won’t have to force ourselves to give to the hungry, invite the stranger to dinner, or visit those who feel hopeless and oppressed because His Spirit will work in us to “will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Ephesians 2:13).
If this resonated with you and you sense God inviting you to share with the hurting this winter, I invite you to join me in partnering with Samaritan’s Purse to provide food for babies and helping to rescue children in crisis. You can do so here.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/photographer
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLou
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.