Made in God's Image (2)

'you did it for me' MATTHEW 25:40

Jesus is preaching to the crowds and begins to tell a story about one of the Jewish people's favourite subjects - Judgment Day.

In the minds of Jesus' listeners, judgment day was a great and terrible day - great for them, terrible for their enemies.

In his story, Jesus talks about the nations being brought before the King, and separated, some on the left and some on the right. The crowd's smiles must have been growing as Jesus talks about the group on the left being blessed and rewarded. "That must be us", the Hebrew listeners were thinking, "at last God will dish out some justice." But Jesus goes on and as he does some of the smiles may have turned to sneers.

Jesus says that the first group are being rewarded for giving the King food, water and clothes. Because when they did these things for "any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed" the king says they "did it for me" In Jesus' story justice was being dished out, but for Jesus justice wasn't about Israel's enemies getting punished but the poor being treated like God's children.

Yesterday we thought about the importance of remembering that you are made in God's image. Jesus reminds us of the importance that others are made in God's image too no matter how unimportant they seem. Take some time right now to ask what you can do for the king today.

AMEN!