Working for Jesus
Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:14–46
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me,” Matthew 25:34–36.
Working for Jesus
Father God Almighty, we thank you for the testimony and the direction that is in your Word. We pray that your Word will work and rule in our lives. Give us the grace to serve you according to your Word.
In Matthew 25:14–46, the Lord likens His kingdom to a man who entrusted goods to his servants before traveling to a far away land. He gave them various talents according to their abilities and when he returned, he assessed how they had used these talents. To those who had multiplied their talents, He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord,” Matthew 25:21,23. But to the servant who was so fearful of using the talents that he buried them in the earth, “His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” Matthew 25:26– 30.
The Lord does not want us to bury the talents He has given us; He wants us to multiply them; and He will bless us accordingly. When the Son of man returns to sit upon the throne of his glory “before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left,” verses 32–33. The sheep, those who have served Him, will inherit the Kingdom He has prepared since the foundation of the world.
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me,” Matthew 25:37–40. Every act of love and mercy done to man is in fact done to the Lord Jesus Christ.
When you treat your fellow man properly, you are exhibiting righteousness. Righteousness befits man. Do the right things towards your fellow men now even as this passage says.
But to those who have not served Him, Matthew 25:41-46 says: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or
athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”
Do you have a hunger to serve God but are not sure how to begin? Begin by serving your fellow men wherever you are; minister unto the Lord in your neighborhood or your building. Visit someone who is sick; give clothing you are no longer using to someone in need. Reach out to others, do what you can; serve God by helping your fellow men and He will bless you.
Prayer Points:
This call to service is effective when you are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Father God, give your children the grace to serve you and worship you in spirit and in truth. Keep us from waiting to share our light afar, but rather give us the grace to brighten the corner right where we are.
