Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious
throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he
will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the
sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:31–32
What an image to ponder! Try to imagine this scene. At one
definitive moment in the future, the Second Person of the Most Holy
Trinity, now also in human form as the “Son of Man,” will return to
earth in glory surrounded by all the angels of Heaven and will sit
upon His new and glorious throne. In front of that throne, every
person of every nation ever to exist will be gathered together, and
each person will be judged according to their deeds. Those who
served our Lord and treated the least of His brothers and sisters
with mercy and compassion will hear Jesus say, “Come, you who are
blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world.” Those who did not serve Christ and did
not treat the least ones with mercy will be sent off to eternal
punishment as Jesus says to them, “Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.” On
that day, only one thing will matter, because eternity will be
determined with permanence. All that will matter is whether you
will be placed on our Lord’s right so as to inherit eternal life,
or on His left and sent into the eternal fires.
Sometimes, as we journey through life, we can lose sight of this
glorious day. When we think of God and Heaven, it is easy to fall
into the presumption that Heaven is guaranteed to us. God is kind
and merciful, and He loves us. Therefore, we presume that Heaven is
for certain and only the most horrible people will end in hell. But
this is not how Jesus depicts the Day of Judgment.
Jesus explains that at the time of judgment, the righteous will be
astonished by the fact that caring for those who are hungry,
thirsty, a stranger, naked, ill, or imprisoned was the same as
showing love for God. Likewise, those who neglected the same people
will be astonished that they failed to love God by failing to love
the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Do not take this teaching
lightly. Jesus does not mince His words. He is abundantly clear and
definitive.
In your life, who are these “least ones” of which Jesus is
speaking? The hungry and thirsty are not only those with physical
needs but also those who have spiritual longings that need to be
satisfied. They are those lost or confused in life who need to be
given direction. The stranger might be anyone who is lonely and
easily ignored. The naked might be those who cannot manage to care
for their needs. The ill could be those who are elderly or
suffering in various ways. And the imprisoned could include those
bound by sin who need help to be set free. Do not fail to seek out
our Lord as He is present in those all around you.
Reflect, today, upon those in your life who seem most lost and most
in need of your compassion. Those to whom we do not feel like
reaching out are those who most often need our compassion and
mercy. The “least ones” are often those we judge, condemn or
ignore. Call to mind the person who seems least deserving of your
love and know that Jesus is living within them, waiting for you to
love Him by loving them.
Most merciful Lord, Your compassion is great and Your judgment
is real. Help me to always keep my mind upon that final and
glorious day on which You will return in all Your splendor and
glory to judge the living and the dead. May I truly heed Your words
and prepare for that day by loving You in all people, especially in
those most in need. Jesus, I trust in You.
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