CHRISTmas

Least, Last, and Lost

Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' ” Just what did he mean by that? How often have you heard the expression, “Oh don’t worry about him, he doesn’t matter.” Or “He’s unimportant.” Worse still, how about, “Leave him, he’s not worth worrying about.” Or words to this effect? Is that not in direct opposition to what Jesus said?

"Christ always identified Himself with the least, the last, and the lost." – (Author Unknown)

This is my CHRISTmas message for you all. It’s time to seek out the least, the last, and the lost. It’s time to demonstrate Christ’s love for them and to them. How much will you spend on yourself this Christmas? And how much will you spend on those who have little or nothing? It just seems wrong to me that millions of Christians in the Western world will spend and spend and spend at Christmas. Gifts for family and friends; food enough and rich enough to feed an army and much of it thrown away in the end.

Just take a really close look at your own town. How many people cannot afford a Christmas dinner; cannot afford gifts for their kids; not even any relations or many friends to meet with and join with on Christmas Day? How many older folk will spend “a quiet Christmas on my own” with no company or cheer or festive spirit. Then see if you can count the number of people who are helping those with less than themselves to actually enjoy the message of Christmas – perhaps for the first time in years?

Is it not about time we started to think of others as well as ourselves, especially at Christmas? It is the time of good will to all men; the season of great joy for all mankind. Well, for most at least, but not for all. Jesus came for all of us. He sought out the least, the last, and the lost. He asked us to treat them as ourselves. He said to us, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

What will you do for the least of these, your brothers & sisters, this year?