“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’”

When someone is important to us, it means a lot to us when others also see their value. When someone helps our elderly parents, encourages our child, or helps our sibling when they are in a bind, it means a lot to us even when that person has not done anything directly for us. Similarly, when we serve other people, we show love to our heavenly Father. When we love the least of these—those oppressed, overlooked, or devalued by others—we reflect God’s love to them, and we show our love for Him.

We may easily love those who get along with us, are family members, or we have known for a long time. But in the kingdom of God, love is to stretch farther and wider than the scope of our social boundaries. Jesus consistently went out of His way not only to love His disciples but also to love the orphans, widows, tax collectors, and diseased. He saw their value when no one else did. As Christ’s followers, we are called to do the same. We are equipped by the Holy Spirit to love when we feel angry and tempted to push others away, we are equipped to forgive the undeserving, we are sent to love the least of these, even when we feel awkward or struggle with how to help. The way we treat people in every situation is an opportunity to glorify God and confess with our lives that His creation is valuable and worth loving sacrificially.

• Who does it feel more natural for you to love sacrificially? Who is hard to love sacrificially?
• Who might be considered the “least of these” in your community? How can you serve them?
• Pray and thank God for the value He has put in each person. Ask Him to help you see that value and live accordingly.