the least of these

In Matthew 25: 31-46, we have the commonly known description of the Great Judgement Day. All people will be divided as sheep from goats. The sheep, to the right, will go away to eternal life. The goats, to the left, will go away to eternal punishment.

We all are familiar with this passage.

But, what is the prime issue, the key matter that differentiates between sheep and goats? It not the things to which we often give great attention in our religious discussions. No, it all hinges on how we have behaved regarding "the least of these".

Jesus says that the least of these is he. What we do to them we are doing to him. What we don't do them we are not doing to him. This revelation caught both the righteous and the unrighteous off-guard.

The righteous did not treat the least of these well because they anticipated this form of judgement. They did it naturally. It was an expression of their walk with Christ. In the midst of their religiosity, they found and lived Love. Others did not. That proved to be critical!