https://odb.org/MY/2022/11/29/a-hot-meal
Matthew 25:40 is a concept that Jesus espoused encouraging us to help our lesser brethren in their times of need. Jesus begins at verse 34 by inviting the righteous to come and take their inheritance in the Kingdom that was prepared since the creation of the world. This is because they had fed Him when He was hungry. They had given Him a drink when He was thristy. They had clothed Him when He needed clothes. They had visited Him when He was in prison. They had looked after Him when He was sick. Meaning to say when the righteous had helped those of His brothers and sisters who needed help, they had helped Him. It is similar in concept to building treasures in heaven; that is, what we do for God counts towards our riches in heaven. Such riches are intangible here, but they will mean something solid and real when we are in heaven. Those riches could also be the inheritance that Christ spoke about in Matthew 25 verse 34.
This concept of being kind to others in the Kingdom and broadly being kind to everyone (storing treasures in heaven) is radical because it goes against the grain of the world, then and now. The world either takes kindness for granted or just refuses to be kind to others. Everyone minds their own business and goes about life not being involved in the lives of others. You do your thing, I do mine. I’m not obliged to help you as you need to help yourself. In fact, I’m in need of help myself! Why should I be kind to you? Are others kind to me? Do they give me a green pass? Do I get a special treatment, a VIP lane? I get treated like everyone else. So get in line. That’s life! Life doesn’t afford anyone any special treatment. You get life as it is. What is it in for me if I’m kind to you? Nothing!
Except that Jesus taught that if we are kind to another brethren and I would say another human being, we are actually being kind to Him. Jesus thus gives us a reason to be kind to others. Everyone we meet and face in life is Jesus personified, and if we think that way, we will always be kind to everyone lest we ended up being unkind to our Saviour and Lord, who died for our sins and saved us from the sting of sin which is death.
It is strong and difficult teaching but helps us break through our conventional thinking to only think of our own interests most if not all the time. It is teaching that will alleviate us from only storing riches on earth for our old age to storing riches in heaven for our life in eternity. It helps us focus more on the spiritual than only be mindful of the natural. Our work in the world still needs to be done – at least we are not only putting aside some for the rainy day, but we are also putting some in heaven for the time when we are there!
Ronnie's Thoughts 