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Matthew 25:41-45. The Left Hand Side 17 Nov 2023

Mat 25:41 Then he will say to those on his left hand,
"Go away from me, with your curse upon you,
to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you never gave me food,
I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you never made me welcome,
lacking clothes and you never clothed me,
sick and in prison and you never visited me."
44 Then it will be their turn to ask,
"Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty,
a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison,
and did not come to your help?"
45 Then he will answer,
"In truth I tell you,
in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these,
you neglected to do it to me."

Excerpt from THE NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE, copyright (c) 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Reprinted by Permission.

The sons of Zebedee requested to sit at the right hand of Jesus. The above verses deal with many at the Lord's left hand.

At first sight, everyone of us appears to be here. We all fall under condemnation.
However more carefully reading verse 42 and verse 43, the ordeal applies to those who NEVER helped the needy. It does not say that we always need to help.

Prayer

Jesus, I ask for ways to involve more people in caring for the needs of others.