The Least of These - Matthew 25:40

Matthew 25:40

"Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

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We just got to spend the long Easter weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Klekner, and really had good quality family/grandparent time with Hannah here also.  Of course with it being March Madness season, we spent a lot of time watching the NCAA basketball tournament and even caught a few of the women's games.  One of the games had a very touching story line about a top player at the University of Delaware - Elana Delle Donne.  After watching that piece, Grandma Klekner said something like "it sounds like there is a devotion in there somewhere", so here it is.  :)

Elana Delle Donne had originally committed to the University of Connecticut as a freshmen 5 years ago. But upon arriving on campus, she only stayed 2 days and went back home.  She was essentially homesick and one of the main reasons she went back home was to be around her sister Lizzie.   You see Lizzie was born deaf and blind with autism and cerebral palsy.  Elana and Lizzie communicate through touch and smell - a hug, a kiss, some simple hand motions, and the smell of Elana's hair.  Being hundreds of miles away meant that she was totally cut off from Lizzie.  The interview showed how clearly that whole family loved Lizzie and how much joy that Lizzie brought to their lives.  They call her their angel and Elana has a tatoo on her arm of an angel with the name Lizzie in the middle.

After seeing many examples of how special needs children have touched so many, I am convinced that God uses these special people to show His deep and passionate love for us. And on a practical side, I believe He has made special needs kids so loving, so we will learn to love everyone on this earth no matter what they look like and no matter what they can do for us.  It is amazing to think that many in this world, would even argue that these people are not even worthy of life itself.  They would argue that they are not enough value to society and that their cost of care is too much of a burden.  They would have us believe that we should snuff out this life even before it sees the light of day.

Well Jesus has a little different view of life than some of us.  He values every life from the moment of conception to the moment of passing.  He does not desire that we end life prematurely either in the womb, or in a nursing home.  In this verse today, Jesus says that when He returns in His glory, He is going to hold us accountable to how we have treated our fellow man.   And He makes a special emphasis on treating the "least of these" with dignity, respect, and caring.  He equates how we treat one of these, to how we would treat Him.  For those who have mistreated these people, Jesus says, "depart from me ...  go away into everlasting punishment".

So as you see either a special needs person, or someone in prison, or someone sick, or a homeless person, reach out to them with the hand of Jesus and let them know they are loved, value, and first in the Kingdom of Heaven.

...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!