Matthew 25:45

"Then he will answer them, 'I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.'" (New English Translation)

I think we read this verse and we assume it means to give all the money in your wallet to the homeless man at the next stoplight, well at least that's how I read it for so long. What if "the least of these" is rather this wide idea that it is simply caring in all aspects for someone who seems to have less then us? Sound like the same thing? If I were to assume that this verse expressed the need for me to give all my money to the next homeless person I saw, well then I am not really fixing the problem I am just making myself feel less rich with a few less dollars in my pocket when that light turned green. I think that what it's intended to mean, would possibly be this idea that when we hear of a situation in which children are being orphaned by aids, or parents cannot afford to feed their families, or that 2.6 billion people live on less than $2 or that malaria kills 8% of children under the age of 5, we just assume that we cannot do anything or we are not big enough to fix the problem. When Jesus says "Then he will answer them, 'I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.'" Matthew 25:45 (New English Translation) he is saying that we can't solve the problem to completely get rid of malaria but rather care for each individual as if they were Jesus, because that is how worthy Jesus sees us. We can't wait assume that by attending church on Sundays and bible studies on Wednesdays that that will be enough to spend eternity with Jesus. Jesus created in us, a deep longing to help others yet when we mask that longing with what our own hearts desire for what we want, we miss out on what God has for us and who He has created for us to come into contact with and how they will change our lives (and hopefully vice versa). Give with a giving heart, as we step into a season of giving elaborate gifts to those we love the most, think about giving elaborately to those you don't know.