Love the least

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me'" (Matthew 25:40 NLT)! For me, one of the least would not be some person who possesses little or could not do anything for me. It would be some people I am tempted to think less of because of how they have treated me or problems they have caused in the past. I am not going to name such people because that wouldn't be the right thing to do. Since this post is about loving the least, it would not be very loving to call the people out by name and tell them some of the most negative thoughts about them.

But in answer to the next part of the question that inspired this blog post, what is my responsibility toward those people? Jesus made that abundantly clear when he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39 NLT). But how does that look? Is it just a feeling? No. In fact, I would contend that you don't even have to like some people to love them. Love is the command, and love is an action, not a warm fuzzy feeling you get inside. Crowds once asked John the Baptist, "What should we do?" John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.” “What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

Those are good places to start, but how do they apply in a 21st-century American context? What are the principles behind these wise words of John the Baptist?

• Generosity- If you can provide something that someone needs, no matter how much or little you have, do it.
• Fairness- God doesn't require that we live in poverty, nor is he opposed to prosperity. But he does want us to be fair in our dealings with others.
• Honesty- A half-truth is a whole lie. Be honest with people. Don't make false accusations or try to cheat people.

Those who are content in all situations are best-equipped to live this way. It took the Apostle Paul a while after his conversion to learn this, but he eventually wrote, "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT). If you start with these things, you're not only ready to love the least, but everyone else too.