The Living Word: A Daily Devotional with Jeff & Dale from The Jenkins Institute

In this teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25, it is not difficult to see the

connection Jesus makes between Himself and the King. It is the King that

says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my

brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40, ESV). While Jesus as King is

hardly debated, some raise the question concerning who “my brothers”

references. The phrase, “the least of these my brothers,” could refer to

Christ’s disciples (cf. Matthew 10:40-42). It could also refer more broadly

to the vulnerable, the downtrodden, the marginalized. Regardless, the

important factor is clear: Jesus identifies personally with “the least.”

In his book, Christian Ethics, Wayne Grudem states, “Christian ethics is

any study that answers the question, ‘What does the whole Bible teach us

about which acts, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God’s

approval, and which do not?’” He goes on to point out, “Thus theology

focuses on ideas while ethics focuses on situations in life. Theology tells

us how we should think while ethics tells us how we should live.” 2

Jesus, in His life and ministry, taught His followers how to live out the

commands of God. Some have suggested that much of Jesus’ teaching

should fall in the realm of ethics.

Humility may be the most needed and most difficult virtue to possess for

the follower of Jesus. Norman McGowan shared that Winston Churchill

was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a

speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?” “It’s quite flattering,” replied

Sir Winston. “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if

instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would

be twice as big.”

Sheep and goats are interesting animals. Certainly, they are mentioned

throughout the Bible and were very much a part of daily life in antiquity. In

first-century Palestine, sheep and goats often grazed together. However,

they would be separated at night due to their different needs. To connect

with the symbolic nature of sheep and goats, Jesus taught that they would

ultimately be divided–some on His right and some on His left.

Sheep and goats had particular symbolic meaning in the biblical world of

Judaism

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus served others in many ways. In

fact, Jesus clearly explained to His followers that He came not to be

served, but to serve. This is the life to which Jesus has called His

disciples: service.

In His teaching in Matthew 25, Jesus illustrated that the righteous would

ask questions as to when they saw Him hungry or thirsty, as a stranger or

naked, sick or in prison (Matthew 25:37–39). His response to them was

instructive for them and for us today: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to

one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40,

ESV). “The least of these…” Jesus called His followers to serve not just

those who may be considered prominent, but the marginalized as well.

Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that all humanity has been

created in the image of God. The visual lesson from Jesus is that in our

service to others, we are serving Him. If we refrain from serving, we

refrain from serving Jesus.

In 2005, at the graduation ceremony for Stanford University students, the

commencement speaker stepped to the podium and spoke about how to

live before you die. Specifically, he said: “You’ve got to find what you

love… Your work is going to fill a large part of your life. And the only way

to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only

way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet,

keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll

know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better

and better as the years roll on. So, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

My grandfather was a master gardener. He maintained a large garden at

my house and a smaller one at his house. He grew everything imaginable.

If he were still alive, he’d tell me not to phrase it that way. He would say

that God grew it. My grandfather would never take credit for the produce

from his garden. He’d always say, “Look what God gre

A vacuum cleaner serves a very useful purpose. It has all sorts of

attachments. Many of them have an extension wand, a crevice tool, a

dusting brush, and an upholstery tool. Some are even more advanced and

have a ceiling fan tool and a pet grooming tool. There’s a tool for any job.

And, of course, there’s the standard use—just pushing the contraption

across the carpet to pick up dirt. Yes, a vacuum cleaner is a highly useful

piece of technology and one that just about everyone utilizes. Virtually

everyone has a vacuum cleaner. But here’s the important thing to know

about vacuum cleaners

Hair is a funny thing. We recognize the beauty of hair on other

people. We compliment women and men alike for their long,

flowing, wavy locks of curly, blonde, brunette, or black hair, but all

bets are off when the hair becomes disconnected. We garner a very

different attitude toward hair that has fallen out. Hair covering the

shower drain is disgusting, even if it is our own hair. We don’t want

to touch it. A big clump of hair clogging the pipes will trigger our

gag reflex. “Waiter! There’s a hair in my food!” Thick, beautiful,

cascading hair is not so beautiful once it becomes disconnected

from the scalp. In fact, it becomes repulsive.

Ezekiel was a priest living in Jerusalem during the first Babylonian

invasion. He was among the first wave of captives taken by the

Babylonians. God commissions Ezekiel to be an alarm. The first part of

the book that bears his name contains accusations against Israel. God’s

people are primarily guilty of idolatry and injustice, and Ezekiel has the

unenviable task of warning them, knowing full well that they will not

listen to him.