LESSON: MATTHEW 10:40‒42

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Then He will say to those at His left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” Matthew 25:40‒41

If such a terrible and drastic condemnation awaits those who have neglected works of love towards their brethren, what is to become of those who have not only neglected such opportunities, have given Christ nothing, have rendered Him no service at all in His poor ones, but have even robbed them of what they had and forced them into hunger, thirst, and need and, in addition, have even persecuted, hounded, captured, and murdered them? 

Such men are so incontrovertibly wicked and damned into such depths of hell with the devil and his angels that He no longer thinks of them here or speaks of them in particular. But it can be regarded as quite certain that He will not forget such robbers, tyrants, and bloodhounds just as certainly as He will not forget or leave unrequited those who have suffered hunger, thirst, destitution, and persecution, more particularly for the sake of Christ and His Word.

Even here he does not actually forget the latter, although He is speaking in particular to those who have had mercy on those in need and have helped them. On these He bestows high and glorious praise when He says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40).

SL.XI.1891, 17

PRAYER: Lord God, we thank and praise You for the clear warnings of Your Word in which You urge upon us an earnest and consistent profession of our faith. In Your mercy and grace, grant us also such obedience of faith that we may always be certain of receiving our Lord’s approval when He comes to judge the living and the dead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.