The phrase comes from a parable in Matthew 25. It's the one about the sheep and the goats. The sheep are surprised when the King says, that they gave Him food and drink and shelter (Matt 25:35-37). "When did we do that? "When you did it to the least of these, you did it to Me" (Matt 25:41). Except that that's not quite what He said.
And answering, the King will say to them, 'Truly I say to you, In so far as you did it to one of these, the least of My brothers, you did it to Me.' (Matt 25:40)The story actually defines "these." It refers to "My brothers." Who are His brothers? The adopted (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5). Those who are "predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers" (Rom 8:29). This isn't a blanket "all children" or "everyone on earth." This isn't a reference to "the brotherhood of Man." It is a reference to Christ's brothers: those who have believed. It is an echo of Jesus's "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). That "one another" isn't "all people" either. It refers to His disciples. It refers to all of them, but not all mankind.
We ought to do good to those around us, it's true. As Paul says, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people," but he goes on to say, "and especially to those who are of the household of the faith" (Gal 6:10). We ought (in the sense of moral obligation) to be doing good to all around us. This text from the lips of Jesus isn't about that obligation. This text is about taking care of the least of the saints, God's people. The text is about loving one another -- those in the body of Christ. How are we doing at that?
2 comments:
Put it on the list of the most commonly abused phrases from Scripture. It's especially disturbing to hear it over and over again from someone claiming the title of "Christian". One might expect such to know better.
Without going down a rabbit hole, Matthew 25 is probably one of the parables/passages most abused by those on the political and theological left. Especially when they argue so passionately for policies that actually do harm to the actual least of these.
Post a Comment