The "least of these" is a phrase that often comes to peoples' minds when they think of those in society who are suffering from impoverishment, struggling with low-income, or lacking basic needs for life. But is this passage talking about anyone who is in dire straits or specifically believers who are in need?
Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 25:31-46 as He speaks to His disciples and followers:
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" —Matthew 25:31-46 [emphasis added]
The "King" in this passage refers to Jesus; likewise, "my Father" refers to God the Father. In this context, Jesus is speaking to "those on his right," who are "the righteous," and the "least of these" refers to believers who have suffered tremendous trials.
We know that Jesus is specifically talking about the suffering of other believers because He refers to them as His "brothers." And His point is that those who claim to be His followers must be willing to serve and support their fellow believers, the "least of these," as they endure hardships like starvation, impoverishment, sickness, and imprisonment.
In our world today, this may look like buying lunch for a Christian classmate who can't afford it. Or it could look like letting a believing friend stay with you when they have nowhere to go. Or financially contributing to a GoFundMe for a fellow Christ follower who is undergoing a medical crisis. It doesn't necessarily have to be a monetary gift either. The heart of what Jesus is saying is that believers have a responsibility to extend a loving hand of support to those who are in the body of Christ in whatever way they can.
After addressing the eternal rewards of the righteous, Jesus addresses the eternal punishment of the unrighteous in Matthew 25:41-46:
"Then [the King] will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'"
Although salvation is received by faith alone and not at all connected to doing good works (Ephesians 2:8–9), the redeemed of God's family will be "eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:14). This means that our hearts ought to be bent toward a desire to sacrifice our resources, time, and short-term comforts for the benefit of those who are suffering.
In this passage, Jesus says that the righteous who serve believers in need will receive eternal rewards, and, on the flipside, the unrighteous who neglect the "least of these," were never His family in the first place and will receive eternal punishment.
Jesus was called a "man of sorrows" who was "acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). God has always been a defender of the destitute and a protector of the innocent (Psalm 35:10). So it's truly no surprise that He expects "the least of these" in His family to be treated with love and dignity by their own spiritual brothers and sisters (Galatians 6:10).
To be clear, this passage is NOT saying that we should refuse to help anyone who isn't a believer! Our default setting ought to be: "help those in need." The Bible is very clear that God helps those who are in need, especially vulnerable populations, thus so should we (Psalm 10:17-18). The point Jesus is making is how seriously wrong it is to refuse to help a brother or sister in Christ who is in the midst of suffering—especially if we are able to assist.
Ultimately, if we have been transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ, we ought to seek to love and serve "the least of these" according to their needs and our abilities and resources, because when we serve them, it is an outpouring of our true, authentic love for Jesus.
Many people think the "least of these" mentioned in Matthew 25:31-46 is referring to anyone in society who is in need. However, Jesus is specifically talking about those in the body of Christ who are in dire straits and in need of support from fellow believers. He then connects eternal rewards to believers who extend love and support to the "least of these," and eternal punishment to those who neglect them. While we ought to love and support ALL people in need, this passage clearly communicates that, when believers lovingly serve the family of God, they are serving Jesus. Similarly, to reject supporting the "least of these" is the same as rejecting Jesus Himself.
Grace is a passionate writer and musician who desires to radiate Christ's light in a generation of teens and young adults navigating their life in a world of spiritual darkness. Recent founder of Christian rock band Lighthouse Saints, she desires to spread the message of God’s truth and love through her songwriting and voice! Grace is also an aspiring freelancer who has worked professionally in writing, editing, and social media content creation. In her free time, Grace enjoys meeting new people, reading lots of books, jamming out with her friends, and writing (sometimes overly dramatic) poetry.
