“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.” Matthew 25:31–46
A while back, I was listening to a song called ‘One of Us, sung by Joan Osborne, which led me to Matthew 25:45. The song and verses in Matthew stirred my heart deeply to write a devotion and sermon, which I shared with a local men’s group. I wish to share a modified version with you as a reminder for us who are First Responders, Chaplains, Christians, and men and women of God:
There’s a haunting question in the song “One of Us”: What if God were one of us? What if He walked the streets like an ordinary person? What if He sat next to you on the bus, stood behind you in line, or passed you on the sidewalk?
Most of us have wondered something similar. We want God to feel close. We want Him to be understandable, reachable, relatable. We want a God who knows what it’s like to be human, and in Matthew 25, Jesus answers that longing in a way that is both comforting and unsettling.
Jesus describes the final judgment — a moment of glory, angels, and divine authority. But then He says something that breaks the pattern. The King identifies Himself with the hungry. The thirsty. The stranger. The naked. The sick. The imprisoned. Not symbolically. Not metaphorically. Not poetically. Literally. “You did it to Me.”
Jesus is not saying, “I care about the poor.” He is saying, “I am among the poor.” He is not saying, “Serve them because I love them.” He is saying, “Serve them because you are serving Me.” This is the scandal of Matthew 25: God hides in plain sight.
Jesus already became “one of us” in the Incarnation. He walked dusty roads. He felt hunger. He knew exhaustion. He experienced rejection. He suffered injustice. But Matthew 25 reveals something deeper: Jesus continues to walk among us — not in glory, but in disguise. He is the God who chooses the low places. The God who stands with the overlooked. The God who identifies Himself with the least.
If you want to find Jesus, you don’t have to look up. You have to look around. We often miss Jesus because He doesn’t look like the Jesus we expect. We expect Him in worship services, not in welfare lines. We expect Him in Bible studies, not in broken neighborhoods. We expect Him in spiritual moments, not in messy ones. We want a God who is easy to recognize. But Jesus chooses to be found in the faces we’re tempted to ignore. Sometimes we walk right past Him. Not because we don’t love Him — but because we don’t recognize Him. This passage is not about guilt — it’s about awakening.
It’s about learning to see with Kingdom eyes. It’s about recognizing that every act of compassion is an act of worship. It’s about discovering that Jesus is closer than you think. Imagine this: You’re on a drive or a walk. You see someone sitting alone, tired, worn, invisible to the crowd. You feel that small nudge — the one you often ignore. You stop. You offer kindness. You listen. You help. And in that moment, heaven whispers: “You just met Me.”
That is Matthew 25. That is the gospel in motion. That is the God who hides in plain sight. Feed someone who is hungry. Encourage someone who is lonely. Welcome someone who feels out of place. Help someone who is struggling. Visit someone who feels forgotten. Do it slowly. Do it intentionally. Do it as if Jesus Himself were standing there. Because according to Matthew 25… He is.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see You where I least expect You. Break my heart for the people who break Yours. Teach me to love not just in words, but in action. Help me recognize Your presence in the faces of the forgotten. Make me attentive, compassionate, and courageous. Amen.