Matthew 25:35-40
“For I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; 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? When did we see you a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
This passage is part of Jesus's teaching about the Last Judgment in Matthew's Gospel, delivered to his disciples as he prepares for his final week in Jerusalem. It uses a parable of a king separating sheep from goats to describe who truly belongs to his kingdom.
What does it mean to recognize Jesus in the needs of others, particularly those often overlooked or dismissed?