“The poor you have with you always.”

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Enter, you who are blessed by my Father!  Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom.  It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation.  And here’s why:

• I was hungry and you fed me,
• I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
• I was homeless and you gave me a room,
• I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
• I was sick and you stopped to visit,
• I was in prison and you came to me.

Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, “Master, what are you talking about?  When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?  And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?”

Then the King will say, “I’m telling the solemn truth:  Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me–you did it to me.”  (Matthew 25, The Message)

Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything?  Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?  For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend!  Be clothed in Christ!  Be filled with the Holy Spirit!”  and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup – where does that get you?  Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? (James 2, The Message)