This song alone has probably single handedly made me the most excited for the World Race. I have listened to it countless times. Each and every time is makes me hopeful that I get to help "the least of these."
The new revelation; however, is that "the least of these" have already walked into my life and are being shown Christ simply through my actions. They get to see the blessings coming in to my account. They hear and see my pure excitement that this journey might just actually happen!
Matthew 25:31-46
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
In Matthew 25 verses 34-46 Jesus is saying that when we do things unto the least of these, we do them unto him. When we see a starving man and feed him, when we see a thirsty boy and give him water, when we see a stranger and take her in, when we see someone in need of clothing and clothe them, when someone is sick or in prison and we visit them, when we see a person searching for answers/God, we help them, we are doing these things to Jesus. We also see in Proverbs 19:17 that, "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again."
When we do unto the least of these, we are doing unto the Lord, and we are also lending unto the Lord.
Who are the least of these? Jesus gives us a good description: The hungry, thirsty, poor, strangers, naked, needy, sick, lost, or imprisoned. Basically anyone in need. We see three things represented among this list: Physical needs, emotional needs, and that we do these things not only to those we know, but also to strangers, or those that we do not know.
Physical needs are required to live. A person needs food, water, a place to sleep, and clothing.
Emotional needs equally essential. You can feel just as physically ill when your emotional needs are not met in a healthy way.
Following are the ten main innate emotional needs *
1) Security — safe territory and an environment which allows us to develop fully
2) Attention (to give and receive it) — a form of nutrition
3) Sense of autonomy and control — having volition to make responsible choices
4) Being emotionally connected to others
5) Feeling part of a wider community- NOT FACEBOOK people…REAL community!
6) Friendship, intimacy — to know that at least one other person accepts us totally for who we are as we are
7) Privacy — opportunity to reflect and consolidate experience
8) Sense of status within social groupings
9) Sense of competence and achievement
10) Having meaning and purpose — which comes from being stretched in what we do and think.
Life is never 100 per cent perfect, but as long as our main essential needs are being met, and our resources are being used well. However, if just one of these needs is unmet, or our resources are being misused, it can affect our mental health and well being. I can attest to this personally! I have had battles with mild depression for a few years now and it has all seemed to go away! I have a new sense of direction, purpose, and appreciation for people, activities, and circumstances in my life.
The physical needs are pretty easy to see and deal with. We can all do this at some level and not even have it affect us. You can donate food to a local shelter/ pantry or give a person on the side of the road some food to eat. But what about taking in a stranger and giving them a place to sleep or helping someone emotionally that is asking for help? Is that safe? Can we effectively do this without putting ourselves in harms way physically or emotionally?
Sometimes it can be, sometimes it might not be, but there are different ways to help the least of these.
Emotional needs are the more difficult needs to help with but are just as essential as physical needs. True, you won't physically die without any friends or a support network, but you won't really be living either.
Are the least of these in emotional need restricted only to those in prison or who are sick? I really don't think so. We have one of the most developed nations yet one of the most depressed. We are over worked, over stressed, and generally dont take enough time to actually live. We are all about earning the paycheck and not about relating and being in community with others. I believe what Jesus was trying to get across in Matthew 25 was that we should be reaching out to all people in need, both those we know and those we don't, those who are in physical need and in emotional need. You may have a family member who needs support, you may have a neighbor who is lonely, or past friends you've stopped talking to because you've had a falling out. Regardless, if they are in need, and you don't help them, then you don't help or lend unto the Lord, and that's a big deal to God.
I believe that in some point in our lives we have all been amongst the least of these, and have all experienced either being helped, or being denied the things we need. It is often easy for emotional needs to go unmet. How many of you have had a falling out with a friend whom you've never spoke with again? It might have hurt them as much as it did you. Or how often have you seen a co-worker or student at school looking lonely and left out, and you haven't done a thing to help? We all know how it feels, and we should all be working as God's hands and feet to remedy these situations, stepping up and doing what needs to be done for others. Whether it is at work, home, neighborhood, or other activities, I am sure there is someone that needs your love and attentions.
Regardless of our money situation, we can all help in some way, by donating things we already have, donating our time, or lending our Love. God gives so much of His love to us… why can't we give some of it back to his other children?
This is one of those call to arms posts. Let's move as one unit, and put some feet to prayers, even if they aren't our own. I am ready, able, and willing to go as a representive of us all. I really do bubble over with love, affection, joy, and a caring attitude. Some people are called to give, some are called to go. I am called to go but need your help by giving towards this mission trip. 
*Information attained from World Press
