Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus told His disciples, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in:”, and in chapter twenty-five and verse thirty-six of his book, Matthew writes how Jesus said he was, “naked ... sick, and ... in prison” where we read:
Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me.
The verse reads, “Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me:” Matthew began with Jesus' word, “Naked” which means “without clothing, unclad and without garments” “and you” which refers to “the disciples of Jesus” “clothed me” which means “threw around, surrounded and put clothes upon Jesus”: “I was sick” or “Jesus was weak, feeble, without strength and powerless”, “and you visited me” which means “and the disciples of Jesus looked upon Him or after, inspected and examined Him with the eye”. Matthew shared how Jesus said He was “naked” and “sick”, and His disciples ministered to His needs.
The verse continues, “I was in prison, and you came unto me.” Matthew added Jesus' words, “I was in prison” which means “Jesus was under guard, hold, watch and captive”, “and you” which refers to “Jesus' disciples” “came unto me” which means “appeared, arose and came forth unto Jesus”. Matthew shared how Jesus said He was also “held captive and under guard” and His disciples “appeared” to Him.
When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus shared more ways He was in “need and want”. He said He was “naked, sick and in prison”, and in each case, His disciples ministered to Him. God desires to meet every person wherever they are in life. Some people have little or no clothing, and others are “sick” and “incarcerated”. No matter the need, He is able to meet them where they are to help them, and He often does it through His disciples. God offers “salvation” to every person through His Son Jesus, and then He “employs” believers as His “ministers” in the world. Where people are “naked”, believers in Jesus are to help clothe them. Where there are people who are “sick” and “in prison”, they are to “visit” and “come” to them. May all who read these words yield themselves to the “Savior and Lord” of the world and become an extension of His ministry wherever there is need.
Next time Matthew writes how Jesus shares how the “righteous answer”, “when did we see you hungry … or thirsty”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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