I'd like to share with you a recent insight that seems rather plain and obvious, but one I hadn't taken literally enough before. It's a powerful way of knowing Jesus Christ and of looking at others that can improve all our actions. In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus speaks of the day when He returns and will separate the people of the earth as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. The sheep on His right hand are those who have served others while the goats on His left are the selfish who took only thought for themselves.

He tells the sheep (v34-40) "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."

"Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?"

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

That last verse is the one that I'd like to point out -- "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Contrast that with what he tells the goats who did not serve others, "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." Why is that? Is that simply rhetoric? Does it just mean, when you help others, you're helping God do His work and that when you do not serve others; you're not doing His work? I think it's even more literal than that.

I believe that how we treat others is literally how we're treating our Savior. The prophet Isaiah predicted of Christ: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:3-5 3).

Jesus Christ in a literal way paid for our sins, carried our sorrows, and experienced our grief through his infinite and eternal atonement that is not bound by the finite limits of mortal time constraints. What we do or do not do today -- our sins of commission or sins of omission -- retroactively must be paid for by Jesus Christ. What we do today affects Him in Gethsemane and Calvary.

When we lift the burdens of another, we lift a burden from Christ because that is one less burden He bears. When we treat another mercifully, we treat Him mercifully, for that is one less hardship He must experience. When we heal and comfort another, we heal and comfort Him. When we obey one of His commandments that is one less stripe He must endure on our behalf.

The eternal law of justice demands that a price be paid for every sin. And thus, through His infinite and merciful atonement Jesus Christ not only paid for every time we turn away the needy, but He also experienced what it was like for that downtrodden person to be spurned. Not only does His atonement pay for our rude and callous remarks, but also He experienced the pain of the person we've wounded. Is it any wonder that He pleaded, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15) and to "judge not lest we be judged" (Matthew 7:1). If we truly love Him, not only will we not wish to cause Him another ounce of pain, but also we will lift each other's burdens for in doing so, we lift His.

I think if we could always remember Him -- truly remember Him and how our actions and inaction impact Him - we would see each other through His eyes. We'd be more forgiving, more compassionate and giving. We'd reach out to others, lift, build and bless, for in doing so, we know we're alleviating His suffering in a literal way.

Written by: Marnie Pehrson
Marnie L. Pehrson is a wife, mother of 6, founder of SheLovesGod.com, and author of both inspirational Christian titles such as You Can't Fly If You're Still Clutching the Dirt: How to Stop Worrying and Achieve Your God-given Potential and historical fiction novels like "The Patriot Wore Petticoats". Be sure to download her free ebook Nothing Is Impossible for Those Who Believe. You may read excerpts and samples of her books and ebooks at www.MarniePehrson.com. She also frequently adds to her gratitude column here.

The author may be contacted at http://www.MarniePehrson.com webmaster@shelovesgod.com.

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