As Ye Have Done It Unto The Least

There is a song that sums up much of our gospel doctrines. I will paste it here and then discuss why it is so powerful. It is called "A poor way faring man of grief."

1. 1. A poor, wayfaring Man of griefHath often crossed me on my way,Who sued so humbly for reliefThat I could never answer nay.I had not pow'r to ask his name,Whereto he went, or whence he came;Yet there was something in his eyeThat won my love; I knew not why.
2. 2. Once, when my scanty meal was spread,He entered; not a word he spake,Just perishing for want of bread.I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,And ate, but gave me part again.Mine was an angel's portion then,For while I fed with eager haste,The crust was manna to my taste.
3. 3. I spied him where a fountain burstClear from the rock; his strength was gone.The heedless water mocked his thirst;He heard it, saw it hurrying on.I ran and raised the suff'rer up;Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,Dipped and returned it running o'er;I drank and never thirsted more.
4. 4. 'Twas night; the floods were out; it blewA winter hurricane aloof.I heard his voice abroad and flewTo bid him welcome to my roof.I warmed and clothed and cheered my guestAnd laid him on my couch to rest,Then made the earth my bed and seemedIn Eden's garden while I dreamed.
5. 5. Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death,I found him by the highway side.I roused his pulse, brought back his breath,Revived his spirit, and suppliedWine, oil, refreshment--he was healed.I had myself a wound concealed,But from that hour forgot the smart,And peace bound up my broken heart.
6. 6. In pris'n I saw him next, condemnedTo meet a traitor's doom at morn.The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,And honored him 'mid shame and scorn.My friendship's utmost zeal to try,He asked if I for him would die.The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,But my free spirit cried, "I will!"
7. 7. Then in a moment to my viewThe stranger started from disguise.The tokens in his hands I knew;The Savior stood before mine eyes.He spake, and my poor name he named,"Of me thou hast not been ashamed.These deeds shall thy memorial be;Fear not, thou didst them unto me."There is scripture wherein Jesus says "As Ye have done it unto the least of my brethren, Ye have done it unto me."  Meaning if we treat others well then we have treated Christ well but if we treat others horribly then Christ takes that personally because we are all Gods children, who are we to mistreat Gods creation, God's children?Which type of behavior is Christlike?In San Fransico a Catholic Church set up sprinklers so soak the homeless people who sleep under the archway entrance of the church. I think we should stop waging a war on the poor and the homeless and instead wage a war on poverty because that is the enemy, not the poor and not the homeless.I'm not sure that the church's antics are even legal but even if it were it would still be wrong. Wasn't Jesus homeless? Isn't the way that church mistreats the homeless who seek help from His disciples, indicative of how they would treat Jesus by His own standards set forth in the New Testament?By contrast there is a high school basketball team, Vanguard College Prep in Waco, Texas, that at first refused to play another team until they could make it right. They refused to play a team for the Gainsville Tornadoes from Gainesville, Texas because the Tornadoes had no fans as they are in a correctional facility so their school mates are not allowed to come and even their families rarely attend.Two students/basketball players from Vangaurd Prep organized their fans and students into a cheering section for the tornadoes and put up flyers cheering them on and on top of all of that they provided the Tornadoes with their very own cheerleaders.The boys from Vanguard said everybody needs someone to cheer them on, they need someone who knows our mistakes and loves us anyway, and isn't that what Christ has done for each of us?This may not be what sports are typically but isn't it what it should be?Now which of the two examples from the Catholic Church in San Fransico to the high school basketball teams, is more Christlike? Which of the two examples do we need more of in this world and in our lives?

   31 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:

   32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

   33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

   34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

   35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

   36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

   37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

   38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

   39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

   40 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.

   41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

   42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

   43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

   44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

   45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

   46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:31-46

   We need more Christlike love, understanding and compassion. We need more cheerleaders in life not just on the court. Christ is the one who knows every one of our mistakes and loves us anyway, He is the one who cheers us on when we can't take another step, He is the one who is about good sportsmanship on the court and in life. Shouldn't we then be a cheerleader for our brothers and sisters, especially to those who are a stranger to comfort and warmth and to compassion and understanding?

   Doing good, loving and serving others can be more rewarding than receiving. What the world needs now, more than ever, is for us to live the teachings and not just learn them. Because when we do good for others we are paying it forward since we can in no way payback the Atonement. And that homeless person that freezes in the night soaked by sprinklers for sleeping on the property of a church dedicated to the life and teachings of a homeless man, that is Christ by His own definition.

   The way we treat others is how we are judged, by the standards we judge others we will be judged by. Whether the verdict is in our favor or not is up to us.

   How we walk with the broken speaks louder than how we sit with the great.