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 25:34-46)
I had one commenter tell me that the drug addled vagrants to day are different from the beggars of scripture. Yes and no. Drugs as we know them today are very different from those of antiquity. But Noah was a drunkard and that is an addiction common today and common to those who are homeless beggars today. But if people are so different today than they were in Biblical times then the scriptures would have no value or meaning today because no one could relate to the characters in scripture.
People are still people and they still fall into all the pitfalls they always have; addiction, gambling sexual sins, theft and more. The failure to recognize Jesus in those we meet in modern life isn't just sinful it's heartbreaking both to me and to those who are shamed, ostracized, put down, belittled and hurt by those holier than thou, self-righteous attitudes.
When Christ says "the least of my bretheren" He means the people who have the least value or no value just disdain in our society both modern and ancient.
When people say "they are different today than they were in Biblical times" it is a justification to judge, mistreat, ostracize and shame people these days.
It is a way of saying these people may not be forgiven, they are scum, less than dirt and worthy of nothing but disdain.
It is also a way of saying "I love them because I served them but they are still scum."
My heart breaks for those who have been at the receiving end of such attitudes and treatment.
During the ministry of Christ He blessed, healed and served those who were considered scum in His time. He was rebuked for such kindness and compassion.
Jesus' feet were washed by a sinful woman, perhaps a prostitue, yet Jesus defends them woman and forgives her her sins but rebukes the judgmental pharisee who condemns the woman because of the tyoe of person she was. It is a common thread throughout history to consider some less than human which is how the pharisee views the woman but Jesus sees only a daughter of God.
36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. Luke 7:36-50
The compassion Jesus showed the woman is why she took such overwhelming over the top actions and it isn't just her faith that healed her, it was the unconditional love of Christ that did so.
When you look into the eyes of a homeless person, a drug addict, a prostitute or a murderer if you see a man or woman created in God's image, if you see a child of God then you are seeing through the eyes of Christ because that is how He saw all He met.
These ideas of one person being above another or being of a better class of human being is a human failing and it's a common one.
To see the divine imprint of God in the eyes and in the hearts of all is how Jesus was able to be so compassionate to those He met that were considered to be less than.
Jesus told us not to judge, judgment is His job alone and even though He was without sin and could cast the first stone, He did not. Instead He told her to "go and sin no more." Now if they fail to sin no more the judgment to follow is God's alone and has nothing to do with us.
If someone receives no forgiveness then what motivation do they have for living righteously for according to Paul "All have fallen short of the glory of God" meaning we all have sinned and none are perfect and sinless but Christ.
So though you may feel you are better than others you are not free from sin or mistake.