Matthew 25 Devotional

A Kingdom Prepared in Advance

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”Matthew 25:34 (BSB)

Matthew 25 holds three pictures of the end. Ten young women wait for a bridegroom, and the door is shut on those who were not ready (25:10-12). Servants entrusted with their master's money must give an account when he returns (25:19). Then the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne and separates the nations as a shepherd separates sheep from goats (25:31-33). The chapter ends with eternal punishment and eternal life (25:46).

Notice what the King says first to those on his right. They are blessed by his Father, and the kingdom they inherit was prepared for them before the world was made (25:34). An inheritance is not a wage. Only then does he speak of what they did: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick and imprisoned (25:35-36). And they are surprised. They never knew it was him they served (25:37-39). Grace does not make that kind of mercy unimportant. It makes it natural. Small kindnesses to the least of those he calls his brothers are never small to him (25:40).

To think about: Who is in need near you this week, and how might you serve them as if serving Jesus himself?