Devotional: Home Sweet Home
Read Matthew 25:31-40
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
For Reflection
Home is where the heart is. There’s no place like home. Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling. Family makes this house a home. The best part about going away is coming home. Home is my happy place.
I bet you can come up with even more quotes about home. And for good reason: home is a very special place. Take a moment to look around. What are the sights and smells that whisper home to you? Home is safety and comfort and welcome. It’s a place where we can both retreat and grow wings. It’s a firm foundation and a launching pad. Home is a basic human need.
Sadly, according to the Institute of Global Homelessness, over 1.6 billion people don’t have adequate housing, and 150 million are homeless and do not have access to water, food, or sanitation services. It’s unimaginable. Now add to that number at-risk and orphaned children—kids who may have a roof over their heads but are not safe or properly cared for. It’s enough to make you weep, isn’t it?
Sometimes when faced with human suffering, we want to close our eyes and cover our ears. It’s easier to pretend that we don’t know or that such suffering doesn’t exist. But Jesus asks us to go into the eye of the storm. “Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”
We’re called into the fray to offer water and clothing and shelter and compassion in whatever way we can. What an incredible privilege!
For Discussion
Today, instead of talking, we challenge you to get out and drive around your city. Not just main street, but the streets where you don't know the people living in the homes. Drive through areas of your city that you may not even know existed. (They are there, even if you don't think they are). What do you see? What do you feel? What do you notice? Do you see God working? Is he stirring inside your heart?