God’s Care For Refugees, Foreigners and StrangersSample

Welcoming Strangers Means Welcoming Jesus

Jesus describes the final judgment. He says that “the King”, meaning Jesus Himself, will praise the people who have cared for Him when He was in need. Among other things, they welcomed Him into their home when He had no place to stay. However, those people are surprised by His words. They don’t remember having done that! The King’s answer is remarkable: “The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me” (Matthew 25:40, ERV). In Matthew 10, Jesus says something similar to His disciples: “Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him Who sent Me."

Serving the Lord can take the form of welcoming people into your home, or of giving someone a cup of cold water (see Matthew 10:40-42). It can take the form of a tasty meal or a listening ear.

At the end of time, Jesus will return to earth to judge humanity. Then He will “bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). People’s deeds will show what their hearts are like, just as a tree is known by its fruit. If you have loved God and your neighbor wholeheartedly, you will by no means lose your reward.