Title
The Pedigree of the Sheep
Scripture
I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.
(Matthew 25:35-36)
Devotional
This is the pedigree of those who are to inherit the Kingdom. Here we have what the ministry of the body of Christ is to be. The Word of God tells us that it is both spiritual and physical. The physical aspect is obvious. The spiritual application is likewise clearly given. Jesus said: “I am the bread of life.”(1) And “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.”(2) “Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.”(3) It is not to be the religion of the “or” but the relationship of the “and”. The Church is not to be a communal entity or a spiritual entity, but it is to have both a communal and spiritual relationship. Let us feed the poor, but let us not neglect reaching the lost. It is hard to reach the hungry without feeding them, but it is foolish to feed them and not reach them for Christ.
(1) John 6:47, (2) John 4:14, (3) Matthew 22:9