“When you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”
In Matthew 25, Jesus explains that when we visit the sick and those in prison, take a stranger into our home, feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, we have done the same to Him.
The Bethesda Foundation is a “least of these” ministry that reaches those at the point of their greatest need and at the time they are hurting the most. The people in this category often have nothing to offer in return. The sick are helpless, the inmate is confined, the hungry are poor and the stranger is homeless. When we minister to those who have nothing to offer, we are closest to the heart of God. Bethesda heals the hearts and families of children who are often fatherless. Children are fully dependent upon adults and lack the resources to give back to those who help them when they hurt the most. The innocence that pours from the soul of even the poorest child is worth more than the wealth of the whole world.
This Christmas season I am reminded that the birth of Christ was all about the least of these. He was born in Bethlehem a small insignificant town in Judea (Micah 5:2). He was born of a poor servant woman who was espoused to a lowly carpenter from the poorest of towns Nazareth. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger, the food trough for animals. He was visited first by the poorest shepherds who saw Him lying in Swaddling clothes. The whole 33 year life of Jesus until His death for our sins reflected His focus upon the least according to the world’s assessment: the disciples were fisherman, tax collectors and dregs; He visited the publicans and sinners; He we met with the rejected woman at the well, the woman taken in adultery and emphasized the gift of two mites from the poor widow. The examples go on and on.
During this time of economic crisis, our political leaders believe that entitlements to those in need are the only answer to their plight. This creates a false dependency upon man and a lost dependency upon God. The church must stand ready to respond to the least of these that are in our reach. This is their best hope for the eternal blessing of the Living God.
May your Christmas be filled with joy and your new year be blessed beyond measure as you seek to minister to those least among His Brethren.
God Bless You and Those You Love,
Dominic Herbst
President