Jesus loves the least of these

 JESUS LOVES THE LEAST OF THESE

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

MARK 10.13–14

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?”

MATTHEW 5.46a

Based on MARK 10:13–16

In today’s social media–driven culture, we’re used to name-dropping, endorsing, tagging, and self-promotion. I once heard an influencer boldly declare from a stage, “It’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you.”

And while that kind of worldly wisdom may help some people land book deals or job referrals, the kingdom of God reveals an upside-down economics. Or rather, it provides a right-side-up perspective to our world’s upside-down mentality.

There’s a grain of truth in that speaker’s networking advice, but I imagine it’s not quite what he had in mind. After all, what’s important truly is Who knows you, with a capital “W.” There will be many on the final judgment day who will hear those frightful words from Jesus, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Mt. 7.23)

But if you know Jesus and Jesus knows you, it doesn’t matter how well-known or unknown you are to the rest of the world. You can rest in His intimate and unconditional love. He is enough.

We see this time and time again in Jesus, in the way He reached out to those shoved aside by power-mongers and in the way He taught His disciples to do the same, serving meals to the hungry, offering hospitality to the foreigner, visiting the sick and imprisoned. Jesus was stretching His followers’ understanding of what God’s kingdom of love looked like, even going so far as to teach, “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Lk 14.13–14).

This is the way Jesus loved those around Him, and it’s the way He’s loved us too. As Paul explains, “when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5.6–8).

Safe and secure in His Father’s love for Him, Jesus ignores pride’s seductive whisper and pursues the marginalised. He welcomes little children — those who had nothing to offer Him — and grows downright angry with His disciples when they try to send them away. He welcomes the sinners and eats with tax collectors. He reaches out to the widows and the prostitutes. He invites ordinary fishermen to become His honoured students. He reveals His identity to a lonely and abandoned Samaritan woman.

Time after time, Jesus eschews the powerful and influential to seek out the lowly and downtrodden. Instead of going up to Jerusalem to seek the priests’ approval or to build a coalition with the powerful, Jesus hangs out with the sinners, the tax collectors, the sick, and the weak.

He loves the “least of these” and elevates them to a place of honour again and again. He calls His disciples to likewise serve those who cannot repay and to do good to those who cannot return the favour, not for public praise, but for their heavenly Father’s eyes and approval only.

Prayer 

Precious Jesus, You who are perfect love, forgive me for loving selfishly, doing good to those who can reward me with their praise, appreciation, and reciprocation. Thank You for loving me when I had nothing to give You. Help me love others like You love.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

If you want to read more 

Mt 18.2–4, 10–14, 25.31–46, Mk 10.13–15, Lk 14.13–14, Jn 4.4–30, 13.1, 1Jn 4.19–21