In the Renaissance play DOCTOR FAUSTUS by Christopher Marlowe, the devil Mephistopheles says that his master, Lucifer, desires to win human souls for hell because “Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris,” (Latin for, “It is a comfort to the unfortunate to have had companions in woe”). In modern idiom that translates into, “Misery loves company.” Scripture does not tell us such is true for Satan, who is destined for an eternity in hell (Matt. 25:41), but for humans, however, it is misery in this present world that burdens them. We don’t fault them for their thinking that only fellow-sufferers understand their pain (Luke 16:8-9).

One clear statement in Matthew 25: 31-36 lets us know who those sufferers are and how the Lord feels about the ones who take care of them. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

What kinds of people did the righteous visit or take care of? They gave food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, and housed the stranger (or foreigner). They also visited the sick and those in prison. Are we among the righteous who actively seek to comfort these people in our midst? What kinds of things do we do for those in need? The passage shows us what they need and what we must do for those needs.

Many times we may hear someone complain that “so-n-so always has his hand out,” and they seem burdened by the needs of the poor. Why do we have the poor and needy among us? If everyone we knew were as well off as we are, would we ever have a chance to show compassion? If nobody ever did anything against us, would we ever have a chance to show mercy or forgiveness?

Note how Jesus describes those who refuse to consider the needs of others in Matthew 25:41-46. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

–Beth Johnson