The Way You Treat Others is How You Treat Jesus

Gospel Reflection for March 10, 2025

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Mt. 25:31-46 NABRE)

So often we dismiss those in need. Sometimes we even do this on a daily basis. Overlooking those in need may not even look like refusing to provide food or drink or clothes to the poor. It may not always entail neglecting to care for the so-called larger, or primary, needs of others.

Sometimes we dismiss the needs of others by not being present to them with our whole mind and heart when they need us. Sometimes we overlook others who are in need by not truly listening to them or by not offering them our time. How often do we decline to be there for others because we’re distracted?

Jesus calls us to contemplate today how our actions towards others are actually directed towards Him. We are called to see Jesus in each and every single person, and to treat them as such.

Consequently, any time we neglect or overlook the needs of others, whether in big or small ways, we have neglected Jesus.

Whether we have declined to provide drink, food, or clothing to someone, or have declined to offer them an attentive ear, we have refused to care for and listen to Jesus.

Would you find yourself zoning out in a conversation with the Lord? Would you ask Him to wait for your availability before tending to His needs? Would you multitask by working or engaging in other things when He is speaking to you?

We wouldn’t do these things to our Lord. We would give Him our complete and undivided attention. So may we see Jesus in others and offer them, on a daily basis, the same love and care with which we love and care for our Lord. In doing so, we will love Jesus and others more truly, completely, and perfectly.