The thirsty, hungry, sick, and imprisoned in Matthew 25:31-46 are the “least of these.” This is not generic to humanitarian aid (though that’s elsewhere in Matthew 6:1; cf. Galatians 6:10).
“Least of these” is idiomatic to the disciples of Jesus. Jesus himself says that these are his “brothers” (25:40; cf. 10:42, 18:6, 18:10, 18:14).
Giving a drink of water to the “least of these” means expressing practical affection to fellow believers, especially when they’re in trouble.
We learn elsewhere that the world loves to hate such disciples (John 15:18-25). So loving them comes at a cost: Guilt by association. Loss of social capital and cultural respectability. Someday, perhaps even your livelihood.
So when you see the world heap shame on a faithful believer, enraged, shouting “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”, rise up.
Sacrifice your cultural respectability. Despise the praise of man. Embrace the “shame” of being Christian. Give the drink of water to the untouchable brother.
Train your eyes to look for the believers that the world hates, and throw in your lot with them. And hear Jesus say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34).
But if you find yourself joining the dog pile of disdain on believers, be warned: “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
The term “least” of these (25: 40, 45) uses the superlative form of the adjective “little one,” which is one of Matthew’s unique ways of referring to Christians (10: 42; 18: 6, 10, 14; cf. 5: 19; 11: 11). Matthew 10:40-42 offers a close parallel with its promise of reward for those who offer even small acts of kindness to itinerant disciples. So it seems most likely that Jesus is referring to deeds of compassion done for suffering, persecuted Christian emissaries. Because one has accepted the message of the gospel, one is concerned to care for its messenger. Moreover, these “sheep” are not, as it is sometimes alleged, surprised that they are accepted as Christ’s followers (the “anonymous Christian” theory); they are surprised only when they are told that they ministered directly to Jesus, since he no longer lives on earth in incarnate form. But Jesus assures them that he is present in every one of his followers to whom they have ministered. None of this absolves us of the responsibility to care for the non-Christian needy of our world; we simply have to turn to other texts for that teaching.
Blomberg, Craig L. (2009-08-01). Jesus and the Gospels (p. 380). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
See also:
I Am Aaron Shafovaloff 