“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” Matthew 25:40

Jason’s best friend, Matt, moved to Japan to be a missionary. When Matt met his future wife there, they planned a wedding near Christmastime. Jason bought a plane ticket to attend the wedding months in advance for nearly $1000. But as the wedding neared, Jason realized he’d mistakenly bought his ticket for November and his flight had left without him a month ago. Jason was devastated because he couldn’t afford to replace the ticket.

Though she barely knew him, Matt’s grandmother gifted Jason a replacement ticket. Maybe it was the proximity to Christmas, but Jason couldn’t stop thinking about the way it felt to receive a generous gift he didn’t earn and couldn’t repay. It was both welcome and humbling. Being forgiven a debt can transform a life. The feeling of being chosen from a sea of people in need is to feel seen and not forgotten. That’s what it feels like to receive the grace of God.

At the time of the repaid ticket, Jason determined that when he had the means to extend a similar grace to someone else in the future, he would. Years later, he joined a prison ministry and got that opportunity repeatedly. Jason began dedicating time and money to aid incarcerated people who are chronically forgotten and too often go completely unseen. Jesus tells us that caring for the lowliest brothers and sisters is showing love for Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:40). God’s grace never fails to pick a prisoner or, you, out of a crowd.

 

Resource reading: Lamentations 3:31-36