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?
Then they'll fire back at him, saying, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry, thirsty, homeless, without clothes, sick, or locked up and not help you out?'
They're genuinely confused because they missed him in the people right in front of them.
📚 Historical Context
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is teaching about the final judgment through the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, where He separates people based on their actions toward the vulnerable. He explains that failing to help the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, and imprisoned is equivalent to neglecting Him personally, drawing from the cultural norms of ancient Jewish society that valued hospitality and care for the poor. This parable emphasizes the eternal consequences of one's deeds in a first-century context where social and spiritual responsibilities were deeply intertwined.
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