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The Divine Mandate: “Inasmuch as You Did It”

When we count our blessings and witness God’s intervention in our lives, our natural response is to ask how we can serve Him in return. Yet, we often overlook the very people Jesus specifically asked us to remember: the forgotten.

Who are the forgotten? They are the individuals in our communities who are often "hidden in plain sight"—the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the stranger, and the prisoner. They are called "forgotten" because human nature often gravitates toward doing good when recognition is likely, rather than serving those who remain unseen.

Matthew 25:31–46 provides the divine blueprint for this ministry. In the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, the righteous are welcomed into the Kingdom because they met the practical needs of the marginalized. When the righteous ask in surprise, "Lord, when did we see You like this?" Jesus replies with a profound truth:

"Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." By these words, Christ identifies Himself so closely with the suffering that He considers every act of kindness toward them as a personal gift to Himself.

Beyond the “Beautiful Gate”: From Alms to Restoration

The story of Peter and John at the temple gate in Acts 3 offers a transformative model for our ministry. For years, a lame man sat at the "Beautiful Gate," a place of high traffic and religious activity. Despite the crowd of worshippers, he remained fundamentally "unseen" until that moment.

The man was seeking "alms"—temporary, material relief. However, the disciples offered something far greater: restoration. Peter famously declared: “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

This shift is essential for us today. Our ministry must go beyond mere material assistance. While meeting basic needs is a vital starting point, our ultimate goal is to empower individuals to thrive, restore their dignity, and lead them to walk, leap, and praise God within the community of faith.

The “Christ’s Method” Strategy

To truly care for the forgotten, we must adopt Jesus’ strategy of radical proximity. He did not wait for the broken to seek Him out; He went to their streets, their homes, and their places of worship. By these examples, we must also move among the people, share their emotional burdens, and meet them exactly where they are.

Rescuing the Perishing

In our society today, many have reached a "point of no return" in their mental and spiritual health simply because they feel ignored. By following this divine mandate, we reflect the character of a God who leaves the ninety-nine to seek the one.

May our eyes be opened to see the "lame at the gate" in our own neighborhoods. May we have the courage to reach out and speak life, saying, “In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk.” For when we see and care for the forgotten, we are truly looking into the eyes of Christ.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 Pastor Gaudencio Buque, Jr., 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 22, 2026, 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 8𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 (𝘌𝘊𝘗𝘜𝘊) 𝘛𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳, 𝘙𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦.

Lyn Lucero/ ECPUC Communication Department