Christ’s Victory Empowers His People to Serve | Lent Devotional Day 37

Exploring the Meaning of Jesus’ Death
March 26, 2026
Written by: Ryan Hebel
 
Christ’s Victory Empowers His People to Serve

Scripture:
“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.'”
(Matthew 25:40)

Reflection – A practice for the day:
Sometimes, the immensity of the world’s needs can be overwhelming, or even completely paralyzing.  Luckily, Christ does not require us to solve all the world’s problems.  Instead, he calls us first to the things that are seemingly small.  We are invited to join Jesus in his reign of victory and ongoing work of redemption, by meeting the needs of and making an impact on the lives of the people who are right in front of us.  This is no easy task.  Sometimes even the biggest needs of the people around us can be largely invisible, often hidden by a culture that thrives on exploitation and a society that turns a blind eye to “the least of these”.  

But the atonement theory of Black Theology reminds us that we don’t always have to go looking on our own for people in great need.  King of All, Jesus is already there among them, calling us to respond with what we have in meaningful and tangible ways.  In this Kingdom of God, the powerless are the ones who change the world by actively resisting those who only seek their own gain.  This resistance is not simply an activity, but a complete lifestyle.  It constitutes a culture that is centered around a Jesus who stands in solidarity with the suffering and oppressed while he also empowers his people to serve one another.  Jesus flips the power-structure, not simply by undermining the exploitative cultural norms that provide the framework for the existing oppressive power structure, but also by rendering it largely irrelevant over time.  In this context, Jesus takes very seriously the feeding of the hungry, the clothing of the naked, the visiting of the sick and imprisoned, the quenching of those who thirst, and the welcoming of the stranger.  Following Jesus’ example means that we should care for these needs, too.  

So today, in the spirit of the Black theological perspective and the upside-down, Jesus-led, hospitality-driven culture from which it springs, take seriously this invitation.  Do some asking.  Do even more listening.  And then take one tangible step to meet a present need that is before you today.  For Jesus, this is not metaphorical.  It is a command.

Prayer: 
Creator God, help me to recognize today that, in you, I already have everything I need.  At the same time, give me the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the sensitivity to understand, and the courage to respond in tangible ways to the needs of those around me.  Make yourself obvious to me in the midst of it all, and thank you for your constant invitation to be a part of your upside-down Kingdom and the making of all things new.  Amen.

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