Consider Matthew 25: 35, 36—
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (NIV)
The first five concern basic human needs (see, e.g., the Parable of the Good Samaritan), but last is special.
Why was it so important for Jesus to single it out?
One answer could be that Jesus focused on those that are spiritually lost, and prisoners are certainly among the most lost.
Another possibly could lie in Jesus’ knowledge of His Hebrew tribal roots.
Consider a devout Hebrew village in Canaan after the conquest. The elders would be responsible for overseeing adherence to Mosaic law and for disciplining transgressors. Thus, if someone were to deviate from acceptable behavior, it would be up to the elders to speak to that person and persuade him to turn back. They might, for example, remind the person of God’s promises to them and the blessings for the righteous.
Now let us fast-forward to the time of Jesus: Roman law, soldiers, courts, and prisons. At that time, the disciples' visit might have included food, a blanket, medicine. Their focus, however, would have been to encourage the incarcerated, to remind each of God’s love, and to call each to become a model prisoner (as was the patriarch Joseph). In other words, Jesus could be telling His disciples to take on the roll of village elders.
Thoughts? Other possibilitie?
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (NIV)
The first five concern basic human needs (see, e.g., the Parable of the Good Samaritan), but last is special.
Why was it so important for Jesus to single it out?
One answer could be that Jesus focused on those that are spiritually lost, and prisoners are certainly among the most lost.
Another possibly could lie in Jesus’ knowledge of His Hebrew tribal roots.
Consider a devout Hebrew village in Canaan after the conquest. The elders would be responsible for overseeing adherence to Mosaic law and for disciplining transgressors. Thus, if someone were to deviate from acceptable behavior, it would be up to the elders to speak to that person and persuade him to turn back. They might, for example, remind the person of God’s promises to them and the blessings for the righteous.
Now let us fast-forward to the time of Jesus: Roman law, soldiers, courts, and prisons. At that time, the disciples' visit might have included food, a blanket, medicine. Their focus, however, would have been to encourage the incarcerated, to remind each of God’s love, and to call each to become a model prisoner (as was the patriarch Joseph). In other words, Jesus could be telling His disciples to take on the roll of village elders.
Thoughts? Other possibilitie?