But he answered and said, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.”     Matthew 25:12 LSB

There are a number of times when Jesus speaks of the fate of those He doesn’t know. I believe any time Jesus says something we need to pay careful attention. Those things He says on multiple occasions, I think we will find ourselves in a very sad situation if we don’t heed His words.

Now this particular passage of Scripture is from the parable of the Ten Virgins. You may recall that five had brought extra oil for their lamps and five were unprepared and did not bring extra oil. While the five unprepared went to buy extra oil, the groom came, and they were locked out of the wedding feast. When they came knocking on the door and asking to be allowed in, the groom replied by saying, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.”

In Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus said, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.”

Jesus goes on in Matthew 25:42-46 to speak of how He was hungry, and they did not feed Him. He was thirsty, and they gave Him nothing to drink. He was naked, and they did not clothe Him and He was sick and in prison and they did not visit Him. They asked when was He in these situations and they did nothing? Jesus replied that as they had not done these things for the least of these, they had not done it for Him.

We often hear that it’s not what you know, but who you know. When it comes to Jesus, no truer words were ever spoken. We would probably go to great lengths to get to know our favorite sports stars or movie stars or recording artists, but are you willing to do the simple tasks required to get to truly know Jesus?

Are you willing to stay in constant communication with Him through Bible study and prayer? Are you willing to visit His house often and meet with others that desire to know Him better? Are you willing to serve those He loves and treat them as He would treat them, even if you don’t find them so lovable?

If you built a beautiful new home with a grand patio and swimming pool, you would probably invite all your friends over to enjoy it, right? If you friends refused to come or lost contact with you, you might be upset. If a stranger showed up on your doorstep and wanted to come in, would you let them in? In this day and time, probably not.

Do you think that if you neglect spending time with Jesus while you are here on earth and you shun His people, He will welcome you into the mansion He has prepared in heaven?

In Matthew 25:46, Jesus said that for those who did not help one of the least of these, they will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Maybe there was a time in your life when you were close with Jesus, but you have drifted apart. Or maybe you have never entered into that close, loving relationship with Him. Maybe you have never known Him. The great news is that you can get to know Him now. You can draw near to Him and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

You can experience the peace and joy that can only be found in Him. He can help you get rid of the sin that has weighed you down like a chain around your ankles and set you free. Getting to know Jesus while we are here on earth, prepares us for a beautiful eternity with Him in heaven.

Surrender your life to Him. Trust in Him today. Serve Him and serve others. Make yourself known to the One who loves you more than you can fathom. He gave His life for you, surrender your life to Him.

Have a great day!