Steve Conover: Thank you for joining us for The Friends of Israel Today. I'm Steve Conover, executive director of the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, and with me is our host and teacher, Chris Katulka. I'll remind you that foiradio.org is where you can connect with us. We have over a decade of content on the site that features Chris Katulka’s insightful teaching and various interview guests. Again, that's foiradio.org. Well, Chris, I've been traveling, but it's good to be back with you and the team here.

Chris Katulka: Steve, it's great to have you back in the studio and I know people have missed your openings and hearing your voice as we start The Friends of Israel Today. Actually, Steve, we're wrapping up a series on Matthew chapter 25 where we're looking at a phrase that Jesus uses to identify a specific group of people, “the least of these,” He says. Now we like to use this phrase, “the least of these” to highlight ministry and serving those who are vulnerable, which is incredibly important, but exactly in the context of Matthew 25, who are “the least of these” that Jesus is talking about? Well, this week we're going to give that answer and give a reason why we believe supporting Israel and the Jewish people matters now more than ever.

Steve Conover: Well, we look forward to that. But first in the news, earlier this month the Israeli military targeted senior Hamas leaders in Qatar with an airstrike in Doha. The Israel Defense Forces in conjunction with Shin Bet conducted a precise strike targeting the terrorist organization's senior leadership. After the strikes, condemnation of Israel from the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and broader Arab and Gulf countries quickly followed.

Chris Katulka: Well, Steve, here's my take. I can remember on May 2nd, 2011 when the United States flew a SEAL team to Pakistan and captured and killed Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks. The world didn't condemn the United States for targeting bin Laden. The world shouldn't condemn Israel for targeting Hamas, a terrorist organization and its leaders and Qatar for giving them safe harbor.

Chris Katulka: Welcome in everybody. We're wrapping up a series on Matthew chapter 25, particularly focused on the passage about “the least of these.” Now, last week I mentioned that many ministries and nonprofits gravitate to the powerful words of Jesus in Matthew 25, especially the phrase “the least of these" as they pursue humanitarian aid and financial support and care for those who are the most vulnerable. There are organizations like the Matthew 25 Ministry and others that draw directly from this passage as a guiding principle, quoting it on their websites and weaving it into their mission statements. Whether providing food or shelter, education or medical support, these ministries, they see themselves as fulfilling Christ's call to serve by meeting the immediate needs of struggling individuals or families. Their work often stretches across borders, cultures, languages and circumstances, demonstrating really a broad application of compassion that's grounded, it's rooted in the Scriptures.

It's really astonishing what they do to minister to those in need. James chapter 1 reminds believers that pure and undefiled religion before God is to care for orphans and widows in their distress—that's those who can't help themselves, the most vulnerable. In this sense, Matthew 25’s passage naturally resonates with ministries that serve the poor, hungry, imprisoned, and homeless. It validates their commitment to practical and tangible expressions of the gospel and places dignity on the very act of offering water, food, clothing, or companionship to someone in need. By embedding this passage into their identity, these organizations affirm that helping others is not just a social good but actually an act of worship and obedience to Christ himself. Yet as we celebrate these efforts, it is worth pausing to ask a very important question, who are “the least of these” in the words of Jesus as we examine the passage of Matthew 25? Is “the least of these” anyone who cannot help themselves or is Jesus targeting a specific group?

Now, last week we looked at Matthew chapter 25 and highlighted some interesting things. We discussed that the setting of this passage is Jesus's Second Coming—to reign from Jerusalem as the King of kings and the Messiah of Israel. We also learned that the purpose of “the least of these” passage is built around the theme of judgment. That the Son of man from Daniel chapter seven has been given all authority by God to judge the nations. But now we've got to ask the question. We want to answer this question. Who are “the least of these?” 

Let's read it again together. Matthew 25:31-46, and it says this, “When the Son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left, and then the king will say to those on his right, ‘come you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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. 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.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?’ The king will reply, ‘Truly, I tell you whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”

Now look, Jesus's judgment here actually is a judgment that goes toward the nations based on the treatment of “the least of these” and as we study the text, “the least of these” are Jesus's fellow Jewish brothers and sisters who are living during the Tribulation period, a seven year period of God's judgment. As Jeremiah the prophet calls it, the time of Jacob's trouble. These actions Jesus names: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, caring for the sick and visiting prisoners are not arbitrary. In fact, they flow directly from Israel's Torah, the law, and the prophetic tradition where such deeds of mercy actually define covenantal righteousness.

For instance, feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty can be found in Deuteronomy 15:7-11, which commands Israel to “open their hand to the poor and needy, refusing to harden their hearts.” Isaiah 58:7, in a very famous passage on true fasting, identifies righteousness with sharing bread with the hungry and bringing the homeless into one's home. Proverbs 25:1 extends mercy to the enemies. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. Now, think about this, during the Tribulation, Israel will face famine, persecution, and thirst as never before. You can see it in Revelation 12:13-17. Nations that respond with sustenance and compassion will be living out this covenantal moral and ethic that is bound up in the law. How about welcoming the stranger?

Leviticus 19:34 commands Israel to treat the sojourner as one whose native born, loving him as themselves because Israel too was once a stranger in Egypt. Well, in Deuteronomy 10:18-19, it emphasizes that God himself loves the stranger giving him food and clothing. This ethic flips in Matthew chapter 25. Now, the Jewish people themselves are strangers dispersed and persecuted and unwelcomed by many nations. In fact, Zechariah the prophet in chapter 14 says all the nations will have some form of hostility toward Israel. To welcome them is to honor God's covenant love. Jesus highlights again, clothing the naked and in Job 31:19-20, reveals that clothing the naked was a hallmark of righteousness. “If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, did not his body bless me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep.”

Similarly, Exodus 18:7, praises the righteous man who clothes the naked. The Tribulation, honestly, will strip Israel of security and dignity. Nations that provide for her practical needs are demonstrating the justice God is already required. There's caring for the sick. Now, even though the Mosaic law doesn't prescribe detailed rules about visiting the sick, the prophetic tradition makes clear that God's leaders are expected to heal and strengthen the weak. In Ezekiel 34:4, it condemns Israel's false leaders or false shepherds who have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured. Psalm 41:1-3 blesses those who consider the poor, promising divine care when they are sick themselves. In Tribulation, when many Jewish people will suffer affliction and disease, nations who extend compassion mirror God's own shepherding care. And finally, visiting the prisoner. The Old Testament reveals God's concern for the captives and prisoners.

Isaiah 61:1. In a Messianic passage, it announces, “liberty for the captives.” Deuteronomy 23:15-16 shows, “compassion for runaway slaves.” These anticipations culminate in a future vision, a prophetic vision where God's kingdom brings release to the oppressed. For persecuted Israel and in the Tribulation period imprisonment will be common. You can read about it in Matthew 24:9. Revelation 13:7-10. Nations that risk their own safety to visit aid and advocate for imprisoned Jewish people align themselves with the Messianic Kingdom ethic. When you examine the Old Testament, when the prophets spoke, it often included judgment for Israel's lack of obedience to God's commands and then a judgment for the nations for their abuse of the Jewish people or the abuse of the land of Israel. So when we return, we're going to talk more about this and ask if Matthew 25 and the treatment of “the least of these" actually matters today so stick around.

Steve Conover: Chris, we've been blessed to add some new radio stations recently and I'm sure we have some who don't know much about The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

Chris Katulka: Yeah, Steve. For years The Friends of Israel has been a trusted source for those seeking to understand God's heart for the Jewish people. We're excited to invite new listeners into our growing community. We're offering a free digital download of our popular booklet, Whose Land is it Anyway? This booklet explores the historical, legal, and biblical claims to the land of Israel, providing clarity on a complex and often misunderstood topic.

Steve Conover: It's a great resource. If you've ever wondered about the ongoing struggle in the Middle East and want to be able to understand and defend why God has given the Holy Land to the Jewish people, this is the resource for you. We want to equip you to understand and support the Jewish people, not based on mere opinion, but based on God's trustworthy and unchanging Word. To get your free digital copy of Whose Land is it Anyway?, visit foiradio.org. That's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Welcome back everyone. We're wrapping up our series on “the least of these” from Matthew chapter 25. We've determined that this passage is focused on Jesus at his Second Coming to rule and reign from Jerusalem as the Son of man from Daniel chapter seven, and he has been given all authority, power, and dominion from God himself to judge the nations for how they have treated his Chosen People and the land of Israel. Listen, the Old Testament background shows that Jesus's words in Matthew chapter 25 are not a new invention, but really the culmination of prophetic morals and ethics. Those are what the prophets preached in the Old Testament, yet he intensifies them by tying them directly to himself. Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. That means the nation's treatment of Israel in the Tribulation becomes a litmus test of allegiance.

Those who show mercy reveal that they align with the King and his covenant promises. Those who neglect or persecute Israel reveal their rejection of the King of Israel himself, Jesus. This interpretation fits the prophetic pattern. God has always judged the nations by how they treated Israel. Joel 3:1-2 explicitly portrays the nations gathered for judgment, “because they scattered my people Israel among the nations, and they divided up my land, the people and the land.” Zechariah 14 again depicts nations gathered against Jerusalem only to be confronted by the Lord himself in judgment. Matthew 25 is the New Testament's echo of this theme. The sheep are the nations that honored Israel and by extension her King. The goats are those that opposed and oppressed her. Matthew chapter 25:35-40—it's not just a generic moral lesson on charity, it's a prophetic declaration about the nation's treatment of Israel during the Tribulation. 

Rooted in Old Testament law and covenant ethics and morals, Jesus' words elevate simple acts of mercy into the decisive test of allegiance to the King of Israel, Himself. When the Son of man comes in His glory, the nations will be gathered before Him. Their fate will hinge on how they treated Jesus's brothers and sisters, the Jewish people, when they were hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, and imprisoned. To bless Israel is to bless the King, to curse Israel is to invite His judgment. So as I wrap up, I'm certainly not asking you to rethink helping, supporting, praying or volunteering for those who are most vulnerable. That is the bedrock of our faith according to James, and I hope this message only enlightened you to the truth that “the least of these” are the Jewish people in a very specific time, the Tribulation period. Can I just end with this? The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry believes that it matters how we show support to Israel and the Jewish people, not just for a future Tribulation, but for today. We believe that passion for God's Word will always lead to compassion for God's Chosen People.

We've had that mission since 1938 when our ministry was helping the beleaguered Jewish people suffering from the Holocaust. We worked to secure their freedom from Hitler. We gave them food, drink, clothing and shelter at one of the darkest moments of modern Jewish history. Most importantly, we came with the message of hope, the good news of Jesus, the Messiah. In 1938, The Friends of Israel helped the least of these, Jesus's Jewish brothers and sisters. And today we continue that mission to bring spiritual and physical comfort to the Jewish people. You know what? I pray that you'll join our movement in loving “the least of these.”

Steve Conover: Thank you so much, Chris. I think this explanation that you just gave of “the least of these our brethren,” is really the clearest explanation that I've heard. Something I've learned here at The Friends of Israel in my time that was helpful when I read this passage is the term “brothers.” We use that in the church all the time for brothers and sisters in Christ, but Jesus is using this term in a time before the church.

Chris Katulka: That's right, and really if you look at the context of the passage of Matthew 24 and 25, it's couched in what's going to happen in the future for Israel and the Jewish people as God is bringing his judgment and he's refocusing his attention to Israel and the role that they'll play in the kingdom that's coming. So it's a very important verse, but again, I want to remind our listeners this doesn't diminish the need to care for the most vulnerable that are out there. It doesn't matter what their ethnicity or background is. It's the call of the church to care for the vulnerable, but here Jesus is specifically speaking about Israel and the Jewish people.

Steve Conover: Great clarification. Thank you, Chris. Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life and ministry of Holocaust survivor, Zvi Kalisher.

Mike Kellogg: One day a few weeks ago my son went to his music school to be tested on the saxophone, which he had only been playing for a month. The teacher gave him the choice of what to play, and he played, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Everyone was very surprised at this. They said it was a nice song and he had played it well, but they wanted to know how he knew it. He told them it was an English song, but that he could sing it in Hebrew for them, which he did.

After this, they asked him where he had learned such a song, and he told them his father had taught it to him. They asked how his father knew it, and he replied that his father had learned it at the Assembly. “I want to tell you that your boy is a very diligent student to be able to play even Christian songs in only one month.”

I said to him, “If you think it is a nice song, why can it not be for Jews also? Is it not true that God has forgiven our sins too, as it says in this song?” He replied, “The melody is very nice, but the words are only for Christians.” He then asked me, “Are you a Christian? You can feel free to answer me without fear.”

I answered, “I am a Jew who has accepted the Messiah promised in the Old Testament, and I believe in the promises of God and His fulfillment of them.”

He was only interested in whether or not I was a Christian. I told him, “I am a Jew, and a good Jew, because I believe what Moses and the prophets wrote. Christ came to fulfill the Bible, and if you want to know more about Him, read the Bible and you will find the answers to all

your questions.”

I then asked him if he would refuse to teach my son now, because of me. “Oh no,” he said, “You can be sure of that. The only thing I want to know is how you came to have this faith.” “I came to my faith in the Lord by reading the Bible and by hearing the Word of God.”

He then said, “I know now that you are a believer in God, but I think there is a big difference between God and Jesus. God is God, but Jesus was just a man who claimed to be God.” I said, “If a small child had told me this, I would not be surprised, but you are a teacher. You know better.”

He replied, “I am still interested in knowing how you came to receive in your heart this Man whom you call your Savior.” “Please take the Bible and read it and the answers will come to you as they did to me and many others like me.”

I then gave him my complete testimony about how I came to know the Lord and why I gave my heart to Him.

After this, he seemed to change his mind. He continued to ask me more and more about the Lord. In love, I continued to witness to him, revealing more things about Jesus, things which to him were unknown. I thank the Lord that he changed his mind, which before was full of hate, and now my son can continue to play Christian songs at the music school without fear.

Steve Conover: As we close, I'd like to thank you for joining us for today's episode of The Friends of Israel Today, and I'll remind you once more, don't forget to get your free digital download of our popular booklet, Whose Land is it Anyway? That's on our website, foiradio.org. Okay, next week, Chris, where are we headed?

Chris Katulka: Yeah. We have our IMG In Depth episode. Every two months we like to feature our most recent issue of Israel My Glory. That's our award-winning Christian magazine and our issue for September/October is all centered around “They Will Call On My Name: Israel's Glorious Future According to the Prophet Zechariah.” And we're going to have Bruce Scott on. He's the director of Ministry Mobilization and he's going to be talking about Israel's future national repentance when they turn and believe in Jesus, and his article is titled, “Looking to Jesus—For Everything.”

Steve Conover: As mentioned, our web address is foiradio.org. Again, that’s foiradio.org. Our mailing address is FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Again that’s FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. You can call our listener line. That number is 888-343-6940. Once again that’s 888-343-6940. Today's program was engineered by Bob Beebe. Edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Lisa Small is our executive producer. Sarah Fern is our associate producer. The late Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold. Our host and teacher is Chris Katulka and I’m Steve Conover, the executive director of The Friends of Israel. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Passion for God's Word. Compassion for God's Chosen People.