Then the righteous will answer him and say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you water?
This saying shows the humility and sincerity of the righteous heart. They are astonished when they hear the Lord’s praise, because they did not consider the good works they had done as merit, but as a natural expression of love. Their answer is simple and innocent: they do not remember the good they did, because they did not serve for glory or for reward. This reveals the essence of true faith: good works are done not out of self-righteousness, but from a loving heart and from devotion to the Lord. The amazement of the righteous shows that their life was full of sent love, which had become so natural that they did not even realize they had served Christ Himself. This saying teaches that what is acceptable before God is not grand deeds, but those acts of goodness and small services that flow from a loving heart.