A Voice from the Past - Luther

There are many of you in this congregation who think to yourselves: "If only I had been there! How quick I would have been to help the Baby! I would have washed his linen. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds to see the Lord lying in the mange!."  Yes, you would! You say that because you know how great Christ is, but if you had been there at that time you would have done nt better than the people of Bethlehem. Childish and silly thoughts are these! Why don't you do it now? You have Christ in your neighbor. You ought to serve him, for what you do to your neighbor in need you do to the Lord Christ himself.

Martin Luther, 1483-1546, Martin Luther's Christmas Book, Nativity (translated and arranged by Roland Bainton, The Westminster Press, 1947, p. 38)

What are the implications of helping Christ when we help our neighbor in need? How should that affect how we live our life?