Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment,but the righteous to eternal life."
(Matthew 25:31-46)
The Parable This final parable in Jesus' final sermon in Matthew brings home the reality of judgment. It predicts that the Son of man will come in his glory with the angels, and there will be gathered before him all the nations for judgment. They will be separated into two great groups: sheep on the right hand and goats on the left. To those on the right will be spoken words of warm welcome and pleasure, inviting them to inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and declaring the reason for his commendation. But those on the left will be rebuked in anger, and will be reminded of duties they have failed to perform. A feature of the judgment is the ignorance that both groups display towards the reason for their respective judgments. Finally, the righteous enter into life eternal; and the wicked receive everlasting punishment. The general meaning of the parable-prophecy is clear on a casual reading of it, but important principles are unfolded when close consideration is given.
Sheep and Goats: The figure of sheep and goats is used for the accepted and rejected because of the habits and color of the animals.Could you tell the difference between a sheep and a goat? I couldn't.•goats always have horns, some kinds of sheep don't•sheep have wool, goats have hair•goats graze on branches, sheep graze on grass Apparently in the ancient world, sheep were more valuable than goats. At night, goats need to huddle together for warmth, while sheep need open space. Because of this, a shepherd would separate them. This is the picture in Jesus's story. Of course, for his hearers, this picture was familiar from their everyday lives.
The nature of the difference between sheep and goats that pertain to this Gospel passage: Sheep are inoffensive and easily led; they are noted for their mildness, simplicity, innocence, patience and usefulness. Goats are naturally mischievous, wayward, quarrelsome, lascivious, and ill-centered, and as such are a symbol of riotous, profane and impure men. Innately selfish, they represent those nations and individuals given up to their own passions and lusts, and who fail to see the needs of others. They are found quarrelling with or opposing God's people, whether it be Israel as a nation, or His true sons and daughters, and will reap the fruits of their action from the hands of him who will render a proper re-payment of vengeance in due time. Goats are extremely destructive. I once learned in a study, that the Jews had no success in restoring forests in certain areas, until they banned goats from it, and then, immediately, they had success. The goats feed on the tender shoots of the trees and shrubs, and so prevent growth. Even in color and habits there are significant differences between the two animals. Sheep are usually white whilst goats are black, speaking of righteousness and sin. Moreover, the two animals maintain a measure of separateness, for though goats might mingle with sheep, there is no disposition on either side for more intimate acquaintance. When drinking, around wells, they appear instinctively to classify themselves apart; at night, they settle down in separate, distinctive groups.
So this is a picture of separation: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another...' (Verses 31-32) This picture comes straight out of the Old Testament, from the book of Daniel: 'In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.' (Daniel chapter 7 verse 13) The Jews believed that God was going to judge all the nations. The change in Matthew 25 is that Jesus says that he himself is going to be the judge. When he talks about the 'Son of Man' in verse 31, that's how he refers to himself. He's going to separate the sheep and the goats. In verse 34: 'Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are spoken well of by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.' Notice that the Son of Man is now described as the King. He talks about God as his Father. And he talks about a kingdom prepared for his people since the world was created. Then in verse 41: 'Then he will say to those on his left, 'Go away from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' So it's a picture of judgment and separation. Jesus says that he's going to come back. When he does, he will rule visibly and powerfully. We shall all be brought before him to be judged. This judgment will lead to a separation between those who are his people and those who are not.
A verdict: What is the basis for the separation? •I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, or you gave me nothing to eat. •I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, or you gave me nothing to drink.•I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in, or did not welcome me in.•I needed clothes and you clothed me, or did not clothe me.•I was sick and you looked after me, or did not look after me.•I was in prison and you came to visit me, or did not look after me. It's very important that we get hold of this: Jesus isn't talking here about being kind to people in general. He's talking very specifically about how we have treated him, how we have served him. He says: 'I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger... I needed clothes... I was sick... I was in prison...' So the basis for this judgment is going to be how we have treated Jesus Christ himself. His verdict on us will depend on how we've responded to him.
Surprising evidence: There will be evidence, but the evidence will be a surprise. Both the wicked and the righteous are surprised by the verdict of king Jesus. Verse 37-39: '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 to visit you?' 'The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' And similarly in verses 44-45: 'They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not serve you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
So what's going on here?: The key is in the little sentence that Jesus puts in at the end of both verdicts: 'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Verse 40) 'Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' (Verse 45) So Jesus isn't just talking about the poor, the hungry, the strangers in the world. It is right and important that we should care for them, but Jesus is saying something more specific here. He's talking particularly about those who count as his brothers and sisters. And it's because they are his brothers and sisters that they're hungry and thirsty, naked and strangers, sick or in prison. So there's going to be a judgment. Jesus will reach his verdict on us depending on how we have treated him, how we have responded to him. And the evidence on which this verdict will be based is how we have treated his people. If you read this quickly, it sounds as if Jesus is saying that he is going to judge us based on our works, on our deeds. But surely we're saved by our faith, not by works? Surely it doesn't depend on what we do, does it? Our being forgiven and accepted by God depends entirely on what Christ did for us on the cross. It doesn't depend on anything we do. All we have to do is to trust him and accept what he has done for us. Remember what happened when Jesus was dying on the cross. The thief who was being crucified beside him said: 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' How did Jesus reply? 'Today you will be with me in paradise.' The thief didn't have time to do any good works. All he did was to trust Jesus – and that was enough. But the Bible is also clear that if we have really trusted Christ, this will make a difference to how we live. If our lives don't show our faith, we have to ask just how real is that faith?
Look at what James says: 'What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.'20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James chapter 2 verses 14-18, 20-26) I want to say this to you gently, but also clearly: if you are relying on your faith in Jesus to save you on judgment day, but you are carrying on living the same kind of selfish life as the people around you who don't believe in him, watch out. Watch out. The Bible doesn't give you any reassurance at all that you will really be saved. Good works aren't the reason we're saved; but they are the evidence that we're saved. Someone once asked, 'If you were put on trial for being a follower of Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you?' Jesus is saying here in Matthew 25 that on judgment day, he will look for evidence that we belong to him – evidence in how we've treated his brothers and sisters.
Who is he talking about, specifically?: At one level, as we've seen, he's talking about all Christian believers – all his brothers and sisters. But we can also see some particular groups of people:•If you relate it back to what Jesus said in chapter 10, it's clear that one of the groups he has in mind are those whose work involves taking his message to others, ministers, missionaries, evangelists. Such people often face poverty, overwork, stress, culture-shock, being strangers, being ill, all because of their work for the Good News. Do we care about them? Do we pray for them, support them practically, encourage them, and cheer them on? This is one of the marks of true Christian faith.•Then what about people who are persecuted for their faith? More people were put to death for their Christian faith in the past hundred years than in the whole of the time since Jesus lived. Countless people today are in prison, or have lost their jobs, or have been rejected by their families, because of their faith. Do we care about them? Do we pray for them, support them practically, encourage them, cheer them on? This is another mark of true Christian faith. 'I was in prison and you visited me.'•What about nearer home? What about people we know – perhaps even in this fellowship, who are ill, who are poor, who are strangers? What about overseas students who have come here? Do we care about them? Do we pray for them, support them, encourage them, cheer them on? If we're really followers of Jesus, this will show itself in love and care for those who count as the least of his brothers and sisters. And on the other hand, if we don't have much sympathy for them, this may be a sign that we don't really care all that much about Christ himself. Jesus identifies himself with his followers so closely that he takes what we do for them as something we've done for him. And he says that our destiny will be measured out by how we respond to his family. The good things we do for them show where we stand in relation to him. The evidence on which Jesus will reach his verdict on us – if you like, the evidence of whether or not we really do have faith in him - will be how we have treated the least important, least significant members of his family.•So it's a picture of judgment: Jesus is going to come back, and we are all going to face him. •His verdict on us will depend on how we have treated him, how we have responded to him.•The evidence on which he will base his verdict on us is how we have treated our Christian brothers and sisters.
A sentence: Finally, there's going to be a sentence. Look at the contrast between the outcome for the righteous and the wicked: 'Then the King will say to those on his right,'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.' (Verse 34) He describes them as blessed by God; he says there's a kingdom that's been prepared for them since the world began, and now is the time for them to inherit it. But in verse 41: 'Then he will say to those on his left, 'Go away from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.' He describes them in exactly the opposite way to the righteous. Instead of being blessed, they're cursed. Instead of a kingdom, they're going to a place of fire. The kingdom was prepared for the righteous, but the fire was prepared for the devil and his angels. So, verse 46: 'Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.' The same word is used for 'eternal' punishment and for 'eternal' life. You can't make one of these eternal and the other only temporary. There's going to be a judgment, and the outcome is incredibly serious. It has massive repercussions that last forever. Either an eternal kingdom, or unending fire. Of course, I know as well as you do that talk of God's judgment is extremely unpopular today. It's very politically incorrect. Perhaps, even as a Christian believer, you feel very uncomfortable with what Jesus is saying in this story. In the end, we have to make a choice: who do we believe? Do we believe the people around us, the people on television, or do we believe Jesus? Do we think that Jesus knew what he was talking about? You see, if we say that we today know better than Jesus did, what we're really saying is that Jesus was just a man. He wasn't really the Son of God. And if we believe that, we can't honestly say we're Christians at all – because the most basic defining thing about a Christian is that they believe Jesus is the Son of God. On the other hand, if he really is the Son of God, then doesn't that mean that he knows what he is talking about, and means what he says? Who do we believe? There is going to be a judgment, and that judgment will lead to sorrow or joy – to the fire prepared for the devil and his angels or to the kingdom prepared for the righteous; to eternal suffering or eternal life. That's pretty important, isn't it? Is there anything else more important that you're going to think about this week?
What does this story have to say to us today?: This story challenges us at two different levels:1.This story says that Jesus is coming back, and when he does, it will be a time of judgment. This judgment will lead to a separation between those who are his people and those who are not. The outcome will either be joy or sorrow – eternal life or eternal fire. Now if all this is true, you need to get sorted out with him before it happens. 2.The challenge to us is, are we showing our faith by how we live? Particularly, are we showing it by how we treat other Christians. Jesus says, 'whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' It's so easy to read this part of the Bible, but then we carry on with our lives and nothing has changed. I would like to invite you to think of one specific thing that you will do for one particular person this week, to show them compassion, and to show that your faith in Christ is real. If you were put on trial for being a follower of Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Jesus says that one day, you will be.
The lessons of this are not hard to apply: In the parable portion of the prophecy, the sheep are described as following the lead of the shepherd by helping his people; whereas the goats please themselves. In the final apportioning of judgment, the sheep are gathered at the place of honor on the right hand of Christ, as he is on the right hand of the Father; whereas the goats are placed on his left.
The Reward: The righteous will be invited to inherit the kingdom prepared "from the foundation of the world." For preparation of the kingdom has been proceeding from the very beginning of time. From the days of Adam onwards, God has supervised both His people and events, guiding the latter to a predetermined end, that ultimately the whole earth should be filled with His glory. To their surprise, the righteous will be told that they will enter the kingdom because of their actions towards Christ. They will confess that they have never been in a position to assist Christ personally. But it will be explained that in as much as they did it for the least of his brothers and sisters, they performed it for him. This can be understood on a national basis (as far as Israel, or the Ecclesias are concerned), or on an individual basis (in personal relationship one towards another). Little actions long since forgotten, but performed in a brotherly spirit, will be credited as actions done for Christ himself! The common gestures of courtesy performed because Christ desires it thus, or kind deeds done in his name, accounted as services performed for Christ personally, and will be rewarded with the gift of life eternal. In this scripture, Jesus is explaining the judgment of nations and what is required for salvation. Our very salvation depends upon what we do. Christ did not say it was just enough to believe that the poor should be fed, we must feed them. Christ did not say it was just enough to pray for those that are ill, we must care for them. From this passage it is easy to understand that if we do not act we are in fact neglecting Christ. One of the most significant parts of confession is asking for forgiveness for the sin of failing to take action. So many times we do not do as we should, we do nothing, a sin of omission. Those who have done good deeds for the love of Christ receive the reward of eternal life. I suspect just "thinking" or "believing" is not enough. We must act.
Peace and love,
Reverend Sue Provost
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
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