‘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. ‘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 ill 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 ill or in prison and go to 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. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was ill and in prison and you did not look after me.” ‘They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or ill or in prison, and did not help you?” ‘He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” ‘Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.’
Matthew 25:31-46 NIVUK
This is the last of the Kingdom Parables, chronologically, in the Bible, and the third such parable in succession in Matthew 25.
Oddly enough, it reminds me of the First Gulf War against Iraq.
It was a bit of a mismatch. Iraq was using scud missiles against their foes, which, not being tremendously accurate, were responsible for the needless slaughter and harm of many, many thousands of its people.
America and its allies, however, were using laser guided weaponry – precision bombs – which, yes, also killed many thousands of people, but were focused on military targets, not civilian.
Nowadays, weapons have been deployed against terrorist leaders that are incredibly accurate. These include drones that are tiny and can target individual people in a room.
I don’t want to appear like I'm revelling I’m human suffering here. Every death in any armed struggle is an avoidable tragedy. I am using these as an example of accuracy – how accuracy matters.
You see, this passage is absolutely explosive. It is singularly one of the most challenging passages in all of Scripture. Jesus doesn’t miss.
But as it is so accurate and so challenging, we must be careful that we understand it properly: what it is saying and what it isn’t saying. Otherwise we are likely to get confused.
Let’s start by looking at the situation.
This parable – the last parable recorded before Jesus was arrested – was taught in or around the Temple (some commentators place it in the Mount of Olives). The city is abuzz with His teaching; the authorities are plotting His demise. The atmosphere in Jerusalem was highly charged.
But this isn’t really a parable – it’s more of a prophecy. Jesus Himself explains when it will take place:
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
Matthew 25:31 NIVUK
There are several theories as to when this will happen. I don’t want to get involved with any of them. I believe that they distract from its point, which is this:
Jesus Christ will be the judge, He is entitled to be the judge, His verdict is final and there is no higher power for you to appeal to.
That is the message of this verse. Jesus’ use of Daniel’s Son of Man title here states His credentials clearly. He is not an unsympathetic judge. He knows how it feels to be human.
And because of that, His judgement will be fair.
But it will also be final.
So these verses describe the final judgement of all human beings. Hence Jesus states that all the nations will be gathered to Him. No-one will be exempted from this.
Apart from the situation, we also see the separation.
Here Jesus is taking up a very well known image from rural Israel. Sheep and goats have the same diet and eat the same food from the same place, but are entirely different species.
Sheep are docile, simple and easily frightened. Goats are wilful, wiry and fearless. Sheep have a thick, luxurious fleece that keeps them warm when the temperatures drop. Goat hair is thinner and required them to band together to stay warm.
So when shepherds brought their livestock in from the hills at night, they would separate the sheep and the goats.
Jesus was not the first Biblical figure to use this image:
‘ “As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
Ezekiel 34:17-19 NIVUK
Ezekiel states here that the separation between the more wilful goats and the more docile sheep is to prevent the goats from harming the sheep anymore. That tallies with what we see in Revelation (Revelation 6:9-11).
So this separation is a just and righteous act designed to save the gentle sheep from those whose strong will and spiteful behaviour is hurting them.
But who are they?
Now, this is something that sends a lot of theologians spinning. Because, after the situation and the separation, we see the differentiation – that is, what it is that separates a sheep from a goat.
Jesus identifies six criteria that split one from the other:
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 ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Matthew 25:35-36 NIVUK
But hold on a second: we are saved by grace, by faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). And all of these characteristics appear to be works, not faith.
So what exactly is Jesus saying here?
Perhaps His brother James can help:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27 NIVUK
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14-17 NIVUK
In other words, our faith must inform our attitude to the poor and vulnerable in society. If we are indifferent to their suffering, then our faith is dead and worthless. We should have no expectations that such a faith will save us.
We are goats.
But if we take care of the poor and week and vulnerable, and our tender hearts break when we hear of their suffering, then our faith is living and we will be saved.
We are sheep.
The verses when Jesus explains why this is so are the subject of much debate:
‘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.”
Matthew 25:40 NIVUK
Many people have interpreted this as meaning that we should take care of other believers who are going through hard times. And that is, of course, true:
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:26-27 NIVUK
They believe that because the text says clearly ‘the least of these brothers or sisters of mine’, meaning, by implication, other Christians.
This therefore means that every Christian has the responsibility to care for every Christian who suffers, across the globe, regardless of where they are from or what confession or denomination they belong to.
Again, this is true.
But restricting this passage to meaning we should only care for Christians is way too narrow an interpretation. Look at what it says elsewhere in the Bible:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:7-10 NIVUK
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:17-21 NIVUK
The expectation of these verses is that we will not only help Christians in need, but also those who are not Christians and even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).
Why?
Because all are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). When we serve them, regardless of their position in society, we do it as if for Christ. And it is because of that we are rewarded.
This is how true faith expresses itself: not through noisy, earnest worship; not through long, but deep sermons, but through the silent, loving and often unnoticed service of the poor, regardless of their position before the Lord.
Apart from the situation, separation and differentiation, we also see the destination: where the sheep and the goats end up.
The sheep end up here:
‘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.
Matthew 25:34 NIVUK
In John 14, as Jesus is preparing His disciples for His crucifixion, He speaks these precious words:
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14:1-3 NIVUK
This is where the sheep – those who calmly and quietly serve the needy, without drawing unnecessary attention to themselves or using their giving for self-promotion (Matthew 6:1-4) – are headed. Jesus looks on as they work hard to care for others, and He prepares a place for them in Heaven.
They are truly saved.
The goats, however, are headed to a different direction:
‘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.
Matthew 25:41 NIVUK
Do you see this? The meek souls who serve inherit a kingdom prepared for them; the aggressive, upwardly mobile, outwardly successful but inwardly hollow inherit the eternal fire prepared for the devil. Their faith – if they had any at all – was one of words only and not action. They had the opportunity to do good, but neglected it in place of feelings of false superiority and self-righteousness. They spurned the chance to live the kind of life that Jesus lived, and so they will not live out the kind of eternity Jesus will.
They are truly damned.
And no, I don’t think Jesus is being melodramatic here. I truly believe that He means it.
Those who say they follow Him and show they mean it by caring for the needy will be saved.
Those who say they follow Him, but only in words, never in actions, will be exposed for the fakes they are and will be damned.
That is what this parable says.
So after we have seen the situation, separation, differentiation and destination, we must finally turn to the application: what does it mean for us today, right now, where we are?
When I was a student, there was quite a strong underground Christian music scene in the UK. One of the bands that I enjoyed listening to was a folk rock band called Eden Burning. They wrote these honest lyrics in a song called Jubilee:
‘It scares me now to think of the judgement
To picture the sheep and the goats
I know you’ll ask ‘When did you ever...?’
And I’ll be lost in my dollar bills and notes’
These words reflect a reality in this passage that we would do well to take note of. It is a warning: a stark, tough warning.
We live in a world where need abounds, and thanks to the naked greed and profiteering of the uber-rich, that situation will only get worse. As Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, it does us no good to ignore that need. Indeed, it makes a deceptive lie of our faith.
We must react. We must do what we can, the best that we can, whenever we have the opportunity to help.
Because that’s what Jesus would do.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, the need around me is overwhelming. I can’t see how I could make a difference. Guide me and show me what I can do to show Your love and compassion to those in need. Amen.
Questions
1. Why do you think Jesus uses this simple pastoral picture of a shepherd spearmint the sheep from the goats? What is He saying?
2. Why is the criteria for separating them their deeds and not their faith?
3. How can you do your part to meet the needs of the people around you?
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