Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31-46 NIV

“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 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 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 sick 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 sick 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.”

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If prooftexting were a good practice, then the final verse in Matthew 25 would end all debate about whether there is a Hell and what Hell is like.

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment...”
Matthew 25:46 NIV

Most of the New Testament language about Hell refers to destruction, not eternal punishment. There are those who argue that a loving God, who forgave all people their sins through the cross of Christ, would have no interest in seeing souls tortured for all eternity as an act of justice. Some argue it is unjust to torture a sinful 75 year average lifespan with eternal punishment. Where's the equity in that? It's just not logical. What purpose would it serve God to punish unrepentant and unbelieving sinners forever?

Some might argue that the soul is eternal and there's no getting out of an eternal destination. Either you desire God or not. For those who ultimately rebel and reject God's claim upon their life, there is only utter separation from God waiting for them.

The parable of the sheep and goats is about the final judgement. There's no lawyers to work a plea bargain. It's just you and your Maker. He will decide your eternal fate. Christ will sit upon His throne as King of kings and Lord of lords and judge all souls. He will decide if your life was lived as a taker or a giver.

What's interesting about this teaching is that the criteria for judgement is not in terms of whether we profess belief or not. It's whether we helped the least among us.

Jesus said that the nations would gather around the throne of the Son of Man and they would be separated into two groups. The righteous, like obedient sheep, will be welcomed into the kingdom prepared for them from the beginning. It's like they were predestined to belong to God and behave as faithful servants. The wicked, like brutish goats, will be expelled from Christ's presence into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his minions.

Some have suggested that the reason belief is not mentioned is because this is not the judgement of the church, but of unbelieving gentiles. "The nations" is a biblical way of referencing all non-jewish people. I'm sure you've asked yourself how will God judge those who've never heard the gospel. Their response to people in need is how they will be judged, if that interpretation of this parable is correct.

The apostle Paul argued that gentiles sometimes exhibit an innate understanding of righteousness without a knowledge of the law of Moses, which reveals God's righteousness.

...since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world Godʼs invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Romans 1:19-20 NIV

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in Godʼs sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)
Romans 2:12-15 NIV

So Paul taught that a lack of formal training about God did not exclude one from judgement. God is writing His law on our hearts. We have an innate sense of right and wrong. We can betray that innate goodness in which we were created and silence our conscience, but it doesn't change the fact that deep down we know we need to be right with God and live according to His right ways.

I've passed on giving to plenty of beggars and plenty of worthy charities and ministries. I've done good things for people in need, but only sporadically. I'm more of a goat, I think, than a sheep. I am good natured, but also weakened by sinful habits. I usually treat others the way I want to be treated. I have compassion at times for those in need, but I don't go looking for opportunities to help very often. If my generosity is the only criteria by which I will be judged, then I've been lied to all these years that my sins are forgiven and my faith in the mercy of God is not enough.

Perhaps the message of the parable of the sheep and goats is that people who believe in Jesus become like Jesus. They help those in need. Those whose hearts have been filled with the love of Christ through faith feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned and welcome the stranger.

I pray that I might know the Lord more and more, and that His love might purge from my heart all that keeps me from caring about the needs of others.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Amen.