“The Judgement of the Nations”
Matthew 25:31-46
We are at the end of chapter 25 in the Gospel According to Matthew. This is the last moment of Jesus’ public teaching. In today’s Scripture Jesus gives us a picture of what the final judgment of humans will be like. There will be a gathering of all humanity and then a distinct separation. The end of human history, according to Jesus, consists of a separation that He will determine. Humans will find themselves at a fork in the road, and they will not have the opportunity to decide which way to go. Their path will be determined by Jesus.
Actually, this is not a parable. It is a choreographed summary of a future event known as the second coming of Jesus. Jesus is describing what it will be like when He returns as King and Judge of the Universe. At this event, Jesus will judge all people according to their deeds.
When we examine this event, there are four players:
– the Son of Man, Jesus
– all the angels
– all the nations, which is every human, and they will be divided into two groups:
– the blessed, those that inherit the kingdom,
– and the cursed, those who miss the kingdom
It is important to recognize that Jesus’ judgment of humanity is hinged on how we relate to others. This makes sense when you remember the very image of God is community, three in one. And when God created humans in their image and looked at Adam they realized it was not good for him to be alone.
However, when we take a look at our society we see the complete opposite. Americans promote individualism, beginning at a month old, where parents are taught to put their child in a room alone and let them “cry it out.”
Jesus’ focus for His disciples was restoration of relationships. Being made in the image of God means we are created with the very nature of relationship. Although it may look like Jesus is judging what people do, what is really going on is the observation of how Christians have developed a right relationship with Jesus that then leads us to a right relationship with others.
When we read through this story we may become a little uncomfortable with what happens. Not just for those who are judged as not having acted the way Jesus wanted them to act, but because it is a judgment of works and thoughts.
It becomes difficult because we now have a God who we thought was a God of love, close out His ministry of storytelling about His return that is meant to produce healthy fear in His children. What are we supposed to do with that?
According to Proverbs 9:10,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
God’s love is everlasting, the fear of the Lord is not being afraid God is going to knock us over the head when we do something wrong, but the fear that we will disappoint or hurt the one who has done so much for us. It is meant to be a motivational fear, not a fear that paralyzes.
It’s the love of God that keeps us moving towards Him.
It’s the fear of God that helps us keep our eyes on Jesus and that keeps us on the narrow path. Like Peter who got out of the boat and as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink.
This story should be one that energizes the church.
Whenever the church has held a realistic view
of heaven and hell and
lived it out,
it has been effective in its evangelism.
In fact, the reality of hell should compel us to talk about Jesus a lot more.
Jesus tells His disciples that He will be returning, and when He does, He will come in all His glory. He won’t be coming as a baby this time, but as the Son of Man, with all His angels and will sit on His throne.
This statement demonstrates that Jesus declared Himself to be one with God. The very reason the Jewish leaders were trying to find a way to have Him killed. In Jewish law, that was blaspheme, punishable by death.
This had to be what the disciples wanted to hear.
They were probably high fiving each other and thinking, “Yes! King Jesus! Finally Jesus is speaking our language.”
Jesus states that when this happens, “all nations” or every person, will be gathered before Him. I am not sure what was going on in the disciples’ heads, but today we know how many people there are on earth and to be honest that picture is hard for me to wrap around my head.
At this point, Jesus will be separating the people like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
In other words, Jesus will be judging who is a “sheep” and who is a “goat.” In the time of Jesus the sheep and goats used to mingle in the countryside together during the daytime. At night, they were often separated because the sheep could tolerate the cool air, but the goats had to be herded together to keep warm.
Jesus will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. He will then explain to each group why they were placed like they were. Jesus judges them on what they have done and what they have not done. This does not mean that what we do determines where we go in eternity. However, it does mean that Jesus expects those who follow Him to be like Him and you can tell a tree by its fruit.
The idea that Christians will avoid judgment is not true.
Jesus is stating right here that our works will be judged, or that which we should have done and we didn’t do. We are forgiven, yes, but that does not mean we will not have to give an account.
What type of an account was Jesus looking for?
For those on His right, He said,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
Jesus offers a welcome, “Come.”
Jesus offers a blessing from the Father.
Jesus offers them an inheritance.
They will experience the kingdom that was prepared since the creation of the world.
Why?
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.’
Notice this list, pretty mundane stuff: food, shelter, visitation. Not the most exciting stuff on the planet. Notice what is not on the list: those who did signs and wonders; those who preached with eloquent words and had hundreds of converts. The Church is more like the world than it likes to admit. We offer accolades to those who have the microphone and declare their great ministries. When according to Jesus, those who are feeding the hungry and housing the homeless will be on His right.
By looking at this list do you notice that Jesus has put eternity in the grasp of every person. What Jesus has been preaching and what He is showing is that being a follower of Jesus is all about relationships. Anyone can do this list. Jesus calls us to go to those that the world walks over and pick them up.
The sheep will not even remember doing the above list for Jesus. They will ask the Lord, when did we see you and do for you all that You just said? Verse 40,
“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.’
Who are the “least of these?”
Any person in need, anywhere.
Can you see how Jesus has been demonstrating this behavior all through the book of Matthew? Jesus began this mindset with the Sermon on the Mount. Then Jesus demonstrated this mindset by spending time with sinners, touching and healing the sick and lepers. He not only noticed the underdog, He stood up for them. Because of this the religious leaders of His day were about to kill Him.
Wow, did they misunderstand God!
Here’s the most amazing part of that sentence. Jesus said, whenever we do something for the “the least of these” we do it for Him. Jesus is the “the least of these.” Jesus sees our giving as coming directly to Him. He’s right there.
Then Jesus turns to the “cursed,” the goats, verse 41,
‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Jesus offers a command, “Depart.”
Instead of a blessing from the Father, they are “cursed.”
Their inheritance is “eternal fire.”
They will experience the same fate as Satan and his angels.
Why?
Jesus provides the same exact list as He did for the sheep but this time it is combined with “nothing,” and what they did “not do.” They were not being fruitful, they were not meeting Jesus where He was. They had missed Jesus all together.
The goats do not remember seeing Jesus either. They were confused, and asked, verse 44,
“(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?’
This time Jesus responds,
“(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.’
Jesus ends this summary of the future with two outcomes:
> Eternal Life
> Eternal Punishment
We should think of heaven or hell.
What exactly is hell?
Most of the information we have about it from Scriptures has to do with metaphors that describe a place. And these metaphors describe things we do not want to experience. Hell is a place that God created for Satan and his angels and all others like them who have chosen to NOT be in a relationship with God. That decision begins here on earth, where they decide:
- Not to give food to the hungry
- Not to give water to the thirsty
- Not to invite the stranger in
- Not to give clothes to those who needed them
- Not to take care of the sick
- Not to visit those in prison
Remember, Jesus said when we do these things we do them unto Him, we develop a relationship with Him. When we don’t we are NOT in relationship with people or with God, another word for hell.
The truth is, God “takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked,” Ezekiel 33:11, “but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!”
As Jesus was sitting with His disciples on the Mount of Olives the message He desired for them and for us was:
Be Ready – He is coming
Be Alert – He is here
Be Faithful – He will judge.
Let’s pray.
