Knowing The Word in Matthew 25:31-46

The Final Judgment

[The theme of judgment running through chapters 23-25 now reaches its climax. This is really a judgment scene and not so much a parable. Take note of three important aspects: 1) the Son of man himself is at the center as judge and the one to whom men must respond in order to be blessed; 2) all the nations are judged, not just the Gentiles; and 3) the criterion of judgment is not their attitude to Israel, or even to God’s law, but their treatment of Jesus’ “little brothers.”]

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. [This is a fulfillment of Daniel 7.] 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [The people have all been mixed together up until this point of separation. Palestinian shepherds herded their sheep and goats together.] 33 And he will place the sheep [an OT image of the people of God] on his right [favor], but the goats on the left [disfavor]. 34 Then the King [the Son of man] 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. [This King shares his authority, which has been the plan all along and gives hope to those who face persecution.] 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ [See chapter 10 and 2 Corinthians 11:23-27.] 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ [This phrase is the key to understanding the parable. “My brothers” are his disciples who carry his message. They and the gospel message they proclaim are either received and accepted by people or rejected. This is the closest that Matthew comes to identifying the church with the Body of Christ.]

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [The cursed are going to a fate that was not meant to be for them.] 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ [It is not so much that the cursed did what was wrong but that they failed to do what was right.] 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” [There are two kinds of people and two kinds of destinies.]