The Parables of Jesus
Goats and Sheep
Matthew 25:31-46
September 13, 2009
This week we are going to look at the last parable of three that deals with the end times or judgment when Jesus comes again. The first two are the parables of the ten virgins and the talents. This week is the parable of the goats and the sheep. Next week by the way, we will finish up the parables of Jesus by going back to the parables of the mustard seed and yeast.
This parable reminds us that following Jesus is not about us. It is not about me, what I want, what I need, or what is convenient. It reminds us that when the final day of accounting comes, while we will be asked about us and our lives, it will be about how we followed Jesus by serving others. Turn to Matthew 25:31.
Have you ever seen those frequent flyer programs that the airlines have? Fly with us and you will earn points that can get free flights (of course with the restrictions on when you can use those points and on what flights, the only way to redeem them is on a one way flight to Butte, Montana between February 30 and February 31 but that is a whole other issue). And the way customer service is with airlines, it is almost like a competition to see who can treat you the worst. “Fly with us and will treat you like you’ve never been treated before. And while you wait on a crowded plane for six hours to take off with a broken toilet, we’ll give you 30 bonus points that you can use to purchase our own magazine that gives you hours of pointless reading and more useless information than the Internet,”
But I thought, “What if…” What if we created a Frequent Attender program here at KCG? “Earn points when you come and worship. Earn a thousand points and become an elite member and you will get great benefits. Like free upgrades to aisle seating. A personalized pillow with a complimentary chocolate every time you worship. At 2000 points, you become a platinum member where you will be given a personalized coffee mug and your very own Snuggie! Act now because right now after signing up, if you attend four Sundays in a row, you will get a free half hour counseling session with Pastor Mark. That’s right, free counseling! See our website for details and limitations on this fabulous offer.”
But it really isn’t about us. It isn’t about us at all. Let’s read.
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. (Once again we must remember that this parable is in the context of the final accounting or judgment. Without this idea that we’ve looked at in other sermons—go online to see and hear them—this passage loses quite a bit of meaning and strength. We all will go before God our Creator, where we will need to account for what we did with the incredible gift of life and all the blessings that God so lovingly has provided.) 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.
So there will be a separation. Remember Matthew is writing to a Jewish Christian audience so they would have recognized the symbolism here (just as Jesus is addressing Jews). Goats were used every year to carry the sin of the people into the desert at the rite of atonement. The priest would have two goats brought before him. On one, he would place his hand on its head and througha prayer would impart symbolically the collective sins of the people on the goat. The goat would be chased out of the sin symbolizing the casting off of their sin and its removal from God’s presence where it would be devoured by wild animals. A second goat would then be sacrificed on the altar letting the blood be poured out as a covering for those sins.
The Jewish people would also be very familiar with the repeated biblical images of the faithful people of God being the sheep led by their shepherd who is God. Part of the hope of the Messiah was that He would be the ultimate good shepherd finally restoring Israel and giving them freedom. One example is Psalm 23 which says that the Lord is my what? Shepherd.
So the Jewish would immediately know what Jesus (and Matthew) is saying: the righteous people of God are the sheep who are on God’s right hand and the unrighteous are shown through the goats who are on God’s left hand. The left/right hands are more symbols to show God’s favor and acceptance.
But Jesus gives them and us a twist.
"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, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers 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, ’I tell you the truth, 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."
Jesus turns things upside down. Being a goat or a sheep is not based on how you were born. “I’m a goat. I was born that way.” “I’m was born a sheep (read Jew) and therefore I am automatically in.” We’ve already talked about this in other parables. Jesus says that God looks deeper than genetics.
In all three of these parables, Jesus says that judgment and the accounting is based on how you lived your life. Did you fulfill your family responsibilities like five of the ten virgins or did you do your own thing? What did you do with the incredible gift of the kingdom worth more than you can ever earn on your own? Were you about your master’s business acting on his behalf and in his interests or your own?
And here there are specifics that Jesus gives us. Do you help the helpless? Do you feed people? And we need to be very careful about super-spiritualizing this. I’ve heard people talk about applying this spiritual in terms of feeding people spiritually. That is certainly one aspect of application but it should never be used as an excuse for not helping the poor. “I feed people spiritually so I really don’t need to help the poor.” This is EXACTLY what Jesus was countering in the lives of the religious leaders of his day. They had neglected the basic kingdom principles of mercy and grace.
I am under conviction that this is a non-negotiable aspect of kingdom living and following Jesus no matter how much you don’t have. Even the poorest people in our country can serve and help others. Even the most fragile and physically challenged people can help others. Followers of Jesus help the helpless. They use their blessings to bless others. Not just when it is convenient but as a manner of living.
Do I have to do this? No, certainly not. But you might be surprised which group you are placed by God. I don’t believe Jesus is teaching a new kind of legalism. I believe that he is telling us that helping the poor, feeding the hungry, taking care of the sick, taking care of those left to rot in prison are things done because of his love placed in us. It is simply living out his creed of loving God and loving others.
If we are reluctant to do this or even if we place limits on doing this when we “feel like it,” then perhaps there is a problem. If there is a problem, it is simply a love problem. We have a love relationship problem. When we do this out of duty, it is a love relationship problem with God and with others. When we can’t seem to find the desire to serve others this way, then it is a love relationship problem.
I’ve met this guy that I will call Bob. Bob just recently got out of prison. He got caught up in using and did some stupid stuff. He was sent for prison. He had been trying do right and do good but he just got out of control. He was sorry about what he had done and was glad that he hadn’t hurt anybody. The whole time in prison, he wrote the pastor of the church that houses the Upper Room to keep in contact and ask for prayer.
Bob got out and I had the chance to meet the guy who wrote all those letters. He helps out around the Upper Room. He is always helping some of the other people even though he sometimes gets burned and taken advantage of. Is he completely turning his life around? Maybe not according to our culture’s standards. It is hard for him to hold a job. But I see in him, a person who is living out what Jesus says right here. He lives it out day in and day out.
But what impresses me the most about Bob is his heart. One afternoon we were talking about church and people and God. And all of a sudden, Bob stops. He looks down at the floor and tears well up in his eyes. I’m not sure what is going on because we were really too deep.
So I wait a few seconds and Bob says, “I just was all of sudden reminded of that story about Jesus and the guy who died.” Bob does read the Bible frequently but doesn’t know what it says and where it is at.
“A lot times when I really think about Jesus and what he has done for me, it just overwhelms me. He raised that guy from the dead and that is what Jesus has done for me. He died for me and sometimes it just seems too much.”
Tears are running down his cheeks and he wipes them off with his sleeves. “Jesus is just so good,” Bob says.
Honest, sincere love for Jesus. Bob weeps because of the love that Jesus has for him. I have no doubt that Bob is one of the sheep of Jesus’ flock. That day, Bob shamed me. That day, Bob showed me what it is know the love that Jesus has for us. I’m no better than Bob. In fact, I’m probably worse. When was the last time that I allowed the love of Jesus to move me.
Maybe that’s our problem. We’re so consumed with keeping it all together that we won’t let his love move our hearts. When that happens we aren’t moved to where we need to be.
“He died for me and sometimes it just seems too much.”
I suspect on the final day there will be a lot of surprised people who will be placed in the goat pen. “Didn’t I teach Sunday school for you? Didn’t I preach for you? Didn’t I...?” Whatever you didn’t do for the least of these, you didn’t do for me? Maybe what we didn’t do is just as important as what we did do.
As we contemplate what it is that God may be saying to our hearts through this parable, I have a video that I want to share with you to help us focus our mediations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhwiNLNRsg0
