The first thing that I always do when I read a new book is to read the last few pages. Its something that I always do, and I can’t help it or stop it. I love reading the last scene and then reading the book to figure out what that last image portrayed means, or the reason and significance behind the closing quote. I enjoy seeing who is in that last scene so I know who is still alive at the end and so I can look out for this person as the book progresses. Doing this helps to guide my thoughts and understanding of the book as I read through it and when I approach those last few pages. I told my wife this and she responded, “You’re one of those people, I never do that. It ruins the book.” “Yes, I am one of those people, and I like doing it.” Today, whether you like it or not, Jesus reads us the last few pages; He tells us what happens at the very end of the world. Jesus does this because an understanding of the end of the world shapes how we view our lives and how we live with each other here (and) in the now.
To understand this scene, we need to know the events that come before it, for remember, we are on the last page after all. At a first glance, there seems to be a huge contradiction in our text; the sheep and the goats seem to be sent either to their punishment or to their inheritance based on works, and not on faith. In fact, there is no mention of faith at all in this text. Will this week be forever known as the week that Vicar destroyed Lutheranism? No, let’s not go that far. Again, we are on the last page. Some important events have happened that will help us to make sense of this event.
The return of Christ has already happened and He has come in His glory. His glory is the sum of the divine attributes, attributes like His almighty power, complete knowledge, and omnipresence, and they are in their unrestricted use, exercise, and display. He has also come with His angels, all of them. Elsewhere in Matthew, Jesus says that His angels are instrumental in separating the believers from the unbelievers. His return will be quite a scene. The Resurrection of the dead has also already taken place since all nations and people have been gathered before Jesus as He sits on His throne. We know too that the sheep and the goats are not described as being judged on this day since they have already been separated. They have been already separated by faith beforehand. In this scene, the two groups are receiving their reward as Jesus shows the verdict of His judgment. With these things in mind, the meaning of the text unfolds before us. As I walk through this text, identify who you are in this scene.
Jesus begins by calling Himself King and says when He returns, He will show His verdict. He makes His judgment public and uses as evidence the things we ourselves and others can see, works. Unfortunately, as hard as we may try, we simply cannot see faith. There are no magic glasses that we can put on to see faith in people, nor are they available in the Seminary bookstore, I checked. The reality is that we cannot see faith in people. However, we can see good works, which are the products of having faith in Jesus Christ. So it is with works that His verdict is shown, revealing to everyone the evidence behind His decision.
So He first speaks to the sheep and calls them blessed, and indeed they are. He tells them, “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” This blessing and inheritance is announced before their works are ever mentioned, again, emphasizing the point that this was a result of faith, not of works. Now the King shows the proof for His decision and presents the evidence that we can see. He says, “when I was hungry, you gave me food. When I was thirsty, you gave me drink. When I was naked, you clothed me. When I was sick or in prison, you visited me.” However, this confuses the sheep, the righteous. They don’t recall doing any of these things to Christ personally. So they respond, “When? When did we do these things to you?” and they essentially repeat Christ’s words back to Him. You sense humility in their response, for these actions were the result of their faith. They didn’t do them because it counted towards their salvation, nor would it. Rather, their faith led them to do it. When they finished speaking, Jesus clarifies and explains what He means. He says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Jesus reveals that not only were their great acts of service done to Him, even the smallest ones to the least of people in this world were done to Him. It is quite evident why Jesus has these people inherit heaven; they had faith and lived it!
Now Jesus turns to the “goats”, the unrighteous, and it is not looking good for them. He says, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” The sad reality for these people is that this fire, this punishment, was never intended for them, and He shows why they will be sent there. He shows how they never lived a life of faith; their evil works show that. For when He was hungry, they never gave Him food. When He thirsted, they gave Him no drink. When He was naked, sick, or in prison, they never helped Him. When He looks at them, He sees their sin and the works they never did, whereas when He looked at the righteous, He saw their sin covered up through faith and could see their good works. After the unrighteous ask when they did not do these things, Jesus explains that when they didn’t serve or help the most insignificant of this world, they didn’t do it to Him. When they refused to help a beggar, or didn’t give someone in need food or drink, or help those who were sick and in prison, they didn’t do it to Jesus. They didn’t live a life of faith.
A while ago, I had asked, “who are you in this scene.” So, who are you? Are you the sheep, who are righteous through faith and receive the inheritance? Or are you the unrighteous, a goat, who receives the punishment not intended for human beings? We as believers in Jesus Christ know that we are the sheep, the ones who are righteous through faith. However, the tension is that our lives more reflect the behavior of the goats. For the horror of our actions are that we know when we serve others, we do it to Christ, and when we withhold our help or do harm to our neighbor, we do it to Him as well! In the fifth commandment, God calls us to help and support our neighbor and others in every physical need. Do we always do that? Aren’t there times when we ignore the needs of others and withhold our assistance? Do we always build others up, or do we hurt them with our actions and words? Do we love others as much as we love ourselves? The answer to all of these is no! By our actions, we deserve the punishment of the goats.
But remember, let’s look at the previous context. For the very King who sits on the throne is also the same King who died on the cross. The very King who was wronged by His people is also the same King who died for them, and in their place. For He took on our sins so that we could be forgiven and declared righteous in His sight. So when we are in this scene one day, we’ll already know the verdict. Through faith in Christ we will be declared “not guilty”, and told to inherit the kingdom prepared for us before the foundation of the world on account of what our Savior, our King, what Jesus has done for us.
Now since we know the ending, our thoughts and lives are guided by what we know from this event as we approach it. We know we are forgiven and where we’ll be on that last day. We also learned from Jesus’ words, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” His words change how we view serving, for we know any and every act done in faith that is in accordance with the Ten Commandments is pleasing and acceptable in His eyes. They are good works and are done to Him too. Luther uses a great example to show this point. He uses the example of a Father and spouse who has to rock the crying and screaming baby, change its messy cloth diaper, put up with its smells and barf, do late nights with the child, help the child when he or she cries, and then on top of it he has to care for his spouse, do chores, and work all day. The world despises and grumbles in doing these things, but the Christian faith, Luther says, “opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels.” What a great worldview and understanding of our lives that comes by faith. How we view our everyday actions and activities changes when they are done and viewed in faith. They are not meaningless, insignificant, and routine actions, but pleasing and beautiful acts of service to God and our neighbor. God has given us people to serve in our lives with our actions. Who and what are they? We’re not all fathers, or spouses, but what are the undesirable, unnoticed or seemingly unimportant things that you can do to serve others in your life? Is it cleaning a toilet? Caring for a sick family member? Going to work to provide for your family? Maybe it is all of these things or maybe it is something else. Whatever they may be, remember when they are done in faith, they are pleasing and beautiful things to God, although the world will disagree.
So its okay that Jesus ruined the book for you today by reading the last page. It is good to know what lies ahead, for it changes how we view our lives. We know that we are the forgiven sheep, although at times we may act more like the goats. We know that we will be on the right of Jesus and given a wonderful and eternal inheritance on that last day. We know that when we do small acts of service, they don’t go unnoticed, for they are pleasing and done to the King Himself. It is good to know the last page, and look at this, I’m at the last page too. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
