Message
Matthew 25:31-46.
The Sheep and the Goats
Let’s turn to Matthew 25:31-46 and read the parable of the sheep and the goats.
The basic teaching of this passage is summarised by Jesus in verse 46. “Then they (the goats) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous (sheep will go) to eternal life”.
There is no confusion.
There are no issues left hanging in the air.
On the day of judgement our destiny will be clearly revealed by Jesus who is the righteous judge.
It sounds clear enough, until we have a closer look at the standard which is used to bring this judgement about. Have a look at verses 40 and 45.
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.”
Matthew 25:40
He (the King) will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
Matthew 25:45
The judgement of the sheep and the goats is directly connected to the way they have treated “the least of these”. So, if we are going to understand this passage we need to answer the question, “Who are ‘the least of these’?”.
The beginning of an answer is that “the least of these” are the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the unclothed, the sick and the prisoner mentioned by Jesus. When we think of such people often think of those in society who are down and out. Those on the fringe. The uncared for. The unloved. The ones with great needs.
But if we limit our scope in this way then we kind of run into an issue. Because there are many people … and many organisations … who are not necessarily Christian, or who don’t promote themselves as a Christian organisation … who are helping the hungry, and thirsty, and strangers, and unclothed, and sick, and imprisoned.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – UNHCR – their mandate is to “aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people and help them resettle to a third country.”
Muslim Aid is an international charity that provides help to people who are “victims of natural disasters or conflict or suffering from poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, discrimination, homelessness, debt, unemployment, injustice, deprivation or lack of skills and economic opportunities.”
If the criteria for eternal acceptance is “you helped ‘the least of these’” … well then people from these groups – and many other organisations – could qualify as sheep.
Now we know this can’t be possible.
So let’s have a closer look at the Scripture.
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.”
Matthew 25:40
He (the King) will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
Matthew 25:45
It isn’t just “the least” … it is “the least who are in relationship with Jesus”
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.
Matthew 24:35-36
“What you did for them, you did for me.” That is what Jesus is saying.
But Scripture is clear – Jesus does not reside in everyone.
Jesus only resides in those who are connected to Him in faith.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 1:22-23
Think about Saul … who became Paul. Saul has been persecuting Christians and he is so determined to get as many Christians as possible he is on his way to Damascus. AS Saul neared Damascus “a light from heaven flashed around him. A voice said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute ME?” (Acts 9:3-4).
Saul persecutes Jesus because the Spirit of Jesus is in the Christians.
But Jesus doesn’t reside in everyone.
Even if you are hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison.
Even if you are one of these, Jesus doesn’t reside in you, unless you also are in relationship with Jesus.
So this passage is not saying, “Your entrance into eternity is based on how you have treated any person who hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison.”
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help these people. Scripture has many passages that speak to this.
It is just that this parable isn’t focussing on such people.
Your entrance into eternity can’t be based on how you treat all people who are hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison.
If you help someone in this group you are given eternal life.
If you ignore someone in this group you will have eternal punishment.
Your entrance into eternity can’t be like this because that makes your salvation based on works. And salvation is not based on works, it is based on grace. The parable makes this very clear. Let’s read verse 34 again.
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.”
One does not earn an inheritance … an inheritance is given.
All the sheep have been bought at a price.
All the sheep have received the gift of life at the greatest of costs.
For the same King who sits robed in majesty, who judges all the nations.
The King who wears the crown of glory.
This same King once wore a crown of thorns.
This King was despised and rejected, betrayed and abandoned and left all alone to die. All of the work necessary to enable the sheep to be where they are has been done by Christ alone. There is nothing we can do to earn a place next to the King.
This is a central truth of the Scriptures – and it is a central truth embedded in this passage.
So we can be 100% certain that this parable is not basing eternal life or eternal punishment on works. Rather this parable has a more limit focus. It is reminding us that the way people treat the representative of Jesus
… the way we treat “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine”
… the way we treat them is indicative of our eternal destiny.
The sheep are the sheep because they have recognised the value of the message which the hungry, thirsty, sick, unclothed, stranger in prison was bringing.
The ones who go hungry and thirsty for the sake of Jesus and the Word.
The ones who are strangers in this world but who want to spread the message of salvation.
The ones who have been persecuted, and suffered sickness, and imprisoned because they make sharing the Word a priority.
The sheep realised that these people where messengers of hope and restoration. And so the sheep did what was necessary to help “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine”.
The goats are the goats because they wanted nothing to do with this message. So even when the messengers of the gospel were hungry, thirsty, sick, unclothed, or strangers in prison – the goats turned away.
The goats are the goats because they have rejected the messengers of the gospel … and in so doing have rejected the message of the Gospel.
So the parable is not asking, “Who have you been helping?”.
Rather the parable is asking, “How have you responded to the message of salvation?”.
Now let’s just stop and think about what is happening here. There is a whole group of people – the goats --- who have just been told that they will be facing eternal punishment.
What is the reason?
It is not because they are thieves and murderers.
It is not because they were drunkards and drug addicts.
It is not because they had uncontrollable rage and were abusive.
It is not because they were sexual predators and rapists.
It isn’t like there is a massive contrast of behaviour.
There is something going on here that is hard to understand unless we use a few pictures.
Have a look at this picture.
Would you say it is a sheep or a goat? (sheep)
Here is a mixed flock of sheep and goats.
The sheep and the goats look really similar.
In first century Judea sheep and goats looked very similar. When Jesus talks about the sheep and the goats He is not talking here about the difference between the scum of society and the cream of the crop. The only issue that separates the two groups is the way they have treated the representatives of Christ who have come to bring the message of salvation.
Now that we have a clearer understanding of the teaching in the parable let’s focus on two practical points that come out of this understanding.
The first response has to do with the way we see fellow-believers and deal with fellow believers. When it comes to fellow messengers of the Gospel the call is to make sure we do not treat each other in a goat-like manner.
Which is not always an ease call.
Because our society trains us from an early age in the fine art of goatliness.
We learn quickly as children that if we identify ourselves with the weird kid, or the outcast kid, or the loser kid, we run the risk of being branded as weird, outcast and losers ourselves.
It’s guilt by association so you avoid it. Instead you look out for number one. These are the harsh lessons society has to offer us.
In the church … among those who are gospel messengers … the way we treat one another is important.
Are there those who are hungry and thirsty, but we are not stopping to help them eat and drink?
Are there those who feel like they are a stranger and they need support and encouragement and care?
Are there those who have very identifiable needs, but these needs are not being met?
In the Christina community it there is the call. The call to care. The call to notice. The call to respond.
We are not goats.
In between all the things that demand our attention in life, we can’t allow people to sit on the outside edge of our awareness, unnoticed, peripheral, always there but never receiving any of our time. We can’t be the ones who never give up a slot in our busy agendas.
We are not goats. We are sheep. All of us being Gospel representatives. Not just us … but all those who bring the Gospel message.
This parable impacts the way we treat one another.
This parable forms our world-and-life view as we think about how our eternal destination shapes our fellowship today.
That is the first practical point.
The second practical point is the reminder of the central importance of a relationship with Jesus. It is this relationship … and this relationship alone … which determines our eternal destiny.
And this is the news we need to share.
So even if we are treated in a goat-like manner by those who don’t know the Saviour. Even if our needs are totally ignored and people just walk by
Even then … we can’t give up.
For who of us would want even the worst of our enemies to here the words “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Even though many will reject Jesus – it is for such as these that Jesus came.
• At times He was hungry, as when He was tempted in the wilderness and yet remained righteous.
• At times He was thirsty especially when He suffered on the cross.
• At times He was a stranger. His own hometown rejected Him and sought to kill Him.
• At times He was naked, for the soldiers stripped Him bare before they drove the nails into His hands and feet.
• At times He, too, was sick. For He bore your sickness and infirmity on the cross.
• And while He was never imprisoned, He was put into the brutal custody of Roman guards who scourged Him before His death.
Jesus the Judge has done all that was needed to enable people to enter eternal life.
Let’s sharing that message – no matter how goatly people act.
Prayer
