Matthew 25:41-46

Matthew 25:41-46

At that time he will also say to the ones at his left, “Depart from me, having been cursed into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you did not give me something to eat.  I was also thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink.  I was a foreigner and you did not gather me in.  I was also naked and you did not clothe me.  I was sick and in prison and you did not care for me.”  Then they will also answer while saying, “Lord, when did we see you while being hungry or thirsty or as a foreigner or naked or sick or in prison and we did not take care of you?”  Then he will answer them while saying, “Amen I say to you all, in as much as you did not do to the least of these you did not do to me.  And these will depart into an eternal suffering punishment – and the righteous into life eternal.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

If we look at the goats – the ones at his left – we see more than the fact that they didn’t do.  Yes, they didn’t do anything.  But look at the rationale that they are using.  They are asking when they saw Christ.  In other words, they are implying that had they recognized Christ then they would have behaved differently.  Here we again see the façade that Jesus has been speaking about much over the last few chapters of Matthew.  This is why He calls the religious elite around Him “pretenders” so often.  Genuine disciples don’t need the presence of Christ to encourage them to act like Christ.  Genuine followers act like Christ because they have crucified themselves and are becoming like Christ.  Pretenders – or goats, or those at the left hand in judgment – act like they know they should act when people are watching but then go back to their own life and their own concerns when left alone.

What does it say about a person who behaves differently when the authorities are looking?  Where do you fit in on the sheep-goat scale?  Are you obedient to Christ when nobody is looking or are you living a double life?

Second Thought:

Notice that there is punishment for those at the left hand.  In fact, they are cursed into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels.  This should cause us to stop and take notice for a second.  The same judgment that is prepared for Satan is the punishment for the goats on the left hand of judgment.  But really, this shouldn’t be a surprise.  What is Satan guilty of doing?  Satan rebelled against God.  Satan was jealous of God’s love that He gave to others – specifically humanity.  Satan pursued his own desires instead of God’s ways.  Satan encouraged others of his kind to pursue their own desires and rebel against God as well.  Surely the exact same things can be said about the goats and the left hand of judgment, too.

What do you think this punishment will be like?  Does it make sense that in the end those who are not with Christ should receive the same judgment as those in Christ?  When reading this passage, do you feel any motivation to not be a goat?  How can you truly be a sheep and not a goat?

Interesting side-note on the phrase “for the devil and his angels.”  In Greek, that is what we call a dative noun.  The dative represents an indirect object, and in English we usually translate datives as “to, by, or for.”  So while I believe “for the devil…” is the best translation, it could also be translated as “by the devil…”

Third Thought:

In the end, I think that we should be clear on the ease with which Jesus speaks about judgment.  Jesus has no difficulty speaking about sheep and goats being separated.  Jesus has no difficulty understanding that in the end there will be those who end up in eternal life and those who end up in a fire that is eternal.  Jesus doesn’t teach that everyone will be redeemed in the end.  Neither should we.  There will be judgment and God will be the one sorting the sheep from the goats.  It is important to remember that the sheep and goat determination is not mine to make.  But it is important to teach that it will happen and God will determine who is headed for eternal life with God and who is headed for eternal curse.

Is it troublesome to think about judgment?  Why do many people feel sorrow when they think about this moment?  Why do you think some people teach that everyone will be saved in spite of passages like this that clearly teach contrary to that position?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 26:1-5