This is the last parable in a sequence of seven parables that begin in Matthew 21 and conclude in Matthew 25. The first had to do with some wicked tenets. The second had to do with an invitation to attend wedding. The third had to do with discerning the obvious signs. The fourth had to do with faithfulness in servitude. The fifth had to do with preparation to welcome a bride groom. The sixth had to do with accountability. The last deals with the relationship between the way a person treats others and the final judgment.
Please note this is not a comprehensive declaration concerning the final judgment. It is a lesson his audience needed to comprehend. Jesus spoke to his disciples (Matthew 24:3). Comprehension concerning Jesus' mission did not begin with the twelve until Acts 2. Their failure to comprehend Jesus' mission is evidenced in Acts 1:6. At the time of this parable, the twelve were quite Jewish in their perspective. (1) Israel was God's chosen people. (2) The Messiah was for Israel and primarily was concerned about Israel. (3) Ancestry guaranteed Israel that they would receive God's favor. (4) 'Who you were' was more important than what you did. (5) 'What you did' primarily involved observing the appropriate ritual commands.
Were the twelve to be interviewed just prior to Jesus giving this parable, they would have declared when Israel came before God, people of that nation had a distinct advantage because of 'who they were.' It seems characteristic of humans to place enormous confidence in 'who I am.' This parable declares confidence must not be placed in 'who you are' but in 'who you serve.' In fact, Christians often work diligently on 'who I am' in a conviction that status improves one's reception by God in judgment. It is almost as if such people envision themselves saying to God, "Do you know who I am? Because of who I am, you must give me better treatment, or improved consideration, or toleration You do not give others."
This parable is based on a common reality known to everyone. Shepherds often had both sheep and goats in the flock they tended. At times the sheep and the goats needed to be separated. In this parable, the sheep stood for those God accepted as good and the goats as those God regarded as evil. In this parable the good and evil intermingle with each other in the same flock until the time of separation.
The son of man is presented as the shepherd king who will separate the sheep from the goats from among all the nations assembled before him. Note the separation will not be on the basis of nationality, but on the basis of individuality. The issue was not, "Are you an Israelite?" but "How did you treat people?" The basis of the separation would have shocked the twelve.
The king made his first pronouncement to the sheep. They are declared blessed of God. They are invited to inherit [a gift] the kingdom prepared for them from the world's foundation. [The next world began with God's original intention for this world.]
They were selected, not because they were Israelites, but because of the way they served and ministered to others. They fed the hungry, they gave the thirsty something to drink, they were hospitable to people passing through, they clothed those with no clothing, they helped the sick, and they ministered to those in prison.
These people were shocked! They did those things for others, but never for the king. Therefore they asked, "When did we ever see you in these conditions?" He replied, "When you cared for someone insignificant who belongs to me, you ministered to me."
The king then addressed the goats. He demanded that they depart from him and enter an eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Where they were going, they would 'socialize' with the devil, not with the sheep! They would no longer benefit from being among the sheep! Why? They were inattentive to him in his time of need.
The goats protested! "We never neglected you! We never saw you in need!" Implication: "Had we seen the king in need, we certainly would have responded to the king's needs!" Again, the king gave this response: "When you refused to care for someone insignificant who belonged to me, you refused to care for me."
The parable ends with the righteous being blessed and the wicked being punished. Remember: (1) the definition of 'the righteous' and 'the wicked' was determined by the king, not by the flock; (2) both the righteous [the sheep] and the wicked [the goats] were surprised.
Acceptance in judgment is based on more than merely 'who you are.' It is equally based on how we serve the needs of others. The king notices how we treat the insignificant who belong to him. Does this remind you of Luke 14:12-14? "And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Our responsibility is focused on two things: (1) Belonging to God, and (2) treating others like we belong to God.
Treating others appropriately is a part of belonging to God and must not be separated from belonging to God. It is belonging to God that changes our view of others.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 6