Matthew 25:31-46 is a parable of the last judgment. The source is unique to Matthew. The story may ask the community of Matthew concerning its being in the conduct in the present age, in the light of the approaching end. The community thinks it knows the judge and that it witnesses to him. The story looks back upon the present as time when Jesus remains hidden. In that sense, it would be the Magna Carta of Christian humanitarianism and politics.[1] The story would then become an illustration of the diaconate as part of the ministry of the community.[2] Yet, I invite the reader to consider another possibility. Consistent with its Jewish background, the image presented to us is the destiny of those outside the people of God. Those who are part of the people of God have risked their lives through their faith (25:14-30). They have properly waited in hope for the return of the bridegroom (25:1-13). However, on what basis will God judge those who have no knowledge of this approaching end? Although many good scholars find it difficult to think Jesus said this, I am reading it as if Jesus told it.[3] 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. We do not see “Jew and Gentile” standing before the Son of Man. This view of the end as determined by the Son of Man points to the Jewish origins of the idea, and even that Jesus might have spoken of this judgment.[4] The New Testament merges the Jewish notion of judgment by the Son of Man with the view of the return and judgment by Jesus.[5] We must not forget that the one who sits on the throne to judge is also the one who went forth to die for the sins of all peoples. He is judging those whom he has loved and for whom he has died. We do not see “Christian and non-Christian” before the Son of Man. 32 All the nations (ἔθνη, a technical term referring to a concern for the righteous among the Gentiles) will be gathered before him. The future will disclose the identity of the one to whom humanity is accountable. Jews recognized the many good persons among the pagans. Paul echoes this concern in Romans 2:14-16, where he suggests that those who have no relationship to Torah may yet fulfill its ethical requirements.[6] The Son of Man will separate people from one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Such animals would graze together during the day, but at night, the shepherd separated them because goats prefer warmth and sheep the fresh air. The basis of judgment is not those who are knowledgeable of the one in whom they have faith or the one in whom they hope. The concern here is with those who do not have such knowledge. Will God hold them accountable? If so, on what basis will God judge them? We may think we have the knowledge of the one in whom we have faith and the one in whom we have hope, and are therefore confident that we are among the sheep. We must not be too secure in that assessment. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, (of the Father, transition from the kingdom established by Jesus Christ) inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Such a future for the Son of Man as king is consistent with the notion of the future rule of God. Such future sayings regarding the rule of God predominate in the sayings of Jesus, even as Johannes Weiss insightfully wrote.[7] The reference to the Father here suggests, in the terms of later theology, a transition from the rule of the Son to the time when the Son hands over rule to the Father. We can also see that the origin of salvation is in the eternity of God prior to the chance happenings of history. Yet, we must not go down the path of an unfitting and anthropomorphic view of God, as if God were looking ahead to a different future. Such a thought is hardly compatible with the eternity and infinity of God.[8] Well, if God is love, it makes sense that God will judge them based on their love. We do not move toward an empty future. Jesus Christ will determine that future. Yet, Christ is not just present at a distant future. Christ has been present all along, hidden in the people we meet in daily life. Yes, the focus of judgment for the nations is how they have treated the least of these. It would be a mistake to think of the least as identical with Jesus. However, they are witnesses that we must not overlook or ignore. They are witnesses of the poverty that Jesus accepted to establish fellowship between God and humanity. They become our neighbor. One cannot have Christ without having the least.[9] Many of us are familiar with Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa went back to this text often as she talked about her ministry among the poorest of the poor. Often, she told visitors to hold up one hand. "The gospel is written on your fingers." She then accented each word with one finger at a time: "You did it to me." She then concludes, "At the end of your life, your five fingers will either excuse you or accuse you of doing it unto the least of these. You did it to me." Christ is present in those who are in some way in need of help. When we grant or deny help to them, we are granting or denying help to Jesus. Thus, Jesus waits for all of us in the people we meet. We must not forget that the context is judgment. This passage invites us to consider what God wants of us as human beings. What does Jesus expect of those who have no explicit knowledge of him? To ponder such matters assumes that we can get it wrong. In our “unconditional love” culture, such a notion finds an instinctive resistance within us. We are a value neutral, non-judgmental culture. In the context of judgment, this story makes us uncomfortable. The Son of Man, the one toward whom history is moving, will judge me and will judge you. Again, however, the basis of judgment is the nature of our love. The point is not good works. Rather, even in the context Matthew provides, Christian life is about faith, hope, and love. God wants love from us. Jesus expects love from us. In this case, however, the “us” is humanity. Note the simplicity of the end. Yet, we must also admit its complexity. What is the loving thing in the call the least of us issue to others? It may not be as simple at all. Yet, even the nations, those with no knowledge of the people of God, can see the call represented by those in need, 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Hunger, thirst, and clothing are basic needs for survival. As infants, each of us were among the least of these, vulnerable, and in need of help from those who brought us into this world. Some of us as youth or adults have felt the pain of not having the basics in life. All of us have been strangers at some point. At some point in our lives, we will be sick. We may not be in a literal prison, but we may well become aware that we have made a prison with our choices from which we now need liberation. All of us are among the least of these with whom the Son of Man identifies. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, they acknowledge the identity of the Son of Man and king, the one to whom they are accountable, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ In one way of looking at it, the righteous sheep drawn out from the nations are not very bright. Their lack of understanding suggests we must not turn the story into morality tale. They do not know they have behaved in ways that led to them becoming sheep. By doing these unspectacular acts of love, the sheep have thereby loved the king. Even people from nations who do not know the king, if they perform these acts of love, shall receive praise and number among the cherished sheep. Here is a hint that the narrow interpretation of “the least of these” is incorrect. Their surprise would hardly be fitting if the “least” were simply missionaries of Jesus. Further, in a text that looks seriously at the judgment deserved by the righteous among humanity, it would seem all their good works toward those in need would receive consideration. The capacity for human beings for evil is something any of us can document. People take advantage of the weak and innocent. I am not sure how so much evil can direct itself toward children, but it does. The point here is that in the end, when the people of the nations must give an account of their actions, the basis of judgment will be actions toward the least of these. 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least (ἐλαχίστων) of these who are members of my family (ἀδελφῶν μου, my brothers and sisters), you did it to me.’ In Midrash Tann. On Dt. 15:9, we find these words: “My children, when you have given food to the poor, I account it as though you had given food to me.” The Son of Man judges based upon works of mercy rather than occasional exploits. Jesus lived among human beings as one in need of mercy. He emerges as the judge, the one to whom human beings must give an account to their acts of mercy to others. In 10:40-42, the implication of the identification of Christ with the poor, needy, and persecuted is present, even as it is in Acts 9:4, 22:7, 26:14. It lifts up an act of charity to a particular individual who may not be appealing or sympathetic! In Matthew 10:42 and 18:6, 10, there are additional references to offering aid and comfort to the "little ones." In this wide interpretation, the woes suffered by these "least ones" and these "little ones" are social ills unrelated to issues of faith. Granted, such references to the least could express the attitude of the faithful community toward how the world treats it. I am suggesting a broader view. In the New Testament generally, who judges (the Father or the Son) is not as important as the notion that the standard of judgment remains the word of Jesus.[10] Those unknowingly close to the rule of God will escape the fires of judgment.[11] 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Let us be honest here. Think back upon the month. Were there times when you were just too busy or just did not want to stop and assist someone in need. It may have been someone in need of the basics in life, it may have been someone who simply needed a welcome and a smile, and it may have been someone caught in the grips of a prison of their own making, and we ignored the need. We have all been goats. 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, they now recognize who the Son of Man and king is, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ As with the sheep, so the goats are not very bright. It suggests we are not reading a morality tale. Again, we find a surprise fitting if we consider that the least are not simply missionaries but any person in need. The turn away from those in need and thus the failure of love will be the basis for their judgment. 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least (ἐλαχίστων) of these, you did not do it to me.’ The omission of “my brothers and sisters” here is significant to me in the sense that it seems to suggest the general interpretation of “the least” as any who are in need of the basics in life, any in need of a welcome, and any in need of help out of prison. Each of us needs to ponder when we have turned away from help we could have offered. Yes, we have all be goats. 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment (κόλασιν, or torment), but the righteous into eternal life.” In other sayings of Jesus, I try to wrestle with the nation of eternal punishment or torment. This end is for the devil and his angels, but this parable suggests that some human beings will join them. I stress that such human beings will join the devil and his angels in torment, that the devil will not do the tormenting. I am not clear on what the torment will look like, for it may well be of a spiritual nature. I wrestle with these matters, in part, because I find it difficult to think of it as just to punish for eternity human beings who lived a finite life. I also find it difficult to think that God will be content to lose a portion of what God has created. Further, to think that end will include a “place” in which God is not present in reconciling love (hell) seems incongruous to me.
From the future, when who the king and Son of Man is becomes clear, the parable looks back strikingly to the present time when the Son of Man remains hidden among the hungry, thirsty, the stranger, and the imprisoned. He remains hidden among the least in part because Jesus was them throughout the course of his life, but especially in the Passion. Human beings will give an account of their lives based upon their attitude toward the still hidden Son of Man. People will reveal who they are based upon their behavior toward the least of these. However, where is He hidden now? Jesus is waiting among the least. They represent the world for which He died and rose again. The sheep had no ulterior motive. They saw the need and did what they could without any further design. They were concerned with people and treated them as brothers and sisters. They knew Jesus as their Brother, God as their Father, and thus fed the needy. The community is a community of the last time. Humanity does not move toward an empty future.[12]
The least are not identical with Son of Man, but they are witnesses that we must not overlook or ignore. They are witnesses of the poverty that Jesus accepted to establish that fellowship between God and humanity, witnesses of the wealth that the world has secretly received, and the Christian community openly receives in its faith and hope. They represent Son of Man as the neighbor. One cannot have the Son of Man without the least of these, without a willingness to be witnesses to them and to offer love to them. The least are indispensable to each one whom God loves.[13] Everybody with no exceptions, will find Christ nowhere in this world but in the brokenness of the world in the last, the lost, the least, the little, and the dead. In the story Matthew is telling, however, what does Jesus do? Well, in chapter 26, Matthew shows him heading straight toward his Passion. He becomes hungry, thirsty, and naked. He becomes a stranger. He is the imprisoned one. He takes up permanent residence in the shipwreck of the world. He makes all the disasters of our history the sacraments of his saving presence.[14]
God has provided some directions for living. A sign read, "This life is only a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have been given further instructions on where to go and what to do." I can identify with that. I would have liked some moments in my life to come with greater clarity that it did. Too often, I have done the best I could and muddled through.
If we are going to see our faith in the ordinary character of life, then one of our instructions is to see Jesus in every person we meet. Jesus is waiting there, in them. How would we treat them if they were Jesus?
In a world confused in its politics and morality, we need some direction. In my case, when I became involved in a little community of faith in Austin, Minnesota, what I sensed was that something was there, in that community, that give me some direction. I knew I was not getting it at home. Fortunately, my mother made sure that her five children made it to this congregation. Eventually, I picked up the Bible and started studying it, thinking that it would have some of the direction I needed. In a variety of ways, I have been doing it ever since. I am thankful for the direction the community of faith gives to me and I am thankful for the direction the Bible gives me.
If we need direction, then the assumption is that we can get it wrong. We can waste our lives. We can look back upon our lives with regret. We can even get it wrong at the end, however. Therefore, we can be grateful that the judge of our lives is Jesus. What will the criteria be for final judgment? That is what may surprise us. The parable gives some indication with its talk of the need to reach out to "the least of these."
Leo Tolstoy tells about Martin the Cobbler. Martin lives a lonely, depressing life, working day after day in a small basement shop. He never bothers to look out the window and prays daily, "Lord, bring my life quickly to a close." In a dream the voice of Christ tells him, "Look out your window tomorrow. I will come to visit you." Martin spends the next day looking out his window. For the first time in years, he stops concentrating on his own hurts and notices the hurts of others. He invites an old man shoveling the walks in to warm up. He invites a young woman carrying a child in and gives a bowl of soup, a shawl, and a blanket. He mediates a dispute over a stolen apple, and a friendship formed. However, the day ends in disappointment. The Savior did not come to visit. Then Martin opens the Bible to Matthew 25 and reads the story of the final judgment. Christ had come to visit him in the human need he began to see all around him.
God is all around us, but not where we think. We can find the face of Jesus in the marks of life in the faces around us. This is what God expects. This is what Jesus expects. This passage includes us all, since all of us have been strangers, and needed someone to welcome us. All of us have been “the least of these.” Every person we meet is “the least of these.” I invite you to remember where you saw Jesus in the face of someone whom you helped this past week or month. … Then, remember a time when you saw Jesus, but did not do anything. …
The arena of faith is daily life. When the judgment is made upon the sheep and the goats, the actions mentioned are all mundane acts of kindness. Give food, give something to drink, be hospitable to someone, give clothing, take care of someone, and visit one in prison. The “sheep” know that compassion belongs in our most ordinary and everyday encounters. We need to hear that because we do not play out most of life on the big stage, in the kinds of events that make headline news. Rather it happens in the smaller things -- the chance meetings, the routine places, the circumstances where, when we do a good deed, it seems to us so ordinary that we think it is hardly worth mentioning, and certainly not worthy of earning us a place with sheep.
A Greek Orthodox monk developed a fervent desire to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Over the course of many years he was able to save and beg the sum of 30 pounds: just enough to take him to his destination. The monk stepped through the gates of the monastery to begin his journey, but no sooner had he done so than he met a beggar, bent low to the ground, picking herbs. The beggar asked him where he was going. “To the Holy Sepulcher,” he replied. By God's grace I shall walk around it three times, kneel and pray, and return home a new and better person.” The beggar looked at him with longing in his eyes. He said, “Give me the 30 pounds for my hungry family, walk around me three times, kneel and pray, and return to your monastery.” The monk paused, scratched the ground with his staff, examined his heart, and gave the beggar the 30 pounds. He walked around him three times, knelt and prayed. He returned to the monastery a new and better person, for he had seen in the beggar Christ himself, right there at the monastery.[15]
Well, we have learning of the importance of faith, hope, and love, as he shares it in Matthew 25. Faith becomes the willingness to risk oneself in daily life. Hope shapes the way we live today by providing accountability. Opening ourselves with love to those who have experienced the deep vulnerability of a human life in ways Jesus did throughout the course of his life but with emphasis in his Passion becomes the simple path of the disciple. What Jesus expects is simple. Love. If we long to see Christ, we need only to look around us. Christ is with us in the faces of our neighbors. In the people who do what Christ does for us as they care, provide, love and keep us safe.
In Walking Across Egypt (1999), Ellen Burstyn portrays an elderly woman who faithfully attends worship. In 11:10-12:17, she hears the pastor read from Matthew 25:31-46. She obviously feels some conviction with what she hears. She visits a boy in prison. He is the son of someone in town who had done some work for her. He cusses and is rough with her, even while she brings him a cake and some tea. In 15:42-16:24, she relates to a friend the passage of Scripture with this encounter with the boy. In 33:31-34:16, she then has a conversation with her daughter about the passage and her relationship with this boy. In 1:25:48 to 1:26:45, the daughter tries to get her to question when she is supposed to stop doing what this passage says. If we extend to 1:27:55, we see the minister and his wife making it quite clear that they had no use for the boy.
The passage implies the simplicity of love. For those who have no knowledge of God as revealed in Jesus, the standard of judgment remains Jesus. Anyone can respond with mercy to one who in need. Yet, for those within the people of God, it will always be a challenge to love in this way. It issues a demanding call to us who seek to follow Jesus.
[1] Barth (Church Dogmatics III.2 [47.1] 507)
[2] Barth (Church Dogmatics, IV.3 [72.4] 891)
[3] In terms of its setting in the life of Jesus, Bultmann concluded that this is a Jewish saying with Christian editing. The moral is not distinctively Christian. It may originally have referred to God, and Christians later changed it to “Son of Man.” For others, this story is from Jewish Christians who referred it to Christ from the beginning. The Christian version could mean that the doing of good works or their omission must be directly related to the Son of Man. Schweizer substantially agrees, noting that it is not certain that Jesus practically identified himself with the poor. For the Jesus Seminar, Matthew’s community debated a gentile mission. This story showed how God could give the gentile the reward of heaven without knowing Jesus. One might imagine the possibility that Jewish-Christians used the story to downplay the importance of mission to the gentiles.
[4] (Pannenberg Systematic Theology, Volume 3, 609)
[5] (Pannenberg, Systematic Theology, Volume 3, 613)
[6] See Douglas R. A. Hare, Matthew, in the Interpretation series. (John Knox Press, 1993), 289.
[7] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology Volume 2, 328)
[8] Pannenberg (Systematic Theology Volume 2, 143)
[9] Barth, CD, IV.2 [58.2] 106)
[10] (Systematic Theology Volume 3, 615)
[11] (ibid, 620)
[12] (Church Dogmatics III.2 [47.1] 507)
[13] Barth, CD IV.2 [58.2] 106)
[14] - Robert Farrar Capon, The Foolishness of Preaching: Proclaiming the Gospel Against the Wisdom of the World, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1998, pp. 29-30
[15] —Nikos Kazantzakis, The Greek Passion (Simon & Schuster, 1954).
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