25:31-46 Prophetic saying concerning the Last Judgment
Matthew 25:31-46 (unique to Matthew) (Year A Christ the King) is a prophetic saying of the last judgment. One of the tests is the final judgment is that of conduct toward the peoples who are in distress where one is hospitable toward such persons will fix one’s eternal destiny. the sentiment is like that of other religions, in which the stranger is under the protection of the deity. Generosity toward the poor is lending to the Lord (Prov 19:17), but here, the motivation for such hospitality is that Jesus is among them. Since Jesus is the stranger, demonstrate in your love for the stranger your love for Jesus. Even such simple acts exhibit a personal relation to Jesus that finds acceptance in the final judgment.[1] 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.[2] The story would then become an illustration of the diaconate as part of the ministry of the community.[3] 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?[4] Humanity stands before the Son of Man the judge, the basis of judgment not being how humanity treated Israel or treated Christians, but how they treat the least of these.[5] Thus, the point is the inclusiveness of the standard of judgment, which will be fulfilling the law of love by human beings, regardless of what they believe.[6] The basis for judgment in the end toward which humanity is moving are the works of love identified in Judaism as good works. Love is the law of life under the rule of God expressed in works of love of every kind, enumerating the six most important works of love repeated four times.[7] Judgment will have its basis in the weightier matters of the Law (9:13, 12:7), for blessed are the merciful (5:7). Although many good scholars find it difficult to think Jesus said this, I am reading it as if Jesus told it.[8]
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, in context, changing the perspective to the end, with the Son of Man being the agent of dispensing blessing and condemnation, 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.[9] The New Testament merges the Jewish notion of judgment by the Son of Man with the view of the return and judgment by Jesus.[10] 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 eschatological gathering of the inhabited world is consistent with prophetic expectations (Isa 2:1-4, where the nations will gather at Mount Zion for God to judge, 66:18, where the Lord will gather the nations knowing their works and thoughts, Joel 3, where nations gather for judgment based upon how they have treated Israel). 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.[11] In this case, all nations refer to all human beings of every period of history, which would require a resurrection of all the dead. The Son of Man will separate people from one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, such separation occurring at night where goats need warmth and sheep like the open air,[12] 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Like a scattered flock, the nations are assembled around the glorious throne at which takes place the process of judgment, comparing it to the separation of white sheep from black goats, followed by the gracious rule of God over the flock of sheep.[13] 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 the Son) inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4, emphasizing the certainty of the promise[14]). 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.[15] 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.[16] 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. Works of mercy (Job 226, Sirach 7:32, Is 58:7, are the basis of judgment. 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. 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.[17] 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, following Jesus 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. 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.[18] Those unknowingly close to the rule of God will escape the fires of judgment.[19] 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; fire being the place of condemnation in 3:10 (John the Baptist), 7:19 (Jesus describing trees that bear bad fruit, 13:40-42 (Interpretation of the parable of the weeds), 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 (serve, διηκονήσαμέν) 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.’ In 7:21-23, only those who do the will of the Father will enter the rule of God, for some will say on that day that they offered prophesy, cast out demons, and did mighty works in the name of Jesus, but Jesus will command them to depart from him, for he did not know them. The omission of “my brothers and sisters” here is significant to me in the sense that it suggests 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 been goats. However, the moral of the story is not Christian (Isa 58:7, Testament of Joseph 1:5-6. In Sot. f. 14a, in reference to Deut 13:2 it is asked how can one walk after God, and the answer is that one adopt the qualities of God, such clothing the naked (Gen 3:21, visits the sick ((Gen 18:1), comforts mourners (Gen 25:11), and buries the dead (Deut 34:6).[20] 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 notion 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 prophetic saying 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.[21]
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 the 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.[22]
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.[23]
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] Stahlin, TDNT, V, 15-6.
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[8] 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.
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[11] See Douglas R. A. Hare, Matthew, in the Interpretation series. (John Knox Press, 1993), 289.
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[13] J. Jeremias, TDNT, VI, 493.
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[18] (Systematic Theology Volume 3, 615)
[19] (ibid, 620)
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