TITLE: Doing Something Special for Jesus
SERMON IN A SENTENCE: While we cannot do Jesus a favour personally, he makes it possible for us to do so through his surrogates -- those whom he loves -- his adelphoi -- his brothers and sisters.
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25:31-46
EXEGESIS:
CHAPTERS 24-25: THE CONTEXT
Chapters 24-25 deal with eschatology (last days -- end of time). Jesus prophesies persecutions (24:9-14) and the Desolating Sacrilege (24:15-28), and tells of the coming of the Son of Man (24:29-31). He then gives the lesson of the fig tree (24:32-35) and tells of the necessity of watchfulness (24:36-44).
Jesus' teaching includes several parables that emphasize preparation for the master's (Jesus') return:
-- The Parable of the Faithful and the Unfaithful Servant (24:45-51), where readiness for Christ's coming consists of being found at work when the master arrives.
-- The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (25:1-13), where readiness consists of carefully checking preparations prior to sleeping.
-- The Parable of the Talents (25:14-30), where readiness consists of faithful stewardship over that which the master has provided.
The Eschatological Discourse concludes with The Judgment of the Nations (25:31-46), which portrays Judgment Day. Readiness here consists of faithfulness in small (25:40) ministry.
THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS
The Judgment of the Nations has sometimes been called The Parable of the Sheep and Goats because of its twists and turns of surprises. Jesus surprises the righteous (vv. 37-39) and the unrighteous (v. 45) with his judgment. However, this is not really a parable but is instead an eschatological (end of time) vision that describes a real future event.
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. 32All the nations (panta ta ethne -- multitudes, nations, Gentiles) will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
Note the contrast between Jesus' first and second comings. In his first coming, Jesus emptied himself, coming into this world as a servant (Phil. 2:5-11). Conceived by an unmarried woman, he was born in a stable and cradled in a manger. As a man, he had no place to lay his head (8:20). There was purpose in these humble beginnings -- that he might dwell among us, full of grace and truth (John 1:14) and draw us to himself (John 12:32). In his second coming, however, the time for wooing and winning will be past, so no further purpose would be served by humble circumstances. Jesus, therefore, will come in all of his glory -- with all of his angels -- sitting on a throne -- with all the nations assembled before him.
Furthermore, Jesus sits on a throne (v. 31) and pronounces judgment on the world. For Matthew, it is Christ who validates our acts of love and mercy. In other words, our acts of love and mercy must be done by Christians in the name of Christ. Therefore, non-Christians cannot be doing acts of mercy and love in the name of Christ for the simple fact that they are not Christians. The way that Jesus Christ judges us will be based on whether we did acts of mercy and love in his name or whether we do all these kind deeds in the name of some other. This is how we are going to be judged and that becomes the criterion of judgment. Your acts of love local or overseas will be judged by whether it is done in the name of Christ and whether it would stand under the judgement of Jesus Christ.
"All the nations will be gathered before him" (v. 32). Who does Jesus mean by "all the nations" (panta ta ethne) (v. 32)? This Judgment of Nations seems to show all people, Jews and Gentiles, Christians and non-Christians, gathered before Christ. For our purposes, we will assume that "all the nations" means all people.
"and he (the Son of Man) will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats" (v. 32 -- see Ezek. 34:17). While sheep and goats might look much the same to us, a shepherd would know the difference. The word "shepherd" is often used in scripture for God and Jesus, and the word "sheep" is a frequent metaphor for the people of God.
"and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left" (v. 33). Earlier, the mother of James and John asked Jesus to place her sons at his right and left hands in his kingdom (20:20-23). In that context the right hand was the favoured position and the left hand was the next favoured position. However, in the judgment context of 25:31-46, the left hand is not a place of favour but of disfavour.
34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for 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, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family (Greek: adelphon mou -- my brothers), you did it to me.'
"Then the king will say" (v. 34). The shepherd (v. 32) has become king (v. 34). The king conveys the Father's blessing to those who have given him help in the form of six works of mercy: Food, drink, welcome, clothing, nursing care, and visitation. "These good deeds are called 'deeds of loving-kindness' …are typical of those found in Old Testament lists (Deut. 15:7-11; Isa. 58:7-10; Pss. 37:21; 41:1...) and other ancient Jewish sources" (Hultgren, 151).
We should regard these six deeds of mercy as illustrative rather than exhaustive. Each meets a specific need of a needy person. Where other needs exist, mercies tailored to those needs surely count as highly as these six. A kind word or listening ear can help a person in despair. Assistance with a flat tire can redeem the day for a stranded motorist. The possibilities for mercy are boundless, just as human needs are boundless.
Note the very basic nature of these six mercies: Food, drink, welcome, clothing, nursing care, and visitation. Every person has the potential to provide these kinds of mercies. One need not be wealthy to buy a hamburger and soft drink for a hungry person. One need not be a nurse to help a sick person. One need not be ordained to visit a prisoner in jail. The kinds of mercies that Jesus rewards here are within the reach of every person. They do not require great sacrifice on the part of the mercy-giver, but do alleviate great pain for the mercy-receiver.
The king invites these merciful people to "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (v. 34). An inheritance is a bequest conveyed by a last will and testament -- an unearned gift. God prepared the kingdom as a gift from the foundation of the world -- from the very beginning.
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?" (v. 37). Note the surprise of the mercy-givers. When the king tells them that they have extended these mercies to him, they cannot imagine when that could have been. While extending mercies to "the least of these" they had no idea that they would be rewarded for their kindness. There was no calculation in their generosity. They gave because they were moved by human need -- not by the potential for reward.
The king explains to these astonished mercy-givers that, as they showed mercy to "one of the least of these who are members of my family (adelphon mou -- my brothers), you did it to me" (v. 40). " 'One.' The individualism of this text surprises us. Surely one person isn't all that important in a world of need! Jesus wants us to think again.
"the least of these who are members of my family" (adelphon mou -- my brothers) (v. 40). Who are these adelphoi -- these brothers (and sisters)? There are three possibilities:
1. Jesus might intend adelphon mou (my brothers) to mean any person in need.
-- This is in keeping with the fact that God loves all people and could be expected to reward our generosity to any person in need (see Exod. 22:22-27; Prov. 19:17; 21:13; Mark 10:21; Luke 16:19-25).
-- It is also in keeping with Jesus' inclination to help needy people whoever they are and wherever he encounters them: A leper (8:14), the servant of a Roman centurion (8:5-13), a Gadarene demoniac (8:28-34), and many others. There is an indiscriminate quality to Jesus' mercies -- a prodigal quality. He does not observe the usual boundaries when choosing whom to heal, but instead heals whomever needs healing.
-- Blomberg notes that interpreting adelphon mou to mean any person in need was "the minority view throughout church history, (but is) probably a majority view today, especially in churches with a strong social ethic." He and many other scholars think that Jesus intended adelphon mou to refer only to Christian brothers and sisters -- but we should not discount the possibility that Jesus will bless those who render service to any person in need. His personal witness suggests that he will.
2. Jesus might intend to limit the meaning of adelphon mou to Christians in need -- this was "the majority view throughout church history" (Blomberg). Jesus' use of the words adelphon mou (my brother) "makes it almost certain that the statement refers not to human beings in general but rather to brothers and sisters of the Christian community" (Hagner). This view is supported by the fact that adelphos (brother) is often used in the NT to refer to Christians (12:50; 18:15, 17, 21, 35; 23:8; 28:10; John 21:23; Acts 6:3; 9:30; 11:1; Gal. 1:2; 1 Cor. 5:11; Phil. 1:14). Note that the NRSV, because of its emphasis on inclusive language, usually translates adelphos as something other than "brother," so we must look to the Greek to see the significance of the word.
It seems possible then that Jesus intends to limit his blessings to those (including non-Christians) who help needy Christians. When this Gospel was written, late in the first century, Christians were being persecuted, and Matthew's intent here might be to convey Christ's blessings (or curses) to those who treat Christians well (or badly).
3. Jesus might intend to further limit the meaning of adelphon mou to Christians involved in proclaiming the Gospel -- i.e., pastors, evangelists, missionaries, Christian youth workers, Sunday school teachers, lay witnesses -- and a host of others. This is very much in keeping with Jesus' instructions to the twelve when he sent them on a mission to proclaim the Gospel, saying:
-- "Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food" (10:9-10).
-- "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town" (10:14-15).
-- "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple -- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward" (10:40-42).
"There is nothing uniquely Christian about the idea of Jesus' solidarity with his messengers; it reflects the Jewish shaliach principle: 'A man's representative is as the man himself.' ...Because of this solidarity principle, the good deeds performed by pagans are not treated as atoning for their sins, nor as evidence that they imitate God, but as indicating a relationship with Jesus" (Hare, 290-291).
Perhaps the image of concentric circles will help us here:
-- The outer circle includes the poor and needy of the world.
-- The middle circle includes needy Christians in general and persecuted Christians in particular.
-- The inner circle includes Christians directly involved in proclaiming the Gospel and dependent on the support of those whom they serve.
While it seems likely that Jesus will bless those who help people in any of the three circles, the certainty of blessing increases the closer we move to the centre of the circles.
Advancing the image of concentric circles even further, Jesus, at various times in his life, had need of all six of the listed mercies. Perhaps we should place him at the centre of our circles, not as a fourth circle, but as the pivot point around which the circles are drawn. We cannot directly meet his needs, but can do so indirectly by meeting the needs of his surrogates -- the ones whom he loves -- his brothers and sisters -- his adelphoi.
While Christians today understand that we should, in the name of Christ, show mercy to needy people without regard to creed, but we have not sufficiently emphasized showing mercy to Christian adelphoi. This is a serious deficiency in the light of the persecution and calamities of Christians around the world. In Asia alone, the last two to three years have seen SARS, Tsunami, earthquake, and now bird flu. Millions of Christians are suffering persecution and calamities today in China, Egypt, India, and a host of Muslim nations.
In response to that, Diocese of Singapore is dedicating its Mission Sunday into pulling resources from across Singapore to build up a crises fund for Christians in these devastated areas. We also have a responsibility to emphasize solid support (prayer support, financial support, and personal support) of those who have left hearth and home to proclaim the Gospel to all nations (28:19).
This text should also serve as a warning to squabbling Christians who sometimes treat each other badly. If Christ blesses those who show mercy to his adelphoi and withholds blessings from those who fail to do so, we should advise church members to treat each other with unfailing respect.
Furthermore, this text should serve as a warning to those who deliberately undermine the work of Christian adelphoi who are engaged in proclaiming the Gospel. G. Lloyd Rediger did a study of "Clergy Killers" -- church members who maliciously sabotage their pastor. Such people, he says, are likely to suffer from "personality disorders (paranoid, antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, and even passive aggressive)" -- but Rediger moves to theological language and calls them evil. He finds that clergy killers have wounded many clergy and that the effect has been to cripple congregations and denominations as well. I have witnessed clergy killers in action, and believe that Rediger makes an important point. This is not to say that clergy should not be held accountable for the effectiveness of their work, because that is appropriate. However, whispering campaigns, anonymous complaints, false charges, and sabotage are not appropriate. Congregational leaders need to be sensitive to the difference.
(See Rediger's article at http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/8591.htm. He has also written a book entitled Clergy Killers).
"Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (v. 34). Those of us who believe that the NT teaches salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ are troubled by the fact that Jesus says nothing of faith here. The people at the king's right hand "inherit the kingdom" -- salvation -- because of small mercies shown to "the least of these adelphon mou." Is Jesus creating a loophole that allows people to earn their own salvation through deeds of mercy? Can a person who rejects Christ win salvation by feeding the hungry?
In Rom 2:12-15, Paul creates an exception for Gentiles (people who have not had the benefit of Godly instruction) who "do instinctively what the law requires," demonstrating "that what the law requires is written on their hearts." He explains: "it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God's sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified." This, however, addresses only situations where people who do not know of Christ. It falls short of excusing people who deliberately reject Christ, however meritorious their deeds.
Christ, of course, is free to save anyone that he desires -- even a thief on a cross. However, the thief pled, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42), which sounds very much like a confession of faith. We should not encourage people to believe that their generous works (in lieu of faith) will save them.
We are left with some ambiguity with regard to what Christ will do in a particular situation but no ambiguity with regard to our duty. We have a responsibility to tell people that Christ will bless those who show mercy to "the least of these, adelphon mou-- my brothers and sisters" -- and to encourage them to watch for opportunities to minister to needy people in general, to needy Christians, and to needy Christians engaged in the proclamation of the Gospel.
41Then 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; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I 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.' 44Then they also will answer, 'Lord, 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?' 45Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
"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' " (v. 41). Just as the king blessed those at his right hand for rendering mercies, so he curses those at his left hand for failing to render mercies. Instead of an invitation to a kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, Jesus consigns these people to "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (v. 41). God designed the kingdom for people, but prepared fire for the devil and his angels. Not all angels are good (see Rom. 8:38; Col. 2:18; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:7-9). These are angels who have allied themselves with the devil.
Jesus says that God prepared the kingdom at the beginning of creation -- "from the foundation of the world" (v. 34) -- because God's purpose from the beginning was salvation. Jesus does not say that the "eternal fire" was created "from the foundation of the world." Presumably eternal fire was not part of God's original design but was created later in response to sin and rebellion.
Jesus gives a clear answer to the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen. 4:9), and that answer is a resounding YES!!! The person who helps those in need -- and particularly those who help Christian brothers and sisters -- will inherit the kingdom. The person who fails to do so will be consigned to fiery punishment. It is as if there will be a single question on the final exam, and that one question will be, "Did you obey the Great Commandment?" "Did you love God and neighbour?" (22:34-40) All eternity depends on the answer (v. 46).
"depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (v. 41). Fire and brimstone isn't popular preaching these days, but the fire and brimstone of this judgment scene is no aberration. The immediate context (24:45 ff.) includes three parables of judgment that include images of people being cut into pieces (24:51), locked out (25:10-12), and cast into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (25:30). The wider context (chapters 21-25) is full of Jesus' teachings about judgment.
We are tempted to preach the first part of this text ("Come, inherit the kingdom") and to leave the second part ("Depart from me into the eternal fire") untouched. To do so is not responsible, because we must warn people of impending danger even as we convey promises of a blessed future. Half-truth is no truth! "To eliminate eternal punishment is to extract the teeth of the Law and its presentation of a holy God. The blessing of the Gospel can be retained only if the Law is seen as the completely serious will of the holy God, to whom sin is grievous rebellion, requiring his punishment if it is not forgiven" (Hamann, 257).
We are also tempted to emphasize the humanitarian aspect of this text and to ignore the judgmental aspect in the hope that people will be more receptive to a positive message than to a negative one. However, "wherever one of these two doctrines -- love or judgment -- diminishes, the other is diminished" as well (Bruner, 927).
This is the last of Jesus' public teaching in this Gospel, so it would seem that it is the thought that Matthew most wants us to remember.
Christ, in this text and elsewhere, tells us the rules by which the kingdom of God is governed -- rules very different from those to which we are accustomed. He tells us that the person who lives by kingdom rules will benefit mightily by that choice.