Commonly known as the parable of the sheep and the goats or the judgment of nations, the final section of Matthew 25 depicts a time when Jesus sits on the throne and judges all the nations. The people are separated into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. First Jesus turns to those on the right, the “sheep” and blesses them, welcoming them into the Kin-dom, saying “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, 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” (Matthew 25:35-36, NRSV). They are confused however, wondering when they ever saw Jesus hungry or thirsty or a stranger. Jesus then tells them “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40, NRSV).
He then turns to those on his left, the “goats” and sends them away, cursing them, for they saw him in need and turned their backs on him. Just like the sheep, the goats are confused, wondering when they ever saw Jesus in need and failed to help him. He answers them in the same way he answered the sheep: “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” (Matthew 25:45, NRSV). Jesus concludes his story by saying that those on the left will go away to eternal punishment, while the righteous will go into eternal life.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to live my faith recently. For many Christians in this country, living their faith means doing things like discriminating against gay people and trying to make abortion illegal. But when I open my Bible, I find that one of the clearest depictions of who is welcomed into God’s Kin-dom and who is not, is a story about helping the least of these, in Greek literally the smallest in the estimation of humankind. The word translated in verse 46 as “righteous” literally means just in Greek. Those who inherit eternal life are those who do justice, those who ensure the most vulnerable among us have what they need.
What I find most compelling about Matthew 25 is the confusion. The sheep are confused about why they are being praised. The goats are confused about why they are being condemned. This isn’t a story of believers vs. non-believers. The goats think that they should be on the other side, that they did what they were supposed to, and now they’re being told they missed the most important thing. They thought they knew Jesus, but they never saw him in the people around them, the people who they ignored. Meanwhile the sheep don’t understand the praise they are receiving because they weren’t looking for praise when they fed the hungry or welcomed the stranger. They didn’t do those things because they wanted to earn a place in heaven. They were driven by compassion and love. Their faith helped them truly see their neighbors and drove them to do whatever they could to ease the suffering of the world.
Our world is full of suffering. We’re surrounded by injustice. As Christians we have to ask ourselves, how are we going to respond to injustice? How are we going to respond to systemic racism, refugees and xenophobia, sexism and women’s rights, homophobia, transphobia, and LGBTQ rights, ableism, climate change, poverty, and the many other questions of justice that our world faces every day? Every issue is unique, with its own challenges and solutions, but we can start by viewing it through the lens of Matthew 25. God calls on us to stand with the least of these, the people who are considered the least important by the world. No matter the issue, our place as Christians is on the side of the people who are subjected to injustice. It is not enough to just pray for an end to injustice, we have to go out and do everything we can to end injustice, not because we want to earn our place in heaven, but because Jesus stands with the marginalized and oppressed. Whenever you are faced with suffering or injustice, I challenge you to reread Matthew 25:31-46, and go and do likewise.