Final Judgment Turns on How We Loved
Daily Scripture
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “Now when the Human One [or Son of Man] comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left.
34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. 35 I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. 36 I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you?’ 45 Then he will answer, ‘I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.’ 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will go into eternal life.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Jesus capped his teaching about the end of the age with this view of the final judgment. Some startled hearers must have thought, “He surely can’t mean the judgment will turn on how we treated society’s most forgotten, at risk people?” But Jesus’ parable fit perfectly with his view of the greatest commandments. Pastor John Killinger said, “This story represents the culmination of centuries of longing for justice; and, when justice is done, it is seen… in terms of care for all of God’s little ones.” *
- Some think “getting ready” for the end of the world means giving up bad habits, learning large amounts of Scripture, or other “religious” duties. Yet Jesus said being ready (not getting ready) means living as his physical presence to meet the needs of the human family he loves. How can you bless Jesus, day to day, by actively caring about his “little ones,” “the least of these,” in your family, at work, or in the world at large?
- In verse 31, Jesus again used the language of Daniel 7 to say “the Human One” comes. By verse 34, he is unambiguously “the king.” Luke added that Jesus told his followers, “when these things begin to happen, stand up straight and raise your heads, because your redemption is near” (Luke 21:27-28). If the end of the world means Jesus reigns forever as king, and his followers “inherit the kingdom” (verse 34), how does that make you feel about “the end, whenever it comes”?
Prayer
Jesus, you are my king. So even in these turbulent times, when the world seems to be spinning ominously out of control, help me to “stand up straight and raise my head” as I look forward to your ultimate triumph over all evil. Amen.
GPS Insights
Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe, who serves as a Couples Small Group co-leader and Men's Group Leader, while volunteering in a variety of other capacities at Resurrection, wrote today’s Insights. He and his wife, Doris, first met in a Resurrection Single Adult Sunday School class in 1997 and were married in what is now the Student Center. They are empty nesters with 2 college-aged sons, Matthew and Jacob.
As I was researching today’s passage, I discovered that Wednesday of Holy Week is referred by some religious sects as “Spy Wednesday.” Being easily distracted by cool tidbits likes this, I thought it would be helpful to “visit” with Sir Ethan Veillance, a knighted agent of England’s illustrious MI5 (Domestic Security & Counter-Intelligence).
DL: Thank you for your time.
Sir Veillance: My pleasure. It’s nice to take a break from our home renovation project. I just returned from the paint store. I had to make sure they mixed our paint correctly. I wanted it “shaken, not stirred.”
DL: So, what inspired you to go into a life of espionage?
Sir Veillance: At an early age I was fascinated by all of the spies & spy stories in the Bible. Consider a few quick examples:
- There is Ehud (Judges Chapter 3), who had a dagger strapped to his thigh & killed King Eglon with the famous line, “I have a message from God for you.” (And you thought “Bond. James Bond” was iconic.)
- Or Rahab (Joshua 2) who sheltered Israelite spies, provided strategic intelligence to the Israelites, created a counter-intelligence campaign to mislead the authorities, organized a covert extraction operation, & even negotiated protection for her family.
- And of course, any list of spies would include Judas as well.
DL: Ah, Judas. The ultimate double-agent.
Sir Veillance: Indeed. I would suggest that Judas provides us with one of the greatest “What ifs” in human history. What if Judas had not taken his own life? What if, for example, he had fled to a cave in the Jerusalem area, secluded himself from the world & his fellow Disciples. He’s fasting & lying prostrate on the floor in utter shame & despair. Since he feels isolated from God, he can’t offer any prayers of repentance. He is without any hope. Then Jesus comes to him, ala Peter on the beach or Thomas in the Upper Room, & He offers Judas the undeserved gift of redemption. Theologians would debate this scene, but I would contend it concludes with Judas sobbing at his Savior’s feet & Jesus embracing him.
DL: That’s a tantalizing hypothetical & would be a powerful epilogue to Resurrection Sunday. Imagine the sermons Judas could have preached & how powerful his redemption story could be to listeners through the centuries who felt they had lived lives beyond the scope of God’s grace.
You know, Jesus’ commands & demands in today’s passage are daunting. But when we begin to grasp the depth of God’s love for us, it generates a passion & an obsession to do everything we can do to help God’s Kingdom be a reality on earth.
Sir Veillance: Exactly. Like a football player who recognizes that his coach is his biggest fan/supporter & says, “I would run through a brick wall for him.” That’s how we Christians should react to Jesus’ high expectations for us. With Jesus rooting for us, there’s nothing we can’t do.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some former colleagues coming over for dinner.
DL: What’s on the menu?
Sir Veillance: We’re having T-Bones & Rib Eyes. We call it our annual “Steak Out.’
DL: Are you a good barbecuer?
Sir Veillance: Yes. As a matter of fact, I even have a “license to grill.”
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* John Killinger, A Sense of His Presence (The Devotional Commentary: Matthew). Waco, TX: Word Books, p. 105.
