Today’s Gospel reading (Mat 25:31-46) is referred to by some as another of our Lord’s parables. However, nothing could be further from the truth. It is in fact prophecy. What is presented is our Lord's knowledge of the scene that He has already seen on that Last Day. He knows what lay in our future, He sees it as clearly as we can see the words on this page right now. So this is not some kind of “story” which the Lord gives us to bring us to good conclusions. It is a factual recounting of what we all will experience when He calls all to judgment on that Last Day. The words of the Gospel show this when Christ begins with the words, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him…”
Because of this, today’s Gospel is one account that should remain with us every day of our lives, and it should be this way for minimally two very important reasons:
First: In this account, Jesus, as the Just Judge, outlines the details against which all of us will be judged.
It all seems so very simple! The requirements are only six: 1) feed the hungry; 2) give drink to the thirsty; 3) welcome the stranger; 4) clothe the naked; 5) visit the sick; 6) care for the imprisoned.
Our Lord then carefully crafts His instructions about these details. He first indicates that we are to do these for Him. But then Jesus follows this up with the connection that He is to be seen by us as the person He describes as the least of My brethren. We must analyze these words, we must attempt to study them with great care, for within them lay our eternal salvation!
“Least”, in Greek ‘elachistos’, meaning short or little, yes, but also meaning low in dignity. It calls to mind the words of the Apostle Paul from 1Cor 4:13 when he refers to us as being the offscouring of all things, the scum that is rejected. It is these to whom our Lord points and for whom He instructs us to be servants!
Jesus refers to these same people as His brethren. The Greek word is ‘adelphos’, yes brothers, but literally from the same womb, sharing in all things related to our humanity.
Second: From the “test” of our faithfulness to meet our Lord’s instructions to us for life in this world, our eternal disposition will be determined. This judgment will not be something arbitrary, as is often the case before worldly judges. In this case, the judgment will be clear and unequivocal. We will see the judgment ourselves. It won’t require the pronouncement—it will be totally clear, to us, and to all. Our Lord told us, I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father Who sent Me. (John 5:30)
In our world, these pesky details are allowed to be relegated to the background of the Gospels. They’re easy to forget, or to at least relegate to a place of unimportance in our daily affairs. But we must daily ask ourselves—How can we allow ourselves to make insignificant that which has everything to do with our eternal salvation, our place in the Kingdom of Heaven?
We can’t! Don’t allow it!!!
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