LECTIO DIVINA Matthew 25:31-46 Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Year A Fr. Michael Brizio, IMC

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1 Page 1 of 12 LECTIO DIVINA Matthew 25:31-46 Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Year A Fr. Michael Brizio, IMC 1) OPENING PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. Amen. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations. Through Christ our Lord. 2) READING OF THE GOSPEL (What the Word says): Matthew 25: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 32 and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from 33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. 37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?

2 Page 2 of And the king will say to them in reply, Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. 41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me. 44 Then they will answer and say, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs? 45 He will answer them, Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. 3) EXPLANATION (What the Word means): v.31a: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, Both the title (Son of Man) and the vision come from Daniel 7: Man here. He comes in power and glory. Son of Man is Jesus favorite way to refer to himself (8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:9; 12:8, 32, 40; 13:37, 41; 16:13, 27-28; 17:9, 12, 22; 19:18; 20:18; 24:27, 30, 37, 39, 44; 25:31; 26:2, 24, 45, 64). The phrase has a humble ring to it, but there is no modesty in the description of the Son of Note the contrast between Jesus first and second comings. In his first coming, Jesus emptied himself, coming into this world as a servant (Philippians 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.

3 Page 3 of 12 v.31b: and all the angels with him, Associated with the Son of man in the judgment will be the angels. They are mentioned here not only because, by forming Christ s train, they enhance his glory, but also because they are given a task to perform. They will gather the wicked before the judgment throne and cast them into the furnace of fire (13:41, 42; 24:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8; Revelation 14:17-20). The angels will also gather the elect from the four winds and bring them to their Judge-Savior: Matthew 24:31. v.31c: he will sit upon his glorious throne, The symbol indicates a most glorious throne, that is, a throne characterized by external splendor, brightness, brilliance, or radiance, corresponding with the internal and essential splendor of its Occupant s attributes. Jesus sits on a throne; identifies God as his Father (v. 34); and pronounces judgment on the world. Thus the scene is through and through Christological. For Matthew, this Christology, and not a general humanitarianism, validates the ethic of love and mercy that becomes the eschatological criterion of judgment. This text cannot be used legitimately for biblical support for a general humanitarian ethic without coming to terms with the Christology and apocalypticism in which it is inextricably embedded (Boring, 455). v.32a: and all the nations, ethne, will be assembled before him. In the New Testament, the nations, ethne is often used to speak of Gentiles, so it is possible that Jesus is describing a separate judgment for Gentiles, who will be judged on the basis of acts of mercy to the least of these (Senior, 285). This would answer the question, What about those who never heard of Jesus? It also dovetails with comments that Paul makes about Gentiles in Romans 2:12-15.

4 Page 4 of 12 However, the word nations, ethne is also used to mean people in general (21:43; 24:7, 9, 14), and Paul uses it to refer to Gentile Christians (Romans 11:13; 15:27; 16:4; Galatians 2:12; Ephesians 3:1). Also, this Judgment of Nations discourse seems to show all people, Jews and Gentiles, Christians and non- Christians, the wicked and the righteous, gathered before Christ. If Jesus intended to describe a separate Gentile judgment, he surely would have made that clear. For our purposes, we will assume that all the nations means all people. v.32b: And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Though sheep and goats during the day often intermingle, yet when the shepherd calls the sheep, the goats do not respond. Sheep probably symbolize those who trust in - that is, follow - Jesus, are meek, and obedient (John 10:3, 4, 27); goats, those who are belligerent, unruly, and destructive (Ezekiel 34:17-19; Daniel 8:5, 7, 21). While sheep and goats might look much the same to us, a shepherd would know the difference. The wool of sheep is valuable, so shepherds prize sheep above goats. 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. v.33: He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 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 favored position and the left hand was the next favored position. However, in the judgment context of 25:31-46, the left hand is not a place of favor but of disfavor. The objection is often heard, The final judgment is entirely unnecessary and superfluous, for long before that time the reprobate will already know where they will spend eternity, and so will also the elect. Is it not true that when a person dies, his soul immediately enters heaven or hell? So, what possible purpose would a final judgment serve?

5 Page 5 of 12 Note the following facts which show that the final judgment, at the last day, is indeed necessary: a. Up to the moment of the final judgment all those who have died have been in heaven or hell with respect to their souls only. b. The righteousness of God must be publicly displayed, that he may be glorified. c. The righteousness of Christ and the honor of his people must be publicly vindicated. When the world in general last saw Jesus, he was hanging on a cross, as if he were a criminal. This estimate must be reversed. All men must see him whom they have pierced. They must behold him in his glory - with his people on his right hand (Hendriksen). v.34: Then the king will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. The shepherd (v. 32) has become King, just as the shepherd-boy David (from whom Jesus is descended) became king. The king invites those on the right to inherit the Kingdom. These blessed ones, who were already heirs by right now also become heirs in fact, and this in the full sense of the term. 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. v.35: For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, v.36: naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Throughout his ministry, by means of precept and example, Jesus had stressed the necessity of feelings and works of love, mercy, and generosity (5:7, 43 48; 8:17; 9:36; 11:28-30; 12:7, 20-21; 14:16, 34-36; 15:32; 18:1-6, 22, 35; 19:13-15; 20:28; 22:9, 37-39; 23:37). So it is altogether natural that this is what he expects of his followers. 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.

6 Page 6 of 12 These good deeds are called deeds of loving-kindness in rabbinic literature... (and) are typical of those found in Old Testament lists (Deuteronomy 15:7-11; Isaiah 58:7-10; Psalm 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 particular needy person. Where other needs exist, mercies tailored to those needs surely will count as highly as these six. A kind word or listening ear can help a person in despair. Assistance with a small favor can redeem the day for a struggling person. The possibilities for mercy are boundless, just as human needs are boundless. What is important is the fact that in each case of need, it is the faithful discharge of humble duties pertaining to day by day living that is given as the reason for the words of congratulation and approbation, and for the cheering invitation to come in and take possession of the blessings of the kingdom in its final stage. 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. This shows that in the kingdom of heaven there is room, plenty of room, for people who have not in the technical sense prophesied in Christ s name, have not cast out demons, and have not done many mighty works in his name. The kind 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. v.37: Then the righteous will answer him and say, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? v.38: When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? v.39: When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you? 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. It seems strange to them that they who had accomplished so little should now receive the ultimate accolade, a bestowal of praise uttered by the One who was their Lord and King. There was no calculation in their generosity. They gave because they were moved by human need - not by the potential for reward.

7 Page 7 of 12 v.40a: And the king will say to them in reply, Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least The king explains to these astonished mercygivers why they are being awarded with the kingdom prepared for them. One of these least. 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. And it is not just a single person, it is the least significant such person (Bruner, 922). v.40b: brothers of mine, you did for me. Who are these brothers of mine (and sisters)? There are three possibilities: 1) Jesus might intend 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 (Exodus 22:22-27; Proverbs 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. Some scholars note that interpreting brothers of mine 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 (Blomberg). 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 brothers of mine to Christians in need - this was the majority view throughout church history (Blomberg). Jesus use of these words 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).

8 Page 8 of 12 This view is supported by the fact that brother is often used in the New Testament 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; Galatians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Philippians 1:14) 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 brothers of mine to Christians involved in proclaiming the Gospel. This is very much in keeping with Jesus instructions to the twelve when he sent them on a mission to proclaim the Gospel, saying: Don t take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in your money belts. Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food (10:9-10); Whoever doesn t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city (10:14-15); He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man s reward. Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his 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, ). 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 center of the circles. Advancing the image of concentric circles even further, at various times in his life Jesus had need of all six of the listed mercies. Perhaps we should place him at the center of our circles as the pivot point around which the circles are drawn.

9 Page 9 of 12 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. 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 brothers and withholds blessings from those who fail to do so, we should treat each other with unfailing respect. Those of us who believe that the New Testament 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 brothers of mine. Again, the reference is to the little favor to one of Christ s little ones, one who will never be mentioned in the headlines - the little favor almost instantly forgotten by the doer, but by the little one s Lord remembered throughout all the coming ages, and mentioned on the day of the final judgment. v.41: Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 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 the eternal fire. God designed the kingdom for people, but prepared fire for the devil and his angels. Not all angels are good (Romans 8:38; Colossians 2:18; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 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 - because God s purpose from the beginning was salvation. Jesus gives a clear answer to the question, Am I my brother s keeper? (Genesis 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 neighbor? (22:34-40) All eternity depends on the answer (v. 46).

10 Page 10 of 12 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). v.42: For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, v.43: a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me. do. These are sins of omission rather than sins of commission. The Son of Man is not condemning them for the sins that come immediately to mind when we hear the word sin - such as breaches of the Ten Commandments - but rather for failing to do the acts of kindness that they could have done. The ancient prayer asks forgiveness for what we have done and what we have failed to In these verses, Jesus warns us that failure to do good things is as damning as doing bad things. We are reminded of the five foolish bridesmaids who failed to take oil for their lamps, and were therefore denied entry to the wedding party (25:1-12) and the one-talent man who failed to use his treasure for his master s benefit, and who was cast into the outer darkness (25:24-27). If actions have consequences, so do inactions. v.44: Then they will answer and say, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs? The question of both the righteous and the wicked is essentially the same. In both cases it is an utterance of astonishment. Nevertheless, the root of the question reveals a sharp contrast. In the case of the righteous we are dealing with astonishment borne of service gratefully rendered, and then completely forgotten. In the case of the wicked the expression of surprise, if not actually feigned, is rooted in self-delusion, the product of unbelief. v.45: He will answer them, Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. To appreciate what Jesus is saying here, we have only to think of a father or mother responding to someone who could have saved their child but failed to do so. How would they feel about a teacher who failed to help their

11 Page 11 of 12 child? How would they feel about the police officer who drove by without stopping when their child was in serious peril? How would they feel about a physician who refused to treat their child because of insurance problems? v.46: And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. There are no gradations of reward or punishment here - it is in or out. The sharpness of the division is sobering. The question is whether eternal punishment is to be regarded as a punishment which goes on forever, or punishment which has eternal consequences, such as exclusion from the age to come (France, ). punishment which goes on forever. Scholars are divided on this issue, but the plain sense of Jesus language seems to favor 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. 4) MEDITATION (What the Word suggests to me): a) We read the Word again. b) Select the word or a brief phrase which touched you or impressed you. Repeat this word/phrase aloud and slowly 3 times. Between each repetition allow a moment of silence for the Word to penetrate into our hearts. c) We will remain silent for a few minutes, and let the Lord speak to us. d) We now share what the Lord has given us in this word. We avoid discussions or sermons or comments on what others have said. We share what the Lord has told us personally by using such expressions as, To me this word has said 5) QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: (What the Word asks me) a) In which area of my life Christ still needs to be king? b) Do I have sincere interest and compassion for those who are in difficulty? c) How can I find opportunities for more random acts of kindness?

12 Page 12 of 12 d) How would my life change if I kept in mind more often that Christ is hiding behind every person? 6) WORD OF LIFE (What the Word reminds me): You did for me. 7) ACTION (What the Word invites me to do): I will do an act of generosity 8) PRAYER (What the Word makes me pray): PSALM 122 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, We will go up to the house of the LORD. And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. And may the blessing of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit descend upon us and with us remain forever and ever.