Flashback Episode — Saying Thank You to God: Matthew 25:31-46

As Jesus finishes sharing with the disciples the details about what will happen when He returns, Jesus shares a simple, but also challenging, parable that was meant to divide people. In this parable, we discover that our actions are important, and our actions appear to be connected and relevant to our salvation.

However, one of the most interesting things in my mind about the parable we are about to read is how both groups in this parable share some key similarities. Let’s read Jesus’ big conclusion to this teaching, and discover what we should keep in mind regarding His return.

Our passage is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 25, and we will read it from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Starting in verse 31, Jesus continued sharing with the disciples who were present:

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. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the 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 something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? ³⁹ When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’

⁴⁰ “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ ⁴¹ Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!

⁴² For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
⁴³ I was a stranger
and you didn’t take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn’t clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn’t take care of Me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’

⁴⁵ “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’

⁴⁶ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

When reading this parable, I cannot get around the challenging idea that both groups of people share one big characteristic. In this parable, both groups are unaware that their actions and attitudes are directly helping or not helping God.

This detail stands out in my mind because knowing about this parable would theoretically bring out a third or a fourth group. These other two groups would be those who know that their actions would be helping God and they either choose to help, or they choose not to help, depending on whether they want to be allied to God or not. Looking out at the world today, it is not hard to picture people who would actively reject God, even knowing what rejecting God means.

However, with this parable, what is Jesus teaching as truth, and what is simply given for illustrative purposes? Should all the details in this parable be taken to mean something, or should we only look for the big themes?

When we read this teaching, there is clearly a figurative angle to Jesus’ message because people are not sheep or goats, and we can understand that this illustration is about Jesus not separating types of animals like a shepherd but different types of people.

Is this where the figurative descriptions end and the literal ones begin?

While I will be the first to say that most everything else in this parable sounds more literal than figurative, with Jesus’ parables, it is best to not overextend Jesus’ analogy. Jesus used many tactile, concrete examples to explain spiritual truth, and it is very possible that we could incorrectly apply something Jesus says if we work in the incorrect direction.

Instead, the way I have begun to look at parables is to first discern the theme of the parable and the key point Jesus wants to share, before then working backward from there.

In this parable, what is the big key that Jesus wants us to learn?

While we might have different ways of saying this, I believe Jesus describes this truth twice in this parable, once for each group. In verses 40 and 45, Jesus describes the King’s words as: “I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.”

With this parable, there is no getting around the big theme and big truth that what we do for those who need help is significant in God’s eyes. When we look at the type of help that Jesus describes each group doing or not doing, the help that is given is help that cannot be repaid in equal measure. This type of help is what God desires to see in His people, and I believe this is because this type of help best reflects the help God showed each of us! God helps us in ways we could never repay Him for, and the best way we can say “Thank You” to God is by helping others who cannot repay us!

A secondary theme is present in this parable, and if left unchecked, some might believe this secondary theme is more significant than the one we just focused on.

The secondary theme is related to the fate of each group of people. Jesus finishes this parable by stating that the wicked people, or those who did not show help to the “least of these”, will go away into eternal punishment, which is described earlier in Jesus parable as the “eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels” (v. 41)

This is contrasted with the righteous receiving eternal life, which is described earlier in the parable as inheriting the kingdom prepared for God’s people from the foundation of the world. (v. 34)

While we don’t have time to cover this theme adequately in the time we have left for our episode, the big thing I believe we should focus on in this parable is not the rewards or punishments shared in this parable. These are side details that while valid, are things that are unchangeable in the big picture.

Instead, we should focus on what group we will choose to be a part of, and the way we choose a group is by choosing to help those who cannot help us in return. We can choose whether we will be a figurative sheep or a figurative goat, and our choice in this parable is described as having eternal results.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to thank God for what He has done in your life by helping those who cannot repay you. When we help those who cannot repay us, we are helping like God has helped and blessed us!

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, intentionally pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God. While a pastor, speaker, author, or even a podcaster can give you things to think about, take what you hear and learn and filter it through the truth of the Bible. While traditions change with every generation of people, the Bible remains constant, and the Bible is a reliable spiritual guide for navigating the storms of life!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!