Doing God's Will Before Judgement Day

November 26, 2023 Matthew 25:31-46 Series A

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God, our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who loves you with his very life. Amen.

Every now and again you read a passage from the bible and it makes you squirm. And to be honest, those are the passages I like talking about in sermons and in Bible studies. Let’s take the uncomfortable stuff head on, that way, passages like our gospel reading today, encourage you, strengthen your faith, rather than terrify you and cause you nightmares. 

How many of you when you heard these words from Jesus in our Gospel lesson thought that salvation is based on what you do? It certainly seems that way in this passage. Right? Jesus has two groups of people, one on his left, the other on his right. Sheep and goats. And clearly, you want to be a sheep. And when Jesus talks about what separates the sheep from the goats he talks about doing good things. Visiting the sick, providing for the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing those who need clothes, visiting those in prison and such. The sheep do those things and the goats don’t. That’s what Jesus says here. 

So how does this passage fit with what we know about salvation? Ephesians 2, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, this is a gift from God, not by works so that no one can boast.” But here, it seems like it is about works, noble and important works. So which is it? Are you saved by your works or not?

The Bible does not contradict itself, and neither does our God, so somehow this passage that Jesus told us and the passages throughout scripture about salvation being a free gift are all true. So when we have these questions what do we do? We look even closer. Let’s look at the passage closely and see what Jesus says, and let’s not just do a surface level reading. Let’s listen to the word of God rather than satisfy our itching ears.

Lets walk through it. You can follow along on the back of your service folder if you would like. Listen again to the words of our text: “31[Jesus said:] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.”

This passage from Matthew 25 is talking about the last day. There is no question here. This is the final judgment. Couple things: note that it’s not a rapture. There is no sneakyness of Jesus at all. The angels have gathered everyone together and they are being separated into two groups: those who will spend eternity with Jesus and those who will spend eternity away from him. We again see the analogy of a sheep and shepherd. This reminds us of Psalm 23 and in John 10 where we see that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. 

The text continues. 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.” 

This passage is key for us. In fancy theology words, we call this passage “election.” This means that God knows everything. God always has. And that includes knowing who will be in his kingdom forevermore and who will not. God knowing this is part of God being God.  

The doctrine of election always causes headaches because our human minds struggle with cause and effect as well as beginnings and ends. God doesn’t. What makes someone elect is God’s grace, it is forgiveness of sins, it is faith in Jesus. And the phrase, “Blessed by my father” reminds of of Matthew 5 and the Beatitudes. “Blessed are you who…” And just like in Matthew 5, this passage isn’t about seeking out or earning blessings. But rather, this is about a state of being blessed because of the love of Christ, because of the salvation of Jesus won on the cross. 

Then we get to the part that makes us squirm, verse 35, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, 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, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 4 6And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Now we have two important parts: We have election, we have God giving salvation in Christ, and then we have actions, we have good works. And this lines up perfectly with what we read elsewhere in scripture: For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - election, And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

And now we see the good works that we would walk in them. God does have a set of standards for how is elect should live. God expects his elect to live like they are the elect. God expects those who believe in Jesus, who believe in God, he expects them to take seriously his teachings and follow his commandments. 

In other words, God expects you to try to live a Christian life. That means doing things differently than non-chrsitians. God expects that you will care for and love those around you. That you will give freely of what God has given to you. That you will help those in need. You will give food to the hungry. You will visit the lonely. You will care for the sick and so on. This is your sacred obligation - to live like the elect. 

What’s that look like today? It looks like not buying everything you want on cyber Monday tomorrow and instead giving away your money to someone who needs it, such as missionaries who take the gospel to the world, and to those in our own community who struggle to keep the lights on and buy food. It means going and spending time with people who are lonely, like aging parents and grandparents. You are a Christian, act like it! That’s what this passage is saying.

But more than that, notice that the people who serve Christ, don’t recognize that they are serving Christ, “Lord when did we see you…?” The elect are not serving others to earn salvation. They aren’t going out to do good in order to get brownie points for heaven. No. These are people who see the endgame. The see the new creation and the new kingdom. They know that their home is secure in paradise with Christ, and so they fixate on it. Of course they will help others, of course they will serve their neighbor, not to earn favor with God, for they don’t see their Lord in these people, but because their neighbor is in need. 

The reflect the love of God they have received. If you are sitting there wondering how you can do the things that Jesus describes here in Matthew 25, the answer is simple. Look at Jesus. Look at the love that he has shown you. How he gave up everything, his throne in heaven, the service of angels, how he gave it up to die on the cross with your sins. How Jesus gave you forgiveness, how God loves you more than his own life.

The end of the world is coming. And it is coming soon. God has made you a sheep through the actions, the death and resurrection of Jesus. And now it is time for us to live like sheep. To trust the good shepherd and to serve our neighbor. Amen.