Matt. 25:31-46 “Those Who Care For The Needy Are Blessed”

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 22 Aug. 2013

Greyed-out text was omitted from the original manuscript to keep sermon delivery under 40 minutes.

Translation

25:31 So, whenever the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit upon His throne of glory

25:32 and all the nations will be gathered before Him,

and He separates them from one another, just like a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats,

25:33 and He will stand the sheep off to His right and the goats off to the left.

25:34 Then the King will say to those off to His right, “Come here, you who have been blessed by my father! Start inheriting the kingdom prepared for y’all from the foundation of the world,

25:35 for I was hungry, and y’all gave me [something] to eat;

I was thirsty, and y’all gave me a drink;

I was a stranger, and y’all gathered me in;

25:36 I was naked, and y’all wrapped me up;

I was sick, and y’all watched over me;

I was in prison, and y’all came to me!”

25:37 Then, in reply, the righteous will say to Him, “Master, when was it that we saw you being hungry and we provided nourishment or you being thirsty and we gave drink?

25:38 And when was it that we saw you to be a stranger and we gathered in, or naked and we threw a wrap around?

25:39 And when was it that we saw you being sick or in prison and came to you?”

25:40 And, in answer, the King will say to them, “Really, I’m saying to y’all, as much as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, it was to me that you did it.”

 

25:41 Then he will speak also to those off to His left, “You who have been cursed, continue to conduct yourselves away from me into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels,

25:42 for I was hungry, and y’all did not give me something to eat;

I was thirsty, and y’all did not give me a drink;

25:43 I was a stranger, and y’all did not gather me in;

I was naked, and you did not wrap me up;

I was sick and in prison, and you did not watch over me.”

25:44 Then they also, in reply, will say, “Master, when was it that we saw you being hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and we did not serve you?”

25:45 Then, in answer, He will say to them, “Really, I’m saying to y’all, as much as you did not do it for one of the least of these, neither did you do it to me.”

25:46 So as for these, they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous ones into eternal life!

Introduction

This is the last of seven parables Matthew collected from Jesus about His second coming. Each highlights an aspect of the parousia:

  1. The Fig Tree – The coming of the Son of Man is imminent..
  2. Analogy of Noah – The second coming involves judgment which will be devastating to those who are oblivious to its nearness.
  3. The Householder and the Thief – God won’t reveal the time of the 2nd Coming, so we must be prepared for the encounter at all times
  4. The Faithful Steward – We are to be busy serving the master’s interests when he arrives; Those found not doing so will be punished.
  5. The 10 Virgins – We must be able to wait a long time, prepared by the power of the HS to do what God wants; those who are not (and who don’t repent) will be judged.
  6. The Talents – We need to use the resources God has given us actively to develop God’s interests while waiting, not just sitting on our hands.
  7. The Sheep and the Goats – What sort of good deeds should we do while waiting and watching for Christ’s return?

 

There is an old Russian folktale about an elderly shoe-maker named Papa Panov. As the story goes, it was close to Christmas, and he fell asleep during his evening prayer time and had a vision that Jesus would visit him the next day. So all next day, Papa Panov waited at his shoe shop in eager expectation for Jesus to walk in through the door. Throughout the day guests keep stopping by. There was the garbage collector that Papa Panov served a cup of hot coffee to warm him up for his work in the winter streets. There was the poor widow who was travelling through the icy streets to the next town with her child, but her child had no shoes, so Papa Panov gave them shoes for free. And there was the group of carolers from his church that he gave cookies to, but it came to the end of the day and Jesus never appeared. In bitter disappointment, Papa Panov cried out to God that he had missed Jesus, but then he opened his Bible for his evening quiet time and read this passage from Matthew 25, “Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these my bretheren you have done it unto me,” and he realized that Jesus had indeed visited him in the form of a garbage collector, a poor widow, and a group of kids from his church, and he went to sleep that night a happy man, knowing that Jesus had indeed been served by him through His body.

Exegesis

25:31 So, whenever the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit upon His throne of glory

‘Οταν δε ελθη ‘ο ‘υιος του ανθρωπου εν τη δοξη αυτου και παντες ‘οι ‘αγιοι αγγελοι μετ’ αυτου τοτε καθισει επι θρονου δοξης αυτου

 

25:32 and all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He separates them from one another, just like a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats,

και συναχθησεται[1] εμπροσθεν αυτου παντα τα εθνη και αφοριει[2] αυτους απ’ αλληλων ‘ωσπερ ‘ο ποιμην αφοριζει τα προβατα απο των εριφων

 

25:33 and He will stand the sheep off to His right and the goats off to the left.

και στησει τα μεν προβατα εκ δεξιων αυτου τα δε εριφια εξ ευωνυμων

 

25:34 Then the King will say to those off to His right, “Come here, you who have been blessed by my father! Start inheriting the kingdom prepared for y’all from the foundation of the world,

τοτε ερει ‘ο βασιλευς τοις εκ δεξιων αυτου Δευτε[5] ‘οι ευλογημενοι του πατρος μου κληρονομησατε την ‘ητοιμασμενην ‘υμιν βασιλειαν απο καταβολης κοσμου

1.      He has entered fully into His role of kingship now that He is taking the role of the judge of all the earth.

2.      He is particularly the king of these people represented as sheep. They have acknowledged that He has authority to tell them what to do in His word and they have submitted to that authority and honored His leadership. He recognizes them publicly as His and calls them to come close to him.

 

25:35 for I was hungry, and y’all gave me [something] to eat; I was thirsty, and y’all gave me a drink; I was a stranger, and y’all gathered me in;

επεινασα γαρ και εδωκατε μοι φαγειν[9] εδιψησα και εποτισατε με ξενος ημην και συνηγαγετε με

 

25:36 I was naked, and y’all wrapped me up; I was sick, and y’all watched over me; I was in prison, and y’all came to me!”

γυμνος και περιεβαλετε[10] με ησθενησα και επεσκεψασθε με εν φυλακη ημην και ηλθετε[11] προς με

 

25:37 Then, in reply, the righteous will say to Him, “Master, when was it that we saw you being hungry and we provided nourishment or you being thirsty and we gave drink?

Τοτε αποκριθησονται αυτω ‘οι δικαιοι λεγοντες Κυριε ποτε σε ειδομεν πεινωντα και εθρεψαμεν η διψωντα και εποτισαμεν[13];

 

25:38 And when was it that we saw you to be a stranger and we gathered in, or naked and we threw a wrap around?

Ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ξενον και συνηγαγομεν η γυμνον και περιεβαλομεν;

 

25:39 And when was it that we saw you being sick or in prison and came to you?”

ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ασθενη[14] η εν φυλακη και ηλθομεν προς σε;

 

25:40 And, in answer, the King will say to them, “Really, I’m saying to y’all, as much as you did it [to the extent that you did itNAS] for one of the least of these brothers of mine, it was to me that you did it.”

Και αποκριθεις ‘ο βασιλευς ερει αυτοις Αμην λεγω ‘υμιν εφ’ ‘οσον εποιησατε ‘ενι τουτων των αδελφων μου[16] των ελαχιστων εμοι εποιησατε.

 

25:41 Then he will speak also to those off to His left, “You who have been cursed, continue to conduct yourselves away from me into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels,

Τοτε ερει και τοις εξ ευωνυμων Πορευεσθε απ’ εμου ‘οι[17] κατηραμενοι εις το πυρ το αιωνιον το ητοιμασμενον[18] τω διαβολω και τοις αγγελοις αυτου,

 

25:42 for I was hungry, and y’all did not give me something to eat; I was thirsty, and y’all did not give me a drink;

επεινασα γαρ και ουκ εδωκατε μοι φαγειν εδιψησα και ουκ εποτισατε με

 

25:43 I was a stranger, and y’all did not gather me in; I was naked, and you did not wrap me up; I was sick and in prison, and you did not watch over me.”

ξενος ημην και ου συνηγαγετε με γυμνος[19] και ου περιεβαλετε με ασθενης και εν φυλακη και ουκ επεσκεψασθε με.

 

25:44 Then they also, in reply, will say, “Master, when was it that we saw you being hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and we did not serve you?”

Τοτε αποκριθησονται [21] και αυτοι λεγοντες Κυριε ποτε σε ειδομεν πεινωντα η διψωντα η ξενον η γυμνον η ασθενη η εν φυλακη και ου διηκονησαμεν σοι;

 

25:45 Then, in answer, He will say to them, “Really, I’m saying to y’all, as much as you did not do it for one of the least of these, neither did you do it to me.”

Τοτε αποκριθησεται αυτοις λεγων Αμην λεγω ‘υμιν εφ’ ‘οσον ουκ εποιησατε ‘ενι τουτων των ελαχιστων ουδε εμοι εποιησατε.

 

25:46 So as for these, they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous ones into eternal life!

Και απελευσονται ‘ουτοι εις κολασιν αιωνιον ‘οι δε δικαιοι εις ζωην αιωνιον

Conclusion



[1] Critical editions read plural συναχθησονται, but the singular is in the majority of Greek manuscripts, including A & W. It makes no difference in meaning because, although the subject of this verb is plural, it is also neuter, and in Greek grammar it is permissible and normal to match a plural neuter subject with a singular verb. The pronoun later in the verse, however, is masculine, so separation is not merely by ethnicity, which the NIV and ESV bring out by inserting the extra word “people.”

[2] Critical editions use a slightly different spelling: αφορισει, which is no different in meaning, but no manuscript basis for this spelling with the sigma was in the textual apparatus of N-A or UBS.

[3] A psychologically crippling statement, by the way, to define oneself in terms of behaviors and desires that come and go; we are far more complex than that. See my thesis at http://www.ctrchurch-mhk.org/sermons/Ontology.htm

[4] http://cjonline.com/news/2013-09-17/topeka-council-oks-sexual-orientation-ordinance, accessed 19 Sept 2013.

[5] Cf. use in 4:19 “Come here and I will make you fishers of men,” 11:28 “Come here to me all you who labor,” and 22:4 “Come here to the wedding festivities,” and 28:6 “Come here and see where He was lying.”

[6] Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (NASB)

[7] “everyone who leaves… for the sake of my name, will receive a hundred times as many, and will inherit eternal life.” (NAW)

[8] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. (Heb. 11:16, NASB)

[9] KJV translates this Greek infinitive verb as a substantive noun “meat” (followed by the NKJ and ESV “food”), but I prefer the translation of the NASB which retains the infinitive form “to eat” even though it means adding a subject “something.”

[10] See my word study on periballw in Matt. 6:31 – literally “around-throw.”

[11] Critical editions read ηλθατε - an irregular spelling parsed the same. No manuscript basis for this was offered in the textual apparatus of N-A or UBS.

[12] For which the Septuagint uses a different Greek word (proselytos) from the one Jesus uses here (xenos).

[13] “We give drink” is a single verb in Greek. It is not an infinitive as the NAS and NIV render it.

[14] Critical editions of the Greek New Testament read the participle ασθενουντα, based on three manuscripts (B, D, Θ).

[15] Viz. the tension between Galatians and James (NASB below):
Galatians 2:16 “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified [δικαι-ουται – “made right”] by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
James 2:20-24 “But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected… a man is justified [δικαι-ουται] by works and not by faith alone.”

[16] Manuscript B omits this phrase “of my brothers.”

[17] Some ancient Greek uncials omit the definite article (including א & B), but it’s in the majority (incl. A, D, W, Θ).

[18] Some manuscripts (D, f1 – followed by a bunch of Latin versions) read “which my father prepared.”

[19] Papyrus 45, one of the oldest-known manuscripts, adds a conjunction and a verb of being “and I was naked.”

[20] U.S. Department of Justice website, “Prisoners in 2011” http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p11.pdf

[21] The Textus Receptus adds the word αυτω “to him.”