Their Relationship to the least of Jesus’ Brothers the Jews. What will happen to them on Judgment Day.
Mat 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then will He sit upon His glorious throne,
Mat 25:32 and all the nations will be gathered into His presence. And He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
Mat 25:33 and will make the sheep stand at His right hand, and the goats at His left.
Mat 25:34 "Then the King will say to those at His right, "'Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world.
Mat 25:35 For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when I was thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was homeless, you gave me a welcome;
Mat 25:36 when I was ill-clad, you clothed me; when I was sick, you visited me; when I was in prison, you came to see me.'
Mat 25:37 "'When, Lord,' the righteous will reply, 'did we see Thee hungry, and feed Thee; or thirsty, and give Thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When did we see Thee homeless, and give Thee a welcome? or ill-clad, and clothe Thee?
Mat 25:39 When did we see Thee sick or in prison, and come to see Thee?'
Mat 25:40 "But the King will answer them, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you rendered such services to one of the humblest of these my brethren, you rendered them to myself.'
Mat 25:41 "Then will He say to those at His left, "'Begone from me, with the curse resting upon you, into the Fire of the Ages, which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Mat 25:42 For when I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat; when thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink;
Mat 25:43 when homeless, you gave me no welcome; ill-clad, you clothed me not; sick or in prison, you visited me not.'
Mat 25:44 "Then will they also answer, "'Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or homeless or ill-clad or sick or in prison, and not come to serve Thee?'
Mat 25:45 "But he will reply, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you withheld such services from one of the humblest of these, you withheld them from me.'
Mat 25:46 "And these shall go away into the Punishment of the Ages, but the righteous into the Life of the Ages."
Introduction.
This is the conclusion to the Olivet Discourse. Every nation under heaven will be called to give account for his and her opportunities to bless Israel. Jesus has been emphasizing READINESS for His Coming Back. On Judgment Day there are going to be some surprises. This is not about Grace and faith. It is about works, the kind deeds they have done to the Least of these my brethren.
What Evidence will be used to judge you on the Day?
Jesus will be the Judge on the Last Day. He is God and not just Messiah. This Last Judgment Judge will be the Messiah Himself clothed in Glory.
Mat 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then will He sit upon His glorious throne,
Notes
The previous section was the parable of the talents where the profitable servants were rewarded and the wicked lazy one was cast out to where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Now, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him,
Notes
Jesus whole earthly life was one of lowliness and service. Now in His Second Coming to earth, when the Son of Man comes in His Glory. His will be the Majestic Authority and Splendour of Heaven. So His Second Coming will be Strikingly Different.
then will He sit upon His glorious throne,
This is His Throne of heavenly Glory - The Royal Throne of the Messiah.
Mat 25:32 and all the nations will be gathered into His presence. And He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
Mat 25:33 and will make the sheep stand at His right hand, and the goats at His left.
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Notes
The Sheep and Goat Nations will be herded before Him. What we do now will have consequences in the Future. Note that the Sheep and the Goats have a very different nature. Sheep are quieter. The follow a leader. They are vulnerable to predators. They need close care.
Goats are more wilely and shrewd. They escape danger and are unafraid even arrogant of nature.
The separation of the Sheep from the goats will depend upon their attitude
as to how you rendered such services to one of the humblest of these my brethren.I see this as indicative of the Jewish nation. They are small; the tiniest of nations but so important in the Middle East. They live at the centre of the continents of Asia Europe and Africa. What is your attitude to the Jews. ARE YOU ANTI-SEMITIC?
America was always a great support of Israel when they lived by the Word of God. But Now under The Obama Administration they are no longer trusted by the Jews.
Israel is the dividing point of the Line in the sand between the sheep and Goat Nations.
Mat 25:34 "Then the King will say to those at His right, "'Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world.
Notes
The King - That is, the Lord Jesus, the King of Zion and of the universe, now acting as Judge, Luk_19:38; Joh_18:37; Rev_17:14; Rev_19:16.
Blessed of my Father - Made happy or raised to felicity by my Father. See the notes at Mat_5:3.
Inherit the kingdom - Receive “as heirs” the kingdom, or be received there as the sons of God. Christians are often called heirs of God, Rom_8:17; Gal_4:6-7; Heb_1:14; 1Jo_3:2.
Prepared for you ... - That is, “designed” for you, or appointed for you. The phrase “from the foundation of the world” is used to denote that this was appointed for them in the beginning; that God has no new plan; that the rewards which he will now confer on them he always intended to confer. Christ says to the righteous that the kingdom was prepared for “them.” Of course, God meant to confer it on “them.” Barnes
Mat 25:35 For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when I was thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was homeless, you gave me a welcome;
Notes.
Hospitality… Is always encouraged in the Word of God. In Jesus day there were some Inns but they were few and far between. It was difficult to get accommodation in a strange city especially if your were a foreigner.
Act 10:32 Send therefore to Jaffa, and invite Simon, surnamed Peter, to come here. He is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, close to the sea.'
Heb 13:2 Do not neglect to show kindness to strangers; for, in this way, some, without knowing it, have had angels as their guests.
when I was homeless, you gave me a welcome;
Illustration
In Holland during the WW2 The Ten Boom family took in Jews who were hiding from the Gestapo. They built a false wall in an upstairs bedroom with a door through the bottom of the shoes space. Six people could always hide in there. They were secreted away onto farms etc. Someone who was in the underground squealed when they were tortured by the Nazis and the ten Booms were arrested. Papa and Betsy died in Prison. Corrie lived through the ordeal and told their story around the world. It is well worth the train trip from Amsterdam to Haarlem just to see their home and the false room. A thirteen year old Jewish boy who escaped from the Hiding Place returned to Haarlem from South Africa for the 50th anniversary of their escape.
The Hiding Place full movie Corrie Ten Boom - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX0GwjXExFE
Mat 25:36 when I was ill-clad, you clothed me; when I was sick, you visited me; when I was in prison, you came to see me.'
Notes
When I was naked you clothed me. In terrible rags this is a true sign of poverty.
when I was sick, you visited me.
A compassionate Visit can do more to lift the spirit of a sick person than anything.
When I was in prison you came to me.
I remember the Great Billy Graham visited lesser known celebs while they were incarcerated for their crimes. The first century prisons were grim affairs. Some of the Prisons in the developing world are worse than desireable.
© Julie Remy: The "Chambre noire" or "dark room", where a dozen prisoners are tied to a bar and held with another dozen in a barely lit cell. MSF launched a short nutritional and medical response in that prison in September 2008
Mat 25:37 "'When, Lord,' the righteous will reply, 'did we see Thee hungry, and feed Thee; or thirsty, and give Thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When did we see Thee homeless, and give Thee a welcome? or ill-clad, and clothe Thee?
Mat 25:39 When did we see Thee sick or in prison, and come to see Thee?'
Mat 25:40 "But the King will answer them, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you rendered such services to one of the humblest of these my brethren, you rendered them to myself.'
Notes
Unto one of these least (or, these the least’) of my brethren, ye did it unto me. This principle is the basis of Christian charity, as of all Christian morality. The prominence given to it shows that real faith in Christ must manifest itself in such Christian charity. The early Christians acted at once on this principle. Christ lives again and perpetually in the persons of His people; as we treat them, we treat Him. All men are to be treated thus, because possible brethren of Christ. Some suppose that the saints appear with Christ as judges; hence the expression, ‘these my brethren.’ But no theory need exclude the pleasing thought that some may have unconsciously been ‘blessed by the Father,’ with love in their hearts, feeling its way to Him who is Love, through acts of charity to men, even while Christ has not been made known to them.
Popular New Testament
Mat 25:41 "Then will He say to those at His left, "'Begone from me, with the curse resting upon you, into the Fire of the Ages, which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Notes
On the left hand - The wicked.
Ye cursed - That is, you who are devoted to destruction, whose characters deserve everlasting punishment, and who are about to enter into it. “To curse” is the opposite of “to bless.” It implies a negation of all the blessings of heaven, and a positive infliction of eternal sufferings.
Everlasting fire - “Fire,” here, is used to denote punishment. The image is employed to express extreme suffering, as a death by burning is one of the most horrible that can be conceived. The image was taken, probably, from the fires burning in the Valley of Hinnom. See the notes at Mat_5:22. It has been asked whether the wicked will be burned in literal fire, and the common impression has been that they will be. Respecting that, however, it is to be observed:
- that the main truth intended to be taught refers not to the manner of suffering, but to the certainty and intensity of it.
- that the design, therefore, was to present an image of terrific and appalling suffering - an image well represented by fire
- that this image was well known to the Jews Isa_66:24, and therefore expressed the idea in a very strong manner. Barnes
Mat 25:42 For when I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat; when thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink;
Mat 25:43 when homeless, you gave me no welcome; ill-clad, you clothed me not; sick or in prison, you visited me not.'
Mat 25:44 "Then will they also answer, "'Lord, when did we see Thee hungry or thirsty or homeless or ill-clad or sick or in prison, and not come to serve Thee?'
Mat 25:45 "But he will reply, "'In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you withheld such services from one of the humblest of these, you withheld them from me.'
Notes
By not doing good to the poor and needy, to the stranger and the prisoner, they showed that they had not his spirit, and were not like him, and were unfit for his kingdom. Let it be observed here that the public ground of their condemnation is the neglect of duty, or because “they did it not.” We are not to suppose that they will not also be condemned for their open and positive sins. See Rom_2:9; Eph_5:5; Col_3:5-6; 1Co_6:9-10; Rev_21:8; Psa_9:17. But their neglect of doing good to him and his people may be the “public” reason of condemning them:
- Because he wished to give pre-eminence to those virtues, to excite his followers to do them.
- People should be punished for neglect as well as for positive sin. Sin is a violation of the law, or refusing to do what God commands.
- Nothing better shows the true state of the heart than the proper performance of those duties, and the true character can be as well tested by neglecting them as by open crimes.
Mat 25:46 "And these shall go away into the Punishment of the Ages, but the righteous into the Life of the Ages."
Notes
Refusal to respond to urgent needs is a sign that, that nation is not a sheep country. I remember when that huge tsunami hit Sumatra in 2004 Many of the oil rich nations did nothing absolutely nothing.
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