Sermon Notes

25 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 people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘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 something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, 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 was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me 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 nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”
(New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)
25 31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left. 34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me. 41-43 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’ 44 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’ 45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’ 46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
(The Message, MSG)

In contemporary culture, the term G.O.A.T. is often an acronym for the moniker “the greatest of all time.” From professional sports to business and industry, the fine and performing arts, to higher education and even professional ministry, most people desire to be remembered as the “GOAT.” However, in agricultural circles a goat had a very different connotation. As a livestock farming animal that is related to sheep, goats are known for being notoriously difficult to herd. Because they are highly intelligent, their intelligence leads to them quickly picking up both good and bad habits. Because they are exceptionally curious, their curiosity often leads them into danger due to their incessant need to explore and follow anything in their path. And because they have a four-compartment stomach, they are constantly eating their own regurgitated meals—literally chewing cud—because they do not have a natural ability to break down difficult plant material. Essentially, they need to chew the cud over and over until they can digest even the most basic sustenance.
In ancient Greco-Roman literature, agrarian metaphors were often used to explain human behavior because most people hailed from agrarian backgrounds. When the Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as employing goats as a metaphorical opposite of sheep, the 1st century Jewish and Gentile disciples who followed Jesus would have easily understood the comparison. Either they were the sheep who embraced and practiced Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom of God, or they were the goats who disregarded Jesus’ instruction. As those who rejected life in the kingdom of God, they opened themselves up to Divine judgement and eternal doom.

Matthew’s Gospel consists of six major parts, and our lesson text for this week emerges from the fifth portion (21:1–27:66) which centers on the conflict that Jesus faces in Jerusalem and his final great speech (24:1-25:46). In these seven chapters, Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, cleanses the temple, and curses the fig tree (21). In chapters 22-24, Jesus teaches on the greatest commandment, denounces Scribes and Pharisees, and laments over the impending fate of Jerusalem. In chapter 25, Jesus offers his disciples three parables that underscore the importance of preparation for the impending reign of God which he calls the “kingdom of heaven.” In chapters 26 and 27, the numerous run-ins that Jesus has with Jerusalem religious authorities and representatives of the Roman Empire culminate in his betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion.
In this week’s lesson text, Jesus teaches the disciples about a future all-encompassing judgement that will occur after his second coming. Biblical scholars call this final speech the Eschatological Discourse (24-25). While the Sermon on the Mount (5-7) is often quoted more than any other of Jesus speeches in the Gospel of Matthew, it is the Eschatological Discourse—also called the Olivette Discourse because it is given on the Mount of Olives—that best describes a final reckoning for those people and empires who do not accept the kingdom of God/heaven. This parable, which has no other parallels in the New Testament, reinforces Jesus’ undeniable emphasis on social justice. By caring for those who exist on the margins of life, 1st century Christians were able to embrace, enflesh, and energize God’s kingdom as a “divine mandate for repairing the damage inflicted by Rome’s elite-benefitting imperial world.” Likewise, 21st century Christians are able to do the same as they accept life in God’s kingdom while opposing the agendas of current worldly “kingdoms.”

31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
In the first verses of the lesson text, Jesus extends his instruction on preparing for the kingdom of heaven by following up on his previous parables of the Ten Bridesmaids and the Talents. In this parable, Jesus presents himself as the Son of Man—the title which he refers to himself in Matthew’s Gospel—who comes functioning as the Good Shepherd to judge the world at the end times. If the parables of the bridesmaids and talents underscored the suddenness of his coming and the importance of not being lazy, useless, or inattentive to the times which reveal the rich getting richer, the current parable emphasizes how God will eventually root out those who profess Jesus in name, but fail to make that profession concrete in action.
Jesus says he will have scores of attending angels as he takes his place on the throne to judge all of the nations. The word for “nations” in Greek is ethne—which literally means all people of every nationality, ethnicity, culture, and creed. The purpose of the judgment in this parable is to highlight genuine commitment to life in the kingdom of God from those who simply pretend. Thus, the separation that occurs is the sheep from goats. There is no division here between the opponents of the Gospel and those who believe in the Gospel. Here, Jesus is distinguishing sharply among persons—all of whom profess to be Christians and claim to belong to him as members of the family of God—as a separation of the hypocrites from the true adherent; the poser from the authentic disciple.
34-36 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by My Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed Me, I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink, I was homeless and you gave Me a room, I was shivering and you gave Me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37-40 Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are You talking about? When did we ever see You hungry and feed You, thirsty and give You a drink? And when did we ever see You sick or in prison and come to You?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was Me—you did it to Me.’
In these verses, the point Jesus makes is that the ultimate mark of an authentic Christian is not their creed, faith, or biblical knowledge. Rather, it is the concern that they show to those who are in need. The practical demonstration of love is the final proof. Note, Jesus does not ask anyone to present their case, argue their cause, or outline any evidence. He simply extends to this one group the invitation to, “Come, take what is yours.” Then, He explains the basis of His choice: When they had opportunity to help someone in need, they did it. Nothing more is required.
Further, Jesus clearly identifies himself with those in need: “If you help them, you are really helping Me.” He makes clear their intimate relationship to him as he calls them, “My brothers and sisters” in the NRSVue and NIV. The sheep who inherit the kingdom are those who have responded to these needs in love, concern, and ministry. They have probably done so at considerable cost or risk to themselves. But regardless, they did what they could. Please note, Jesus does not commend festivals, programs, fellowship gatherings, or even liturgy and worship. As he teaches about the work of the kingdom, he commends the work of responding to the needs of hurting people.
41-43 Then He will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on His left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—I was hungry and you gave Me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was homeless and you gave Me no bed, I was shivering and you gave Me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
The seriousness of this matter of helping the needy is seen in the severity of Jesus’ words here: “You’re good for nothing!” We must keep in mind that these are people who honestly think they are sheep. They may have been able to point, with pride, to a moment when they made a profession of belief. They are, perhaps, dogmatic about a creed and are Church members in good standing, but by their lack of response to the pleas for help that come to them from every side they stand revealed as goats—false sheep—who never were sheep at all.
44 Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see You hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’ 45 He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was Me—you failed to do it to Me.’
The reaction of the goats to the Lord’s words is one of stunned surprise (as was the reaction of the sheep). They are completely taken aback by what He says. It is clearly evident that they expected a different basis of judgment. But again, no one is given the chance to say a word. The issue is already settled.
46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
In the final verse of the lesson, Jesus underscores the importance of looking at the world in light of the kingdom of God breaking through. We are encouraged to see the world where the people of God are extensions of Jesus of Nazareth whom Christians profess as the Christ. What we do in this world is a reflection of how surrendered and submitted we are to Jesus’ teaching, purpose, and will.
The sheep are asked to take their place on the right hand of the throne because their genuine faith has produced the inevitable fruit of good works. Whether unthinkingly or intentionally, because of their love for Jesus , hey have positively responded to the needs of those around them. They kept no records and expected no praise. However, not one deed they performed ever escaped the eye of God. There is no need for the Son of Man to examine them or test their resolve. They have already laid up abundant treasure in heaven.
Like the sheep, the goats are equally surprised. They too are caught off guard by Jesus’ standard of judgment. Surely, they could recount times when they did the very things that the sheep were praised for doing. But parable suggests they didn’t do it consistently, and when they did do it, it was for the wrong reason. There is such a thing as good works that aren’t good. When we work out of the wrong motivation, expectation, or purpose, though what we do may be good, our motive for doing becomes our undoing. Perhaps, the goats did perform acts of service at some point. However, Jesus says it was not consistent. There were too many times when they looked the other way when a begging hand reached out, when word came of the sick and the dying, when they refused to visit someone in prison, lest they be associated with them. They ignored the stricken man lying by the wayside and turned deaf ears to pleas for help when they had the means to help. Theirs was a false Christianity, regardless of how it was dressed up in piety, righteousness, and evangelicalism.

Nothing reveals the radical difference between God’s kingdom and the kingdoms of this world than the parable of The Sheep and the Goats. Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, the writer has outlined what it means to live in God’s kingdom as opposed to living for the “alternative” kingdoms of the world. The love ethic of Jesus of Nazareth clearly delineates between those who embrace God’s reign and those who embrace worldly values and structures. The bottom line is this: when people respond to the needs of hurting people, they are either accepting Jesus or rejecting him. There is no middle ground. Contemporary Christians must consider that the test of discipleship often comes not in planned public actions, but in concrete responses to the hurt and need that plague our world.

i. Mark Allan Powell, “Matthew” in The SBL Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (New York: HarperCollins Publishing, 2023) 1740.
ii. Powell, The SBL Study Bible, 1741.
iii. Warren Carter, Jesus and the Empire of God: Reading the Gospels in the Roman Empire (Cascade Companions, Kindle Edition, 2021) 99.