The Test of Faith - Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31-46

©Copyright January 7, 2018 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

Periodically we collect money for what we call a 25:40 project. The name of that project comes from the passage we study today in Matthew 25.

This morning we are going to look at this final parable in the Gospel of Matthew. It is a sobering account. As with most parables Jesus took an image that was familiar to the people, that of the separation of Sheep and Goats. In those days, the sheep and goats would be in the same pasture during the day but had to be separated for the cold evenings because the goats did not have the woolly covering of the sheep. This picture of separation is used as a picture of the Last Judgement.

In the parable, the sheep represent those who revealed a genuine faith by the way they treated the “least of these my brothers and sisters.” The goats revealed their lack of genuine faith in the same way, “by the way they treated the least of these my brothers and sisters.”

In Matthew 10:40-42 Jesus spoke to his disciples and said

40“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

This has led some people to believe that Jesus was talking only about the way we receive missionaries and people who teach the gospel. Others believe Jesus was referring to the kindness we show to other Christians. Personally, I think Jesus was telling us that we will be judged by how our faith impacts the way we treat other people regardless of who they are.

From this passage I believe we learn some important truths.

There will be a Day of Judgment

People don’t like the idea of judgment because we don’t like the idea of being held accountable for the things we do in any circumstance.

We rebel against the punishment of parents.

We say our spouse is abusive if they don’t agree with us.

Parents try to get teachers and coaches fired if they dare to punish their child.

We cry “Police brutality” if we are pulled over or detained because of something we did.

We not only want to do our own thing; we want to be able to do it without any negative consequences. Of course, if someone does something to us . . . we want them fired, jailed or tarred and feathered immediately. We will get on social media and broadcast just how horrible certain people are because they do not do what we think or want them to do. Double standard? Absolutely.

What we fail to recognize is the sovereignty of God. He is in charge! He is the Creator and as such He makes the rules. Because God is Holy and He is Just, it means He will hold us accountable.

Jesus was the One who taught the most about Hell. This parable ends with people being sent to “eternal punishment.” We don’t like this but it is because we have no concept of how horrible sin really is. We understand that traitors to the government deserve to go to prison or even be executed. What we don’t seem to be able to grasp is that God views sin as us being traitors toward Him.

When the Bible talks about Hell is describes it as a place of separation. It is in one sense impossible to be separated from God because He is everywhere. However, the idea is Hell is a place devoid of the blessings of God. In a sense it is God saying, “You have chosen not to live under my rule so you will be granted eternity without my influence in your life. There will be none of God’s gifts and blessings. James tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from above.

Practically this means Hell will be without friendships, beauty, delight, laughter, love, the enjoyment of food and drink, the satisfaction in a job well done, and anything we call a “blessing” here.

If you are like me, as a child you tried to rebel against the rule of your parents. You told them you were going to run away. I remember packing up my things and making quite a scene designed to make a point. I was not anticipating my parents actually letting me go! I didn’t go far before I realized I had done thing monumentally foolish. I had no home, no bed, no food, no water. no money, I couldn’t call anyone. I was stripped of all those things your parents provide and take for granted. I hid under the back porch and hoped they would come crying out for me. They did not. Around dinnertime I sheepishly came back into the house defeated but much wiser.

The tragedy of Hell is its permanence. Hell is also said to be a place of suffering. It is the place where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” I don’t believe God is afflicting these people . . . I think this is the anguish caused by our regret and loneliness. We will have to live the rest of eternity knowing it could have been different.

Finally, Hell is described as darkness. Darkness is the absence of light and God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Darkness increases fear and the sense of alienation and loneliness. There will be no generators, no flashlights, no phones or computer screens. Just darkness. The darkness is a reminder of the way God as turned away.

The True Nature of Our Faith Will be Revealed by the Lives We Lead

Jesus was not teaching us that we are saved by what we do. What the Bible clearly teaches is we reveal our faith by the things we do. It is the same lesson in each of the stories in Matthew 25.

In the parable of the ten virgins we saw faith demonstrated by a readiness for the bridegroom’s return. The parable of the Talents shows our faith is revealed by the way we serve the Lord in our lives. We show our faith by seeking to honor Him in the things we do; the way we use the gifts we have been given. The person who has a new heart through Christ is learning how to be less self-centered and is eager to serve God in any way they can.

In the parable of the sheep and the goats we see another dimension of this transformation. It is seen in the way we treat others . . . especially the weak and discarded of our world. As a child of God, we begin to see people differently. We see each person as valuable because they are made in the Image of God. They have value because of who they are rather than because of what they look like, can do, or because of what they have.

Jesus tells us to treat others just like He does. One of the things to notice about Jesus is He didn’t treat every person the same. Some needed a rebuke, others needed tenderness, some needed healing, still others needed to know they were forgiven. Jesus addressed people according to their need not according to some boilerplate.

We must not make the mistake of thinking we must give handouts to anyone who has a need. Sometimes handouts are not helpful or loving. Too often we give people money just to get rid of them! It makes us feel like we are doing the right thing without really having to become involved with the other person.

Jesus is not saying you have to give money to every person you see on a street corner. However, He wants us to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Usually this starts with “little things.”

Eugene Peterson writes,

It makes little difference how our culture values and rewards our work . . . if God doesn’t. For our work creates neither life nor righteousness. Relentless, compulsive work habits (“work your worried fingers to the bone”) which our society rewards and admires are seen as a sign of weak faith and assertive pride as if God could not be trusted to accomplish his will, as if we could rearrange the universe by our own effort.

What does make a difference is the personal relationships that we create and develop. We learn a name; we start s friendship; we follow up with a smile – or maybe even on a grimace. Nature is profligate with its seeds, scatter them everywhere a few of them sprout. Out of numerous handshakes and greetings, some germinate and grow into a friendship in Christ. (Eugene Peterson, A long journey P.111)

Honoring Christ in the Way We Treat Others

Learn to be Aware of Others. There are all kinds of people with needs. The problem is that we don’t see the people. We look past people all the time.

Have you been somewhere and been completely immersed in your own thoughts when a friend starts waving and shouting at you? Why didn’t you see the person? First, you were not expecting to see them, so you didn’t. Second, you were distracted and just weren’t paying attention. It is like the person who is texting while they drive. They think they are fine but they aren’t aware of anyone around them (or where the center line is on the road) because they are distracted by their phone.

The first thing we must learn to do is look for those who are in need. They are all around you, but you need to tune into seeing them. You will learn to spot them. They lack a smile, they walk as if their feet were exceptionally heavy, and sometimes they are kind of grumpy. Sometimes they will give clues: phrases like “I’ve been better” and “I am doing OK under the circumstances” are cries for help.

Look for ways to show compassion and connect. One man learned of a devastating time in the life of his friend. He came and sat with him quietly. When the friend went to take a walk he followed a few steps behind. They sat quietly throughout the night. In the morning the friend said, “Let’s get some breakfast.” Some might say he did nothing. The hurting friend would have a very different story. He said nothing with his words but volumes with his actions.

I have felt compassion most not from the astute wisdom of people. It was always something simple. Once someone came up to me, shook my hand and put his hand on my shoulder. He looked at me with compassion and just walked away. He said nothing but at the same time, said exactly what I needed to hear. Once I was standing at the back door of the church. It had been a crushing week and a young woman, carrying great burdens of her own, walked up and kissed me on the cheek and then walked away. There was nothing suggestive in what she did. It was an act of love and compassion and I cherish that moment to this day. Another time I was in a store and I turned and my eyes met those of someone I have known for many years. Her eyes filled with tears. She said nothing. I was comforted.

Compassion doesn’t have to be something big or complicated. It can be as simple as a sympathetic sigh, a tear, or a brief hug. You can encourage someone with a word. It doesn’t take great knowledge; it only takes a willing heart.

Sometimes all it takes is a handshake, a simple hello, a kind word, or a simple act of kindness. Jesus said it can be as simple as giving a thirsty person a drink of cold water. If we can learn to do the little things, the big things will often take care of themselves.

Try to love like Jesus. The thing I love about Jesus is the way He saw in people what others did not. He saw people who were redeemable rather than as throwaways. He saw value where others saw scars. He saw the deepest needs for forgiveness and the knowledge that God sees and cares. He offered forgiveness where others turned away. He saw a need for help where others saw a lost cause.

C.S. Lewis said it well, “do not waste time bothering with whether you love your neighbor; just act like you did.

Perhaps this has been no better conveyed than by a poem that is likely familiar to many by Mrya Brooks Welch.

'Twas battered and scarred,

And the auctioneer thought it

hardly worth his while

To waste his time on the old violin,

but he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bid, good people", he cried,

"Who starts the bidding for me?"

"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"

"Two dollars, who makes it three?"

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"

But, No,

From the room far back a gray bearded man

Came forward and picked up the bow,

Then wiping the dust from the old violin

And tightening up the strings,

He played a melody, pure and sweet

As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer

With a voice that was quiet and low,

Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"

As he held it aloft with its' bow.

"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"

"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"

"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,

Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered,

But some of them cried,

"We just don't understand."

"What changed its' worth?"

Swift came the reply.

"The Touch of the Masters Hand."

"And many a man with life out of tune

All battered and bruised with hardship

Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd

Much like that old violin

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,

A game and he travels on.

He is going once, he is going twice,

He is going and almost gone.

But the Master comes,

And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,

The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought

By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.

When we have felt the touch of the Master’s hand in our own battered and bruised life we begin to see the value of others even if they are beaten and scared. And at that point we begin to show the touch of the Master’s hand in our lives. And that is when we show that we belong to the company of sheep rather to the goats.