a vision of judgment - We come to the last of chapter
twenty-five’s trilogy of judgment stories that close out Matthew’s final
teaching block: the sheep and the goats. This vision is unique to Matthew and reverses the
usual parabolic structure of familiar / new dimension to beginning with the other-worldly
and modulating into our ordinary social world. [1]
the judge - Matthew presents a transcendent Christ as the Judge; Jesus
comes like the kings and landlords that form his earlier parables that lead up to this
vision. Jesus is the king who sits on his glorious throne and who decides who’s in
and who’s out of his kingdom. We see two kingdoms that in the end will be clearly
demarcated by the standard of compassion and care that Christ has modeled in his mission
on earth-reaching out to the marginalized people.
nib - This is the only scene with any details picturing the last
judgment in the NT. To the readers’ surprise, the criterion of judgment is not
confession of faith in Christ. Nothing is said of grace, justification, or the forgiveness
of sins. What counts is whether one has acted with loving care for needy people. Such
deeds . . . constitute the decisive criterion of judgment presupposed in all of vv. 23-25,
the "weightier matters of the Law" of 23:23. [2]
[3] In this vision, on what basis
are people divided into sheep and goats? Entering the story, which group would you feel
that best describes yourself at this time?
If Jesus were to come today and evaluate your life, what would he say about how well we
have "looked after him?"
Who would nominate you for the following gifts of caring?
I was hungry / thirsty and you gave me . . .
I was a stranger and you invited me in . . .
I needed clothes and you clothed me . . .
I was sick / in prison . . .
Please see this
week’s DPS homily based on this passage.
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[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible VIII (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), page 455.
[2] Ibid, page 455.
[3] Serendipity Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Co., 1998), page 354.
