Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

 

- Matthew 25:31–46 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been teaching the disciples about the end times and the destruction of the temple, beginning with this reading from Thursday last week.    Yesterday we read that Jesus gave the disciples the parable of the Talents, giving us all the understanding of how we are to conduct ourselves as faithful until He returns:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'   His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and  gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."  Today's reading gives us what my study Bible calls the majestic climax of Christ's discourse on end times.  What He teaches in today's reading isn't simply a parable, it notes, but a prophecy of the universal judgment that will indeed come.  As the Cross is now near Christ, Jesus raises His hearers to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat and the whole world gathered around Him.  And not only the world as we think of it in our daily physical sense, but the whole of the cosmos, the created order, for the holy angels are with Him as well.  We should bear in mind that the angels are also witnesses as well, for they have been with us from the foundation of the world (verse 34; see also Matthew 13:35).

 

"And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  My study Bible explains that Christ uses sheep to illustrate the righteous, because they follow His voice and they are gentle and productive.  It says that goats indicate the unrighteous, as they don't follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which represent sin.  

 

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: . . . "  Inherit, my study Bible teaches us, is a term used with regard to sons and daughters rather than strangers or servants, for the righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  

 

". . . for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' "  My study Bible comments that the standard of judgment set down here is uncalculated mercy toward others.  The works that are produced by faith are emphasized, for saving faith always produces righteous works.  What we do reflects our true inner state.  The least, it says, refers to all the poor and needy.  But we are to understand that the needs described here include both physical and spiritual needs.  Therefore, the hungry or thirsty are not only those who need food and drink, but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel.  

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "   My study Bible notes that the fact that Jesus says the fire was prepared for the devil shows that God did not create hell for human beings.  Rather, people choose this torment by their coldness of heart.  

 

When the Lord, the Son of Man, addresses the sheep in this parable of judgment upon His return, that is,  the righteous, telling them of their acts of mercy, they ask, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"   Jesus says that the King will answer them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."  The wording of this response invites us to ask, who are the Lord's "brethren?"  This is an important question, for although Christ who is the Judge knows the righteous from the unrighteous, we cannot distinguish this clearly.  We cannot make the judgment that He does, for only He knows the thoughts of all people, their hearts (Matthew 9:4; Acts 1:24).  This is an important distinction, because we only see partially, but in this parable it is made clear that what is at hand is all that is and was and even, indeed, what will be.  Only One with this perspective is able to judge.  So when Jesus speaks of His brethren, we must consider the righteous, and Jesus' perspective.  According to patristic commentary, "the righteous will be clothed with the leaves of eternal life and adorned with the fruit of glory. In this way they will be separated by the heavenly shepherd and Lord. The earthly shepherd separates animals by their type of body, whereas Christ separates people by their type of soul."  And so, the state of the soul is seen by the Lord, and this He illustrates as the gentle sheep rather than the capricious goats. St. Chrysostom notes that it is the very mercy shown by those whom Jesus calls sheep that sets the standard by which judgment happens, indicating how we also play a role in this grand plan of salvation "from the foundation of the world."  Lest we take the parable too literally, we should understand the depths of its meanings in that, first and foremost, in the mission of Christ's disciples the stranger is clothed and welcomed with Christ and in Christ, and thus becomes "brethren."  St. Paul also speaks of this unification of strangers in Christ as those who put on "tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering" and "love," indicating what it means to do all "in the name of Christ" (see Colossians 3:12-17). Elsewhere, He writes, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).  Indeed, we may go directly to Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan, which is the answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?"  For He teaches there that the neighbor is one who acts as a neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).  Among patristic commentary, there is a great deal of emphasis placed upon the spiritual aspect of Christ's words, in that we also feed, clothe, liberate, and assist those in spiritual prisons with the wisdom and love of God, the truth of Christ that frees, and the comfort of His love which we first receive and then share with others.  See 1 John 4:7-19.  Let us put on the clothing of Christ, even the full armor of God, as St. Paul teaches, for this is how we will know and be known.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer to Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?   Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

 

- Matthew 25:31-46 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been prophesying to the disciples about the end of the age, and His return, at which time judgment will happen.  In yesterday's reading, He gave the following parable:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went ad traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

  "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory."  Here begins what my study Bible calls the majestic climax of Christ's discourse.  It notes this is not simply a parable, but a prophesy of the universal judgment that is to come.  As the Cross is now near to Jesus, He is raising the hearer (His disciples and those who will follow) to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat with the whole world before Him.  My study Bible declares that the standard of judgment shown here is uncalculated mercy toward others.  Those works which are produced by faith are emphasized here -- for, my study Bible says, saving faith always produces righteous works.  What we do is a reflection of our true inner state.  

 

"All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  My study Bible informs us that Christ uses sheep in order to show the righteous, for they follow His voice and are gentle and productive.  Goats illustrate the unrighteous, in the sense that they do not follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which represent sin.

 

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"  Inherit, my study Bible tells us, is a term that is used with regard to sons and daughters rather than strangers or servants.  The righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  

"Then the righteous will answer to Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?   Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"  My study Bible comments that to see Christ in everyone is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).   Additionally, we should consider the least as all those who are poor and needy.  These needs here are not limited to physical needs, but also include spiritual ones.  

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  My study Bible says that as Jesus says the fire was prepared for the devil, it shows that God did not create hell for human beings.  But people choose this torment by their own coldness of heart.  Those who are hungry or thirsty, it also notes, are not simply ones who need food and drink -- but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel.

 

 An interesting observation we can make here is the correlation between  the choosing of coldness of heart and aligning ourselves with spiritual forces of evil; that is, the devil and his angels, those for whom the everlasting fire was prepared.  Indeed, what does coldness of heart do in this sense?  It neglects to help those in need, it neglects to give love, it neglects compassion.  It neglects to hear the call of those who are harmed or hurt by bad behavior, and neglects to notice those harmed by bad policies or practices many will support because it is encouraged within a social community.  Coldness of heart renders one incapable of considering a "neighbor" to be one who is made of the same stuff one is, created as a human being by God.  It will teach us to neglect to make "neighbors" through our actions, like the Good Samaritan of the parable in Luke 10:25-37.  Coldness of heart renders one capable of thinking of fellow human beings only insofar as they are of use to oneself, and discarding them on the basis of lack of usefulness when that doesn't prove to be the case.  Coldness of heart does not recognize other bonds besides what has usefulness.  It therefore damages relationships, unaware and unconcerned about the consequences.  Coldness of heart renders arrogance, a sense in which all that matters is one's own desire and interest,  a selfish perspective.  This kind of self-centeredness caters to cruelty; for why recognize the pain of others when it is inconvenient to oneself?  In short, such coldness of heart is irresponsible, damaging relations with abuse.  Moreover, it's the foundation of the types of hypocrisy condemned by Christ in His indictment of the practices of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23.   This coldness of heart is described by Jesus when He says of the scribes and Pharisees that "they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matthew 23:4).  Coldness of heart declares, "I don't care," and it is an indication of the kind of laziness illustrated in yesterday's parable (above) by the one his master called his "wicked and lazy servant."  That is, one who doesn't care enough to invest wisely, and according to the instructions of the Lord, whatever resources and life we're given by God.  To be lazy and wicked is to take the easy way out and through things, to want something for nothing, to play the game of entitlements that is borne of arrogance and a sense of superiority, that does not hear the call of Christ and respond to it.  In his conclusion to his first inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln of the United States used the phrase, "the better angels of our nature" to evoke that which calls us to remember our bonds to others, our union or community.  He said, "Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection."  President Lincoln may have been speaking about the looming United States Civil War which would in fact begin in earnest the following month.  But his own understanding of "the better angels of our nature" comes clearly through the gospel message of Jesus Christ, and what it is to prefer such "better angels" to alliance with that which is cold-hearted and neglectful.  Passions, which are seemingly hot or warm, are in fact agents and enablers of this ruthless coldness.   Thus, we have the historical emphasis in the Church teaching discipleship on these terms of self-awareness and self-mastery.  The lack of such is one more example of what it is to be truly lazy and unaware of what it is we are doing.  In Christ's teaching of judgment, the sheep and the goats resemble the difference between those who are paying attention, and those who are not.  The sheep are those who both hear and do the commandments of Christ.  In chapter 12, Jesus teaches, "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (see Matthew 12:46-50).   Let us find the way to hearts that hear and do, who know the voice of the Shepherd.

 

 

 

 

Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuh as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." 

- Matthew 25:31-46

 In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, "Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory."  Today's reading is described by my study bible as the majestic climax of Christ's discourse to His disciples on the destruction of Jerusalem and the end time, including His Second Coming and Judgment.   This is not simply a parable, but a prophecy of the universal judgment Christ assures us will come.  My study bible says that since the Cross is now near to Him, Jesus raises the hearer to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat and the whole world before Him.  The standard of judgment, it says, is uncalculated mercy toward others.  Here Jesus emphasizes the works that are produced by faith; saving faith produces righteous works.  The things we do reflect our true inner state.  When Christ refers to the least in the parable, He refers to all the poor and the needy.  The needs described in this parable include both physical and spiritual needs.  Therefore, the hungry or thirsty are not only those who need food and drink, but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel.

"All the nations will be gathered before Him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  Christ uses sheep to illustrate the righteous, because they follow His voice and are gentle and productive.  Goats indicate the unrighteous, a they do not follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which symbolize sin.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: . . . "   Inherit is a term that is used with regard to sons and daughters, as opposed to stranger or servants.  The righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).

" . . . for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuh as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"   To see Christ in everyone, according to my study bible, is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (22:39). 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."   My study bible says that the fact that the fire was prepared for the devil shows that God did not create hell for man.  Rather, people choose this torment by their coldness of heart.

Jesus speaks about what we've done, and what we've left undone.  In the case of the sheep, the deeds here are those things that they have done.  There is a positive movement in the actions that reflect faith.  It is a reflection of Jesus' teaching of the golden rule:  "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (7:12).  This is a positive statement of good actions.  In the Jewish spiritual tradition, there is a teaching of this rule in a negative or prohibitive form:  "What you yourself hate, do not do to anyone" (Tobit 4:15).  This is also, of course, an essential teaching for all of us.  But in Jesus' telling of this parable, it is the failure to act positively on our faith that puts us in the wrong.  It is the neglect of the good that is shown here.  In the story of the Good Samaritan, there is another illustration that positive action renders us true "neighbors."  While there is plenty of prohibitive teaching in Jesus' sermons and commandments, the emphasis here asks us to go beyond refraining from doing what is harmful, and to deliberately seek to do good, to exercise compassion and active love as a product of our faith.  It is important to keep in mind that Jesus' parable in today's reading comes within the context, and as a great summation of the end times, His Second Coming, and the Judgment.  It is given to us as His disciples, preparing us for the real test of this time, and in the context of the rest of His discourse, encouraging us to positive and courageous action in expression of our faith.  Let us note this is not simply making a laundry list of good deeds to do.  Rather, it is an encouragement to live the love that comes from seeking God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love neighbor as oneself.  It is about living the love we're given in our hearts through our faith, with positive actions that express this grace of love.  The real question is how we express who we are in our faith.  The fruits of the Spirit, which are all aspects of love, are just like what we make of our talents (see the parable in yesterday's reading above).  Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are all gifts of the Spirit as named by St. Paul in Galatians 5:22-23.  Love is described by St. Paul as also doing and not doing several things, namely:  "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).   This is not an abstract concept or philosophy, nor a set of rules divorced from the depths of identity.  It is in this respect that the things we do bear out these realities of the spirit and soul, who we are in union with God through faith.  He encourages to fully express that identity, the talents we're given, in the explicit ways in which we're called to do so, in the fullness of God's love at work in us.  This kind of faith also includes discernment and watchfulness.  We are to be known by the fruits we bear, the light we shine.  There is no divide between faith and works; they are to be part of the whole of the love of God and neighbor, and none of the fullness of our lives is left out of that equation.  Let us also keep in mind Jesus' earlier parable in this discourse, teaching us that we are servants in care of our fellow servants.  His final and new command is that we are to love one another, as He has loved us.  

Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

- Matthew 25:31-46

In our current readings, it is Holy Week and Jesus and the disciples are in Jerusalem.  He has taught them about the destruction of the temple, and also about end times, the time of His return, and of judgment.  In illustration of that time and of judgment, in Monday's reading, He gave the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.  In yesterday's reading, He gave another parable:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  so take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  Here He speaks more plainly of the time of His return.  It is the climax of His discourse on end times, the Second Coming, and the Judgment, and it is a prophecy of the universal judgment to come.  My study bible says that since the Cross is now near to Him, He raises the hearer to the sight and the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat and the whole world before Him.  Sheep are used to illustrate the righteous, as they are those that follow His voice, and are gentle and productive.  Goats symbolize the unrighteous as they follow their own way (not the shepherd) and walk along cliffs, symbolic of the danger of sin.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"  The standard by which Judgment comes is uncalculated mercy toward others.  There is an emphasis on works of faith, because saving faith produces righteous works.  The things we do reflect our true inner state, says my study bible.  We remember that Christ is the heart-knower.   The least of these My brethren repeats a theme used with the disciples when Jesus repeated taught about care of the "little ones" (see Matthew 10:42, 18:6-14; Mark 9:42, Luke 17:2).   In that understanding, the needs described here reflect both physical and spiritual needs.  Those who are hungry or thirsty aren't only those who need food and drink, but also those who hunger and thirst for righteousness -- the hope of the gospel.   We note Jesus speaks of the least of these My brethren, and also of inheritance.  My study bible points out that inherit is a term used for sons and daughters, not strangers or servants.  The righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).   The least of these My brethren is also reflective of Christ's earlier teaching to the disciples, again illustrative of the "little ones" - the powerless, humble, and vulnerable, who will come to His Church:  "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me" (Matthew 18:5). 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  My study bible notes that Jesus says the fire was prepared for the devil and his angels:  this indicates God did not create hell for human beings.   But those who ally themselves with the ones who work against God's love and mercy through coldness of heart choose the same for themselves.

If we look very closely at today's reading, we get quite a clear picture when we consider and keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to His disciples.  Just as the language echoes language used earlier in the Gospel when Jesus was teaching His disciples about care of the little ones who will come to them, so the language is very evocative of the mission of the disciples:  service to the littlest ones, the least of these.  We are reminded of His teaching that whoever would be great among them must be the servant of all, and whoever would be first must be slave to all - "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (see Matthew 20:26-28).  In this light, the emphasis is on those who would be His disciples, and how each of us chooses to care for the least of these My brethren.  In this light, there is a clear emphasis on those who will come to Him, but that is not so easily delineated either, for Christ's Church is everywhere that the Spirit is, in each heart touched by the Spirit.  In this respect the teaching is about how all those who may come to Him are cared for by those who would be His disciples.  In this perspective, to give food and drink, to take in a stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and in prison is to minister to all those who would come to Him, who need Him.  To feed, clothe, to take in strangers, to visit the sick and in prison is to address all manner of spiritual care, not only "good deeds" to those who are in want.  To be a disciple is to step into His shoes, so to speak, to walk and He walked and do as He did, to remember His priorities and keep His commands as those which serve the least of these My brethren.  The earlier parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins and the parable of the Talents teach us about the things God entrusts to us, the use of mercy and grace, the gifts were given to use in His name.  Both of those parables emphasized what we do while the Master is away, while we await the Bridegroom.  Today's reading speaks plainly about what we do, and what we neglect to do.  But all of it is in service to Him, and service to Him means -- as He has taught over and over again -- service to the least of these, the littlest ones, in whom we must see Christ.   Ultimately, we reflect the work of discipleship, of feeding and nurturing the sheep, as Christ, in His final appearance after the Resurrection, will tell to Peter, "Feed My lambs" (see John 21:15-22).  We note that this passage in John 21 is often referred to as the "restoration" of Peter (after his three-time denial of Christ before the Crucifixion).  It is a restoration to discipleship.  We note another detail in that passage as well, that the disciple who is not named (understood as John the Evangelist himself) has his own work to do for Christ, further cementing the understanding from the past two parables He's given that the work of feeding and nurturing and caring for the least of these My brethren, may indeed take on innumerable forms in accordance with our gifts of grace, our "talents."  Those who are sick and in prison are not just descriptions of physical suffering, but also understood as images of those who suffer spiritually.  Judgment is a kind of final roll-call in which the Knower of hearts, who is Christ, places those who would be in His Kingdom and those who would not (see Revelation 2:23).  If we look at the text with an understanding of the teachings that have come before it to these disciples, what we see is an emphasis on their service, on how they treat the littlest ones -- the most humble and powerless and vulnerable -- who would come to Him.  By extension it is a warning and teaching to all of us who would be His disciples about how we are to live our lives in relation to any who may be in His Church, who may come to Him and be one of the least of His brethren.   Only the true knower-of-hearts, Christ Himself, understands who may be one of His own in this respect, and so for us, it remains to use the discernment He teaches.  Yet we must remember that we do not know whom we may receive - for all bear His image -- who will respond to the care we give in His name. 

Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'   Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

"Then He will say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

- Matthew 25:31-46

Over the course of the past week, we have been reading Jesus' discourse outside of the great temple in Jerusalem, in which He's predicted both the destruction of the temple and the end of the age, when He will return.  In yesterday's reading, He gave us a parable about stewardship:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and his your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."


"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."  My study bible says, "Here is the majestic climax of the discourse, which is not simply a parable but an account of the universal judgment.  Since the Cross is now near for Him, Jesus raises up the hearer to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man, His judgment seat, and the whole world before Him.  He shows the heavens opened and all the holy angels present to witness His judgment.  For if the first coming of the Son of Man was in humility, to serve and to die, the Second Coming will be in glory, as a King to judge all the nations."

"And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'   Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  My study bible tells us, "The standard of judgment is uncalculated mercy toward the needy.  The works produced by faith are emphasized, for a saving faith produces righteous works.  It is possible to fool ourselves about whether we truly believe, but what we do so reflects our true inner state that we will need no other evidence before God's court.  The needy are the intimate brethren of Christ.  The least of these may refer primarily to Christian missionaries or to needy Christians and, by extension, all who suffer.  Jesus identifies Himself with the poor and the outcast and invites to brotherhood all who are kindled with love for others (1 John 4:20).  These are crowned with grace."

Jesus sets out two ways of seeing things in this discourse on the Judgment.  There are the things we fail to do, and the things we do in service to Him without necessarily understanding it -- or, perhaps, by proxy.  In both cases, He reminds His disciples that they fail or succeed in serving Him.  Ultimately, we are to see Him and His face in all things we do, or fail to do.  I think the concern with justice and mercy here is made complete by the notion that Christ Himself will suffer on the Cross.  If there is any way in which we may come to understand that our world isn't necessarily fair and just, it's this story about Jesus, this Gospel that teaches us that He -- One who loves us -- will die because of greed and envy and malice and the hundreds of things that we do to one another that create an unjust world.  It is a picture of a world ruled by "the evil one" who must crucify the One who loves us and who comes to set us free from that ruler.  This is the Gospel in a nutshell.  It's the story of Jesus who is the Son who has come to liberate us from this box of hypocrisy, of injustice and lack of mercy and understanding, and to set us apart so that we may know and live His way of life that He teaches here.  To fail to do so is to let Him down.  As Jesus speaks about those in prison or those who are needy or sick or in some way marginalized, He's quite clearly speaking about Himself.  He will live out this teaching Himself; He will be that face in which He asks us to see Himself.  He will be a prisoner and needy and outcast and a stranger.  He will be the one who is mocked on the Cross.  He will be the one treated without mercy, without justice, the one for whom all rules of justice will be ignored, and procedure thrown out the window.  He will be brutalized and scourged as a criminal.  The one abandoned and left alone -- well, that is the Christ who teaches us about those among us who will fill that place.  And it's important that my study bible points out that He's speaking to a group of His disciples, and so the least of these may very well mean those among us, of our group, this family as He has referred to it, who also seek to serve.  It's no accident that He refers to "the least of these, My brethren."  But, as He points out very clearly (for example, in the parable of the wheat and the tares), we can't necessarily understand just exactly who those truly are.  It's the knower-of-hearts, Christ Himself, who does the separating here.  As He's taught before, what we do -- or fail to do -- for the least of these, we are to see Him in their place. It think it's important that Jesus emphasizes a sense of identification with "the least of these" as part of the group.  Over and over again, He's told His disciples that this is the model of leadership that He wants, and clearly, His emphasis on this kind of view of hierarchy teaches us where our biggest weaknesses are:  they are in matters of power and rank.  Love, ultimately, teaches us in all kinds of ways that life is not about power hierarchies and competitions but rather about how we choose to relate to others, with what discernment do we discern, how we truly take the time to see what's right in front of us.  It's not that we are to be blind to those who would cause us harm, who cause injustice or take advantage, or all the number of things that we could ask ourselves about how we are to practice His mercy.  Far from it.  Christ asks us to be "wise as serpents and gentle as doves."  And in that phrase is our discernment, the time we take to truly see, to take time for the least of these, even to understand who they truly are -- because where someone is hurting and meek isn't obvious.  Let us remember that to give of ourselves is more than money.  It's about the heart that seeks to know, to understand, to heal, to discern.  Where does His face lead you?

The least of these My brethren

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then he will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I as sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

- Matthew 25:31-46

Over the past several readings, Jesus has been speaking about the end of the age, and of His Second Coming. We've been given several parables by Jesus that illustrate what He's talking about, how we should be preparing for His eventual return, and that it will happen at a time we do not expect. First He spoke about the faithful steward who does not become abusive to the fellow servants, but instead faithfully carries out His master's wishes, caring for the others. Then we were given the parable of the wise and foolish virgins who were awaiting the bridegroom. In yesterday's reading, Jesus illustrated the time in which we await His return with a parable about a man who traveled to a far country. While he was away, he gave his goods to several servants, to care for. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and another one -- each in accordance with their ability. The first two doubled the talents by trading with them. The third was afraid of the master, and hid his talent in the ground. After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents, said, "Look, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them." His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." To the second who doubled his two talents, the master said the same thing. Then he who had received the one talent came and said, "Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours." But his lord answered and said to him, "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then he will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." Here is the illustration of the end of the age, and of His return, a vivid picture and no longer a parable. We are told in the most dynamic terms of His all-powerful presence at that time, and the Judgment of all the nations. We have to understand that it is immediately before His Passion and the Cross that this discourse takes place. My study bible says, "For if the first coming of the Son of Man was in humility, to serve and to die, the Second Coming will be in glory, as a King to judge all the nations." Sheep and goats, to my mind, denote those who follow His commandments from those who unrepentantly follow their own way, without reconsideration. His Way will be illustrated in the following verses.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I as sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" Here is Jesus' great teaching on mercy and on the practice of mercy. Repeatedly He has taught throughout the Gospels that it is the practice of mercy that opens up mercy to us. In the Beatitudes, He taught, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Of course, a great question opened up for us here may be to ask who are "these My brethren." We could make the case, in fact, that He's speaking of His followers -- He's certainly speaking to them in this discourse, and repeatedly His parables have illustrated the importance of the care of the little ones, their fellow servants, while He is away. His concern is for "the least." Certainly those who would truly be His servants throughout the centuries would indeed suffer all of these things He has listed. But we can also turn toward the parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke's Gospel, in which the question is asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Again, we find there a kind of elective qualifier for "brethren" in that it was the one who behaved as a neighbor who was truly a neighbor. So, it is our own elective behavior -- as in the practice of mercy here described and illustrated by the Good Samaritan -- by which we are His brethren. In this case, those who elect to participate in His practice of mercy are the sheep who will sit on His right hand. My study bible says, "The least of these may refer primarily to Christian missionaries or to needy Christians and, by extension, all who suffer. Jesus identifies Himself with the poor and the outcast and invites to brotherhood all who are kindled with love for others (1 John 4:20). These are crowned with grace."

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." The rest of this discourse truly speaks for itself. But I think again that we must take note that He's speaking to believers, as the Gospels were written as testimony, witness for those who are nominally of the faith. In that light, this stark and harsh warning takes on a specific character that is in keeping with Jesus' repeated condemnation of religious hypocrisy. Although we are all called upon to practice mercy, especially in an elective brotherhood, it functions as a strong warning especially to those who would be His followers. My study bible has an important note here: "The standard of judgment is uncalculated mercy toward the needy. The works produced by faith are emphasized, for a saving faith produces righteous works. It is possible to fool ourselves about whether we truly believe, but what we do so reflects our true inner state that we will need no other evidence before God's court."

I keep musing on the words from my study bible: "What we do so reflects our true inner state that we will need no other evidence before God's court." We note, first, that this is simply a statement about God's court, not the appearances we make in a human perspective, in front of others to be seen. Indeed, we know that Jesus has used His most harsh criticism against those whose religious practice is strictly for this purpose. On the other hand, acts of mercy toward those who cannot repay us, especially those done in secret, are highly prized by Christ, as He has said so in Matthew's Gospel. I go back to Christ's words in chapter 6, that Our Father who sees in secret will reward us openly, and I think of the evidence before the One who sees in secret, and whose Judgment is truly the one that we need to keep in mind. A friend of mine recently posed a question about equal rights within a society, and it brought to mind the statement Jesus made that "the poor you shall always have with you" -- found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John, perhaps with reference to a statement in the Law found in Deuteronomy. Today's reading brings us back to the question of the poor, and the least among us, and we have to ask ourselves not only who our brethren are, but truly, who are the poor? I feel that as long as there is rank of any kind, a hierarchy of power and authority, the poor are synonymous not only with those who have very little, but with those who are truly "the least of these," the little ones -- those who are humble, defenseless, powerless, whoever is least in any hierarchy of rank or group. There are all kinds of people who are susceptible to abuse, or marginalized, or who may lack or be deprived of something which makes for a blessed life, whether or not they have material wealth. In today's world of popular culture, bullying clearly comes to mind as one example of how we are not to behave. Certainly, Jesus condemns any abuse or lack of proper care of one's fellow servant underlings in His parables in recent days. As my study bible says, "Jesus identifies Himself with the poor and the outcast and invites to brotherhood all who are kindled with love for others." In this light we can also read Jesus' statement that "the poor we will always have with us." Should we dream one day that we might possibly live in a society where poverty is scarce or even abolished, we still must consider who and what it is to be poor in the language of the Gospels. In my opinion, this will never leave us until that Day of which He speaks today, and it is self-evidently clear in that respect that "the poor we shall always have with us." Let us take mercy, and practice mercy, and remember His words, and take them to heart! As deeply as we can, we must remember the poor, in all ways there may be poor in the world. Let us not be fooled by appearances alone, nor seek to live only by them. Let us live so that Our Father who sees in secret may know us and what is truly in our hearts.

"Lord, when did we see you ... ?"

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

- Matthew 25:31-46

Over the course of the past several readings, we have been reading Jesus' discourse on the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and the end of the age, including the Second Coming. Please see the following earlier readings for the full discourse: Do you not see all these things?, The End of the Age, Heaven and earth will pass away, The Wise and Foolish, and To everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance. In today's reading, Jesus sums up his teachings on the end of the age, and teaches about Judgment.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats." My study bible begins its notes on this passage with the following: "Here is the majestic climax of the discourse, which is not simply a parable but an account of the universal judgment. Since the Cross is now near for him, Jesus raises up the hearer to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man, his judgment seat, and the whole world before him. He shows the heavens opened and all the holy angels (v. 31) present to witness his judgment. For if the first coming of the Son of Man was in humility, to serve and to die, the Second Coming will be in glory, as a King to judge all the nations (v. 32)." I think this is quite important, that we understand the juxtaposition of the text. In the next chapter, we begin to hear the events of the Passion. So, Jesus is giving his apostles the picture of the spiritual reality of what is going to happen - as opposed to the earthly picture of persecution and loss. One event is not complete without the other; Jesus' spiritual identity as Son of Man is essential to our understanding of these events - and what insight we may gain from them.

"And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:' " My study bible notes here: "Inherit is a term used with regard to sons and daughters rather than strangers or servants, for the righteous become children of God by adoption (Gal. 4:4-7)." What we are hearing about, then, is a heavenly family - how we become related in truth and in spiritual reality. We recall Jesus' teachings to the Sadducees regarding marriage in heaven: in this heavenly kingdom, all are changed - and this includes relatedness and the nature of our relationships.

" 'for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' " My study bible notes here: "The standard of judgment is uncalculated mercy toward the needy. The works produced by faith are emphasized, for a saving faith produces righteous works. It is possible to fool ourselves about whether we truly believe, but what we do so reflects our true inner state that we will need no other evidence before God's court. The needy are the intimate brethren (v. 40) of Christ. ... Jesus identifies himself with the poor and the outcast and invites to brotherhood all who are kindled with love for others (1 John 4:20). These are crowned with grace." It is interesting, given the theme of adoption and relatedness that we have already touched upon, that Jesus uses the word brethren here. It reminds me of the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which Jesus answered the question, "Who is my neighbor?" That parable was also about true relationship - the earthly idea of relatedness (especially among different peoples) was dashed in favor of the one who behaved as a neighbor. In this call of Jesus, it is those who act as brethren who, in fact, become brethren. As my study bible notes, this is about what is truly in the heart.

"Then he will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." My study bible notes regarding v. 41: "That the fire was prepared for the devil shows that God did not create hell for man; rather, people choose this torment by their coldness of heart." I understand hell to be a state of mind - or, perhaps, a state of being - just as Jesus is teaching us that it is our state of mind; or rather, more truly, the state of our hearts - that gives us relatedness or not to him and his brethren. I think my study bible makes an important point regarding this fire that was prepared for those heavenly beings who led human beings astray. What we choose to follow and embrace is important in that it confers relatedness and identity. At each moment, we make a choice as to how we participate in life, what we take in and accept and what we reject. And this relates to the next note I would like to quote: "The needs described ... include both physical and spiritual needs. Thus, the hungry or thirsty (v. 44) are not only those who need food and drink, but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel." To this I would add that the needs of human beings are for many things, not least of which is the spiritual fulfillment of our true natures, and all that we need for healing in every level of our lives: spiritual, mental, emotional, physical. I might add that praying for one another is also a way of expressing love when there is nothing else we can do. It is the practice of mercy that is essential here, that creates relatedness. My study bible also notes that, "The least of these (v. 45) may refer primarily to Christian missionaries or to needy Christians and, by extension, all who suffer."

My study bible also notes that, "To see Christ in everyone is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself." And we recall, again, the teachings Jesus has just given in response to the questions from the Pharisees and Sadducees. After answering the question about relatedness in heaven, he also answered regarding the greatest commandment: " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." We must also remember his repeated warnings to his disciples about humility, and that they must treat the least among themselves as if they were welcoming Christ himself: "Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me." It is our hearts and souls and mind that count in this judgment and in these relationships. We use all of ourselves to love and to serve the purposes of love: righteousness, good judgment, healing, mercy, justice, truth and all that we can name as a category of the virtues of God. What we love and how we show that love will reflect what is within us and our inner state. This is not merely a formula for doing good works. Recently, I watched a documentary about charity work for the poor and it displayed how, unfortunately, there were programs designed to help but which simply hurt. There was no mercy in the sense that the people who needed the help were not listened to -- they certainly were not treated as brethren, nor were they loved as one would love oneself. To love God with all our heart and soul and mind is to become like God - and to love our neighbors as ourselves. What we love gives us identity, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." We take the initiative, we do this of ourselves, in any circumstance, and we pray and ask God to show us how we are called to act, to love. We ask for discernment and for good judgment. This is how we create relationship that Jesus asks of us.