Year 2, Week 37, Day 4 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 37, Day 4

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Matthew 24-25.

Today’s reading parallels the readings from the past few days from Mark 13 and Luke 21. The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke each include Jesus’ instructions to His disciples, which is commonly called the Olivet Discourse. Framed in connection with the destruction of the Temple that Jesus just referenced, Matthew explicitly records that the disciples associate the word about the Temple with the end  of times: “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus’ explanation is arranged as the fifth and final teaching segment that has run throughout Matthew’s Gospel account (the other segments are Matthew 5-7, 10, 13, and 18). Matthew 24-25 is the final teaching segment is a prophetic discourse meant to prepare the disciples both for the catastrophic events of judgment that will befall Israel with the temple’s destruction and for the interval before Jesus’ glorious return. In other words, it seems best to discern that Matthew 24 contains references to events that were coming in the near future when He spoke of them (the Temple would be destroyed within forty years), but also events that have a much more distant future. The challenge is deciphering which is near and which is distant and which might pertain to a near and future fulfillment. Matthew 25, which concludes with a description of the end, first starts with a couple of parables that illustrate the call for watchfulness, faithfulness, and vigilance before Christ returns: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). The call of the parables set up the concluding words concerning a final judgment.

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was the important connection that Jesus makes between truly belonging to Him and the resultant role of good works: "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Jesus instructs His disciples to realize that when He returns He, it will be a time for judgment: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-32). The conclusion of the  teaching segment concerning the end, shifts attention from the call to prepare for judgment to the judgment itself. The design of these final words about Jesus’ return is designed to warn and arouse by indicating that judgment will entail a clear separation between those who belong to Jesus and those who do not: “And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:33). The sheep represent those who belong to Jesus and the goats are those who do not.

What is important to consider is that Jesus identifies the presence or absence of good deeds as the revealer of who is a sheep and who is a goat. Two factors, which are connected closely to each other, go into Jesus’ determination as to who is a sheep and who is a goat. The two factors that differentiate goats from sheep are: a) what was done for the needy; and b) what was done towards Jesus. The goats failed on these two accounts: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal 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 welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, 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, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:41-45). On the other hand, the sheep passed on both accounts: “Come, you who are blessed by 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 welcomed me, 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? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:34-40).

Concerning the sheep, the Father is the active agent of the blessing that is upon them: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The sheep inherit (perhaps suggesting a gracious gift) the kingdom that was marked out long beforehand. Concerning the goats, the curse upon them is not attributed to the Father as the active agent, but something they brought on themselves: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” The goats enter (perhaps suggesting an earned outcome) as they are ordered to leave the Father’s presence.

The strong orientation between judgment and works need not be seen to suggest that salvation is earned by our good works. Good works constitute evidence of salvation, but they are not the basis of salvation. The basis for salvation is Christ who is received by grace through faith. But works are an evidence of an eternal salvation that is from Christ, by grace through faith. Yet, the salvation that is from Christ, by grace through faith necessarily generates good works. We are not saved by works, but salvation results in works. That is why Jesus will judge in reference to works. When He saves His people He works works into His people: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe