Matthew 25 applying same standard?

[Rachel20]

Hi the way I see this "and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another," Christ returns and gathers the nations. Who are those people and what just happened? The great tribulation. Those are the ones He gathers and splits. To one He says "I never knew you" meaning they were never saved.

Yes, I agree with this.

 

[Matt5]

Rachel20,

In my mind you've gone way too deep into detail. I think the detail is not even the point and is going to take you down the wrong path.

What is Matthew 25 about in a general way?

Matthew 25 is about the time before the arrival of Jesus when we will see big wars (harvest of the tares) and the fake Jesus (to fool you.)

The Bible provides the information necessary to help one navigate through all of that mess. One must read and apply Bible information. Failure here will probably mean death in the big wars or rejection by Jesus for taking the Mark. Navigation through the big wars will be harder for some people based on where they live, like in America for example.

Note that "apply" means actually doing something more than turning the page of your Bible. Your question relates to the "apply" section. Certainly helping people is good but here it in out of step with the rest of the chapter. Therefore, I suspect it is just emphasizing the concept of "apply." You would know this as "works."

 

[Guojing]

Hello, I have a question about Matthew 25 verses 41 and 45. While I see the same standard in criteria being applied to both groups (visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked, taking the stranger in, ...), I don't see the same standard in judgement and was wondering what others think.

Simply from the way it's worded (maybe a translation issue?), it seems to me that the first group need only meet one criteria once, but the second group need meet all criteria each and every time (?)

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:41

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Matthew 25:45

That is a Tribulation passage. In the Tribulation, God focus his attention on Israel once again during those 7 years, the gentile nations will again be judged by how they helped or refuse to help Israel during those 7 years.

If you read the passage in Matthew 25:31-46 properly, Jesus was addressing "all the nations" (vs 32), a term which always refers to gentiles.

He spoke to them saying those who feed his "brethren" (vs 40), which is a biblical term denoting the Jewish brothers and sisters of Christ, as Jesus was born a Jew.

It is for good reason, during the 7 years of Tribulation, or Jacob's trouble, the antichrist will be persecuting all of Israel, and it will indeed become the responsibility of gentiles, if they want to be saved, to protect the Jews.

For example, if you refuse to offer food, drinks, clothes to the people of Israel who will be persecuted by the antichrist, your faith in Christ alone will not save you too (Matthew 25:41-46).

For those tribulation saints who are saved during that time, the Antichrist will emerge to persecute the nation Israel during those 7 years.

Everyone in Israel will have to flee to the mountains and pray that this flight takes place neither in the sabbath nor the winter, as Jesus prophesied.

So if you are a gentile then, and still want to be considered saved at the end of the Tribulation, it takes more than just faith in Jesus alone.

Like what it popularly quoted from James, they need to have works together with that faith, which if you read that passage by Jesus in (Matthew 25:41-46), you are also required to feed and take care of the Jews, those who didn't manage to flee, who are being persecuted by the antichrist then.

At the end, Jesus on his throne will welcome you to his kingdom, because, as he said, if you did it for them, you are doing it for him.

In the age to come, You will be saved thru the nation Israel, just like how gentiles were in time past.

But now, we are not living in the Tribulation period now, currently, Israel the nation has fallen in the eyes of God, we gentiles are saved thru the fall of Israel. (Romans 11:11)

We are saved by grace thru faith alone apart from works of any kind (Romans 4:5).

 

[ViaCrucis]

Hello, I have a question about Matthew 25 verses 41 and 45. While I see the same standard in criteria being applied to both groups (visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked, taking the stranger in, ...), I don't see the same standard in judgement and was wondering what others think.

Simply from the way it's worded (maybe a translation issue?), it seems to me that the first group need only meet one criteria once, but the second group need meet all criteria each and every time (?)

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:41

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Matthew 25:45

The use of "one of the least of these" means even how we treat a single individual in their vulnerability matters. How we treat other human beings is how we treat Jesus. If we turn our back on our neighbor in their need, we turn our back on Christ.

This is why it is impossible to say we love God but hate our brother, because we fulfill the commandment to love God by loving our neighbor as ourselves and treating them how we would want to be treated ourselves. So that St. Paul in Galatians 5:14 writes that the whole of the Law is fulfilled in the phrase "Love your neighbor as yourself".

At the Last Judgment we will have to face the reality of how we lived, specifically how we treated our neighbors, other human beings. That is why in Matthew 7 Jesus says that those who say "Lord Lord" on the Last Day and then brag about all the good works they did for Him and in His name won't matter. It's like what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, even if we could speak all human languages or even fantastical languages of angels, or if we had faith that could move a mountain, or even if we sell all we own and offer our body to fire--without love it doesn't mean anything. Without love it's all just noise and self-serving.

Yes, that man begging on the street for a dollar that we ignored because we thought he was going to use it for drugs or alcohol, our judgment of that person in their distress and our denying giving what we are able to offer is grounds for us to face the wrath of God at the Last Judgment. How we treat even one of the least of these is how we treat Him.

The Law of God, in this way, speaks Judgment and Dread to us, condemning us in our sin. That we might drop to our knees in repentance, admitting to ourselves and to God and before all men that we are wretched sinners who have nothing to offer but our sin itself. That we admit that we ourselves are but beggars before God, naked beggars that God out of the super-abundance of His grace gives the precious gift of faith through the Gospel, and clothes us with the white robes of Christ's own righteousness, justifying us by His grace, through faith, on Christ's account alone.

It is right that our conscience be pricked by the hot sting of the Law, because we are sinners and we need God's grace and forgiveness. That we be driven to repentance, and man in bitter tears of grief hears the powerful and living word of the Gospel: "Christ died for you, your sins are forgiven, there is peace with God." And in this the conscience is cleansed, guilt before God is removed for God Himself renders us guiltless before Himself on account of His own beloved Son. Though this does not excuse us from living in and according to good works; but our good works are not for the sake of God or our place before God (which is found exclusively by God's grace in Jesus Christ through faith) but for the sake of our neighbor. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is God's Commandment to us.

-CryptoLutheran