Ashton Levry

10/18/16
Interpreting the Text #1

Interpreting the Text: The Parable of the Last Judgement

Ashton Levry
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his
left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take
your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and
you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison
and you came to visit me. 37 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry
and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite
you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
40 The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and
sisters of mine, you did for me. 41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are
cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me
nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite
me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.
44 They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes
or sick or in prison, and did not help you? 45 He will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do
for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. 46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life. (Matt. 25:31-46)
I.

Background
a. This scripture is a parable of the Last Judgement, which is the time where Jesus will
determine those righteous and able to enter the kingdom. Presented in this parable is
Jesus himself, the angels surrounding him, and all of the nations before him. Jesus greatly
emphasizes six actions providing food for one who is hungry, giving drink to a person
who is thirsty, providing shelter for another who is a stranger, giving clothes to the person
who is naked, looking after the sick, and comforting those in prison. Each of these
happen to be acts of compassion towards those who are less fortunate (Crowfoot), or
the least of these. The least of these in this context represent Christ, because he
identifies with each of his people (Smith 208). These acts those in need may enter the
kingdom prepared for them.
i. The Son of Man (Matt. 25:31)
1. In Judaism, the Son of Man is often referred to a messianic or
apocalyptic figure (Mills 846). This seems logical because the Last
Judgement is an event of the end where the Lord will proclaim who is
sentenced to either eternal life or damnation. According to Mills, many
scholars believe that there was a transcendent Son of man who would
save the righteous and punish the wicked (Mills 846). This is exactly
parallel with what Jesus parable foresees.
ii. All the nations (Matt. 25:32)
1. In this context, the all the nations represent all humankind, or the
individuals who will be alive at the Lord's second coming (Pond 301).

iii. The Kingdom (Matt. 25:34) The kingdom that Jesus is referring to is an
inheritance which God will bestow upon His people when Christ comes in
glory, or a future realm which we must enter when Christ returns (Ladd).
iv. Eternal Life (Matt. 25:46) Typically is equated with the idea of life after death
in the presence of God (Mills 264).
II.

III.

IV.

Context
a. The preceding chapter is another parable that mainly foreshadows the events of the final
judgement. Jesus uses this parable as another lesson of warning to his disciples that we
must prepare. This is because we do not know when the final judgement will be, and on
that day, the facts to determine who is guilty or not guilty have already been considered.
The assembling of all the nations before the Son of man who sits on his regal throne is
for the purpose of pronouncing sentence (Smith 206).
b. The chapter immediately following 25 is a great example of a selfless act done. When
Jesus was in Bethany with his disciples, a woman approached him with an alabaster box
of ointment. When she poured it over Jesus head, the disciples were greatly upset, for
they perceived that she was wasting such a costly substance (Matt. 26:6-9). But she
wasnt, however, for she was doing a good deed to Jesus. Her action was not for gain. It
was out of respect for Jesus in preparation for his burial. This scripture also notes how
expensive the ointment must have been, for the disciples mentioned it could be sold, and
the profit could be split among the poor. This stands out as a sacrifice that the woman has
made, that regardless of the oils value, the service to Jesus was still worth it all. This
scene overall symbolizes how the righteous in the parable of the Last Judgement reach
out to the needy or disadvantaged.
Genre
a. The literary genre is a parable, or story that illustrates a lesson. The moral or lesson of
this parable poses as a warning to the audience to prepare for the Last Judgement, for
the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour (Matt. 24:44).
Meaning of the Text
a. Why Sheep and Goats?
1. There is clear symbolism in Jesus analogy of sheep and goats. The traits
of between them evidently have sharp contrast. According to Ezekiel
34:18, goats often used their horns in attacking sheep, destroyed
pastures, and polluted the water (Pond, 290). This supports the idea that
goats tend to be stubborn and unruly, whereas sheep (Or those at his right
hand) are docile (Mills 817) and follow or seek guidance from their
shepherd (Who, in this context, happens to be Christ himself).
2. Another detail that stands out is how the people before the Son of Man
respond to him when he tells to them the deeds they either did or did not
do. The righteous respond, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed
you When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
Whereas the condemned respond, When did we see you hungry or
sick or in prison, and did not help you? What is important is the contrast
between how the righteous and condemned respond. The righteous were
unaware that they were even doing these acts for Jesus. They did them
selflessly, and for that reason, they do not see that they were helping
Jesus after all. However, the condemned are surprised at their judgment
and question the rationale for it, displaying a defiant, self-confident, and
ultimately self-righteous attitude (Grindheim 314). The contrast between
their responses is parallel and symbolic to the natural traits of sheep and
goats, as mentioned.

V.

b. Jesus greatly emphasizes acts done for the needy. He provides many examples of good
deeds in the parable as if they were done unto him (Matt. 25:35-36). The numerous acts
reinforce how important it is to do selfless acts for those in need, for these very things
will earn the righteous a place in the kingdom of Heaven.
c. This scripture most likely poses the following question: What have you done for others?
Have you expressed concern for humanity? It most likely challenged the original
audience to humble themselves and sacrifice for others.
Engagement with the Text
a. The text speaks to me the most through the analogy of the shepherd separating goats and
the sheep. It especially struck me how the people from either side responded to Jesus.
b. I did not realize that there was reinforcement in how different the goats were from the
sheep, even in the dialogue. It advises that we not be selfish. We should take more time to
think about others, but not out of pride for the sake of the reward (The reward being
eternal life). I think it is even something done, even when you dont want to do it, hence
it being like a sacrifice. I feel that is true compassion for something.
Works Cited

The Access Bible: New Revised Standard Version, with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. New
York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.
The "Setting." Last Judgment. Jeremy Crowfoot, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
Pond, Eugene W. "Who Are the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25:31-46?" Bibliotheca Sacra 159 (2002):
288-301. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Smith, T.C. Matthew. An Exegesis of Matthew 25:31-46.
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=04ac4702-0ae5-4734-99bbe2942a44a3ee%40sessionmgr4007&vid=1&hid=4108
Mills, Watson E., and Roger Aubrey. Bullard. "Son of Man." Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Macon, GA:
Mercer UP, 1990. Print.
Mills, Watson E., and Roger Aubrey. Bullard. "Eternal Life." Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Macon, GA:
Mercer UP, 1990. Print.
Mills, Watson E., and Roger Aubrey. Bullard. "Sheep." Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Macon, GA:
Mercer UP, 1990. Print.
Grindheim, Sigurd, and Addis Abeba. "Ignorance Is Bliss: Attitudinal Aspects of the Judgment According
to Works in Matthew 25:31-46." Sigurd Grindheim. Brill, 2008. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Ladd, Georgia Eldon. What Is the Kingdom of God? Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co Grand Rapids, MI., 1959.
Web. 14 Oct. 2016.