Matthew 25:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.’

NIV: "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.’

NASB: And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’

CSB: "And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

NLT: And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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 group described as "righteous" will respond to Jesus' approval with questions. As this judgment occurs in the end times, many of these people will likely have never seen Jesus in person. How, then, can they have provided for His needs (Matthew 25:35–39)?

Christ, depicted rightfully as the King (Matthew 25:31) answers their confusion. When a believer in Christ shows love for Him by obedience (John 14:15), that reflects their service and devotion to Him (Matthew 10:40–42). Love for other believers is a sign of true faith (1 John 3:11; John 13:31–35). In other words, Jesus sees the loving care believers give to each other as if it was being done directly for Him.

It's important to note that the reason these people did these good works was because they were living faithfully for Jesus. Their works followed their faith (Titus 3:5) in Him as the chosen ones of His Father. Jesus calls all who are sons and daughters of His Father, His brothers and sisters. He is their King, yes, but He is also their spiritual brother since they are all children of God. Jesus is loyal to His family and receives good, done for them, as good done for Him.

This praise stands in stark contrast to the judgment of the second group (Matthew 25:32–33), as shown in the following verses.

Matthew 25:31–46 describes Jesus' epic judgment, to take place when He returns as King with His angels and takes His place on the throne. He will divide those judged into two groups: "sheep" and "goats." The sheep will be welcomed and praised for serving those in need. The goats will be sent away from Jesus to eternal fire and condemned for not serving those in need. This comes at the end of the Olivet Discourse, which began when disciples asked Jesus about the end days (Matthew 24:3). This passage is notoriously difficult to interpret, making it especially important to handle with caution. Though it is referred to as a "parable," thanks to the use of shepherding terms, the situation it describes seems to be very real.

Jesus uses two additional parables to illustrate a state of constant readiness for His return after He has gone. His followers should be working for Him while they wait. They must not be like the foolish young women who missed a wedding feast because they forgot oil for their lamps. They must be like the servants who doubled their harsh master's investments while He was away. Jesus concludes with a third descriptive passage, showing how He will judge between the righteous and evil when He returns as King.

Matthew 25 concludes the "Olivet Discourse:" Jesus' teaching to the disciples about future things as they sit on the Mount of Olives. This follows His dire predictions about the Temple and Jerusalem in chapter 24. He gives two more parables to emphasize that they must be prepared for His return. Finally, Jesus describes the moment of His return, after a time of tribulation, when He will judge all who live on earth at the beginning of His kingdom. This leads into Matthew's account of Jesus' Last Supper, betrayal, and arrest in chapter 26.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.