Matthew 25:43 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.’

NIV: 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.’

NASB: I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’

CSB: I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’

NLT: I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

KJV: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

NKJV: 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.’

Jesus is condemning a large group of people to eternal fire, originally intended for Satan and demons (Matthew 25:41–42). This group of people rejected faith in Christ; they are not among those "elect" who came to faith in Christ (Ephesians 4:1; Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:27; Romans 11:7; Titus 1:1). This lack of faith in Christ is proven by their actions, or lack of action (John 14:15).

Christ holds responsible those who didn't provided for His needs. As with the righteous, the wicked ones will echo Jesus' judgment as a question. By the end times, the majority of mankind will never have seen Jesus in person, leading them to wonder how their actions can be applied to Him? Christ will give the same explanation offered to the first group: He takes loving service very personally (Matthew 25:40).

For those in this second category, this question also comes across as an attempted excuse. Often, confronted with failure to do right, our instinct is to say something like "had I known someone would care, I would have…" Whether or not such claims are honest is irrelevant; failure to do what God asks of us is always a sin (James 4:17). Claiming that we would have done for Jesus what we refused to do for "normal" people isn't any better (James 2:1).

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.