Matthew 25:45 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.’

NIV: 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.'

NASB: Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’

CSB: "Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

NLT: And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

Jesus praised His true followers, chosen by God (Ephesians 4:1; Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:27; Romans 11:7; Titus 1:1), for meeting His desperate needs when He was sick, starving, naked, and in prison. By this, He meant that their obedience to His commands (John 13:31–35; 14:15) proved they were, in fact, true believers. This made their acts of love to one another equivalent to acts of love directly done for Christ (Matthew 10:40–42).

To the faithless group, those destined for eternal fire (Matthew 25:41), Christ notes that they failed to help Him in His greatest times of need. Pleading ignorance (Matthew 25:44), the group claims to have never seen Jesus hungry, thirsty, or suffering. Using the same principle, however, Jesus answers that their failure to meet the needs of those who suffer was a failure to meet His own needs. Their lack of help for those people is something Jesus took personally, as if these offenders had passed Him by while in obvious distress.

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.

Accessed 5/3/2024 7:39:59 PM