Matthew 25: Wise and Foolish (6)
Pray Psalm 58.10, 11.
The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”
Sing Psalm 58.10, 11.
Arlington: This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made
The righteous will rejoice to see the vengeance of the LORD.
All men will say, “Then God must be, the righteous to reward.”
Read Matthew 25.1-46; meditate on verses 41-46.
Who are “the least of these” today?
Prepare.
1. Why did these people think they should have been saved?
2. Why did the Lord reject them?
Meditate.
Jesus taught emphatically that true faith is demonstrated in works of love. From beginning to end of His ministry, this was a consistent thread of His Kingdom message and lifestyle. That is not to say that people are saved by works. They are not. Only the work of Jesus saves us, as we receive it and submit to His rule in every area of our lives. But submitting to His rule will mean living as He lived, showing that we are from God, and possess the life of God, by showing the love of God to the people to whom God sends us.
In other words, we’re not saved by good works, but we’re not saved without them.
Jesus rejected those who professed to believe in Him but had no works of love to back up their profession. We do not really love Jesus if we don’t love the people to whom He sends us.
On the day of judgment, those who have not kept their lamps lit, or who failed to use their talents in loving service to others, will be in for a rude awakening. Jesus will tell them to depart from Him, and He will send them “into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (v. 41). That such an “everlasting fire” and “everlasting punishment” (v. 46) await the foolish goats of this world should dispel for all time any notion that, in the end, God will save us all.
It’s not that He could not save everyone; Jesus’ death is sufficient to cover all the sins of every human being from all time. But clearly God will not save those who have spurned His love, or tried to use religion in any way other than what He prescribes: love God, love your neighbors.
Let your light shine and invest your talents in serving others. Then you’ll be able to look forward with joy to “inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (v. 34).
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
God’s people, all His creation, from all time, have been told (and warned) of this time to come.
This time when the Son of Man returns for judgment and separation.
The time when the sheep are divided from the goats—
those who have done His will from those who have not.
“At that time Michael shall stand up,
the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life,
some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament,
and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12.1-3).
“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble” (Prov. 4.18, 19).
“Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD!
But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength” (Judg. 5.31).
All God’s people have been warned from the beginning of this time to come.
And yet, God gives His people work to do—to make sure that no one doesn’t know. The truth.
The facts about what is going to happen in the end. It is a job we must do.
“Deliver those who are drawn toward death.
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’
Does not He Who weighs the hearts consider it?
He Who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” (Prov. 24.11, 12).
These are dire warnings. These are important times.
Jesus spent the last week of His earthly life conveying this message:
“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” (Matt. 25.45).
Frighteningly, those who have not done what He requires will be sent to spend e-t-e-r-n-i-t-y
with the devil and his angels, in everlasting punishment (Matt. 25.41, 46). Grim. Everlasting.
“The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit” (Prov. 14.8).
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
He is the only way to the Father and to eternal life (Jn. 14.6; Matt. 25.46).
And doing His will, His way, is the only way to live in His Kingdom.
Feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick,
attend to His persecuted and imprisoned sons and daughters. Those suffering for His sake (Matt. 25.35, 36).
“Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matt. 25.40).
“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest:
Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another…”
(1 Jn. 3.10, 11). Don’t be a foolish goat. Your life, and others’ lives, depend upon it.
Reflect.
1. Why must we include something about judgment and perdition when we share the Gospel?
2. Is it our duty to warn people of the coming judgment? Why or why not?
3. What kind of works prove that we are sheep and not goats?
“And they will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Whatever will be is everlasting. Sinners will have everlasting punishment; and the righteous, everlasting life. Epiphanius the Latin (5th or 6th cent.), Interpretation of the Gospels 38
Pray Psalm 58.1-9.
Pray for the lost, for the enemies of God and His Church, and for all those who need to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Ask God to give you an opportunity to share His Good News today.
Sing Psalm 58.1-9.
Arlington: The Is the Day the Lord Hath Made
Do you indeed speak righteousness, you rulers of the earth?
And do you judge the sons of men according to their worth?
No, not at all, but in their hearts they seek unrighteous ways;
their hands weigh out upon the earth cruel violence all their days.
The wicked from the womb rebel; from birth they utter lies.
Their tongues of serpent’s venom tell; all truth their ears despise.
Break, shatter, and destroy them, LORD; dissolve them from the day.
Consume them by Your mighty Word; and sweep them all away.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast features excerpts from the book, Patrick: A Devotional History. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column continues our study of “Everyday Christianity”. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
