Matthew 25:31-46
About the Text
(34) What is the "inheritance" Christ is talking about? A kingdom of peace and righteousness, where there will be no more crying or pain (cf. Rev. 20:4), and we will live with God forever.
(34) How can God prepare this inheritance "since the creation of the world" when at that time we haven't yet done anything good or bad? Because of God's election, i.e. the appointment of some to become believers, and others to become unbelievers, at the beginning of the world. Ephesians 1:4 says "For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will." See also Eph. 2:8-10. In other words, we are believers because God chose us to become believers way before we were born. God, therefore, is able to prepare an inheritance for us at that time. See also Acts 13:48, and John 1:13. Belief, i.e. faith in Christ, is never a result of our own intellectual prowess, but a result of God's power working through God's plan. Also note that the original Greek word, translated "who are blessed" in this verse, is in a Greek form called the "perfect" tense. This tense indicates a present status based on a past action. In this verse, it indicates that we believers are blessed, not because of what Christ sees during the judgment, but because of an act of God long ago.
(39) Why were the "sheep" unaware that they were actually serving Jesus Christ when they served the needy? God often creates Christians to become so full of compassion, that they are sometimes unaware of the full aftermath of their actions.
(40) Who are the "least of these brothers"? Jesus always had great compassion for the "little guy," e.g. children, the poor, the blind, the lame, the leper -- those among God's people who are often looked over and forgotten. See Matt. 18:1-6.
(41) To whom does Jesus' condemnation apply? Unbelievers, never having been appointed by God to ever become believers. Although we sometimes see unbelievers engage in acts of mercy, e.g. volunteering in the Peace Corps., Jesus says that they do not have the same kind of compassion that believers have. The driving motive behind a believer's works of mercy is his extreme gratitude for what Christ has done on the cross to take away his sins, and for the gift of salvation. The driving motive behind a unbeliever's works, however, could range anywhere from the desire to feel good about oneself, guilt, a desire to be admired, to a love for mankind at the expense of a love for God.
Insights
The Bottom Line
Pay attention to the little guy. Jesus teaches that we are actually serving Him when we serve the "least of my brothers." This means that we who are Christians must never tire of paying attention to children, the handicapped, the poor, teens, prisoners -- all those who rarely get the spotlight in church. The rewards in this life are no match for the rewards Christ will give us when He returns. But these rewards (or the fear losing rewards) are not the Christian's motive for doing good works. They give us hope, but not motivation. Our true motive is Jesus Christ, who, out of God's enormous love, died on the cross to pay for our sins. He then rose from the dead to prove His claims true. Those who believe are assured of God's gift of salvation and eternal life. True Christians are thankful for this gift, and cannot help but want to serve Jesus Christ. This is our motive for serving - gratitude.
Key Memory Verses
"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, 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." (Matthew 25:35-36)