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NASB | Matthew 25:40 "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 25:40 "The King will answer and say to them, 'I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it for Me.' [Prov 19:17] |
Bible Question:
I believe this verse may be mistranslated and the passage Matt 25:31-46 is misinterpeted in many different ways by many conventional interpretations. I believe the passage is not about charity at all nor is it about how the sheep vs the goats treated believers. I believe this passage is about how we present ourselves to God. When the goats say: 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' They are not saying, "Lord, We didn't recognize you. Thats why we didn't take care of you." They are actually saying, "Lord, we did all of those things. Didn't you see us?" The goats are responding to Jesus with contempt, not curiosity, or amazement. Just like the Pharisee in Luke 18:12...'I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' Jesus told that story (the Pharisee and the tax collector) "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else." vs. 9 I believe Matt 25: 31-46 also describes those confident of their own righteousness (the goats). Therefore I believe "the least of these" refers not to the poor or believers but to every person who will stand before God. And what divides the sheep from the goats is not how we responded to "the least of these" but whether we are willing to declare ourselves, individually, the "least of these." Thanks for making this discussion board available. |
Bible Answer: R D Miller: Interesting to note there are no parallels like this in any of the three other gospels. These verses confront every Christian as to how we respond to human need. There is a future judgement clearly stated by Matthew. In Matthew 25:31-46 there seems to be no suprise when the sheep and goats are each assigned different places. I don't think either the sheep or goats expected to be in a different place other than where they are. To think this passage is saying that righteous works will win salvation would be a serious misinterpretation. The sheep did not show love to gain reward. The sheep showed Christian love in their normal traffic pattern of life. The goats also show the lack of campassion and love because they too walked in their normal way. Perhaps the goats might of treated the the needs of people differently had they known their eternal destination depended upon their compassion for those in need. Jesus uses himself as the "I was" in the illistrations. The brothers in my opinion are anyone in genuine need. I don't think this limits the "least of them" to acts given just to Christians. The least could be to the unsaved as well. However even a deeper compassion for brothers and sisters in Christ has a depth of it's own. John 13:34-35 says all people will know we are His disciples by the way we show our love for others. Those who are indifferent to the Gospel reject Christ. Today we see open rejection of Christ and Christians in such a wide scale in our country. "Fundamenal Christians" have even been labeled as "might be a terrorists" recently by some in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. There are those who have little sympathy or compassion for people in need. Who might be those who are the least? Mothers in "with unplanned pregnantancies", "babies (real souls) in the whomb", eldery, children, parents be they single, married, ect. There are so many people in genuine need. "The least of these" is such a wide scope, and to be honest no government, church, organization, or person could possible reach out to all the "least of these". With all I have said, there is a interpretation that is most generally in the understanding that I present. Having said that the Holy Spirit might be directing you to a specific additional way for you personally to grow spiritually. I have been motivated in the past, after reading this passage in Matthew 25:31-46 to be more aware of the "least of these". The separation of "sheep" and "goats" is a message that runs through the entire New Testament. Even though the message of eternal punishment (hell) is mentioned over and over in the New Testament, people still joke and reject Jesus Christ. They which reject Jesus Christ even deny the very existence of a Holy God. I have no idea when the end time will come. I believe this passage in Matthew has a warning in it for everyone who has surrendered to Christ as Lord. Christians, of all people we are to be the most compassionate, and sympathic in the world, country, state, and place in which we live. Thank you for bringing up such a passage to spur us on the greater love for one another. justme |