Matthew 25:31-46

[poptart]

One last note to add prior to posting about this parable --

A Jesus hung on the cross, brutalized beyond belief and at the moment of death, did he say, "Well, I took it this far, now y'all sack up and get your tail in gear to show a level of righteousness exceeding that of the Scribes and Pharisees ... and you might enter the Kingdom of God?"

Or did He say, "It is finished?"



Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

[poptart]

John 6:27-29
27:(Jesus speaking) Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28: Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29: Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Ephesians 2:8,9
8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.


What shall we do to do the work of God?

Believe in Christ.

How are we saved?

By our faith in Christ.


Adam and Eve died.
They have only produced death.
Adam's seed could only produce death.
So God immediately promised (Genesis 3:15) that HIS seed would come and save us.

Man can not do diddly poo for his own salvation.
He is in bondage to satan and will fail completely and eternally if left on his own.



With that said, many people (and the catholic church in particular) grab onto the PARABLE of Matthew 25 and take is as the Gospel.

Matthew 25:31-46 is a parable, which is a story that has an indirect meaning to it.

[poptart]

Here is the parable.


Matthew 25:31-46
31: When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37: Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38: When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39: Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43: 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.
44: Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45: 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.
46: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

[poptart]

The King said those on the right are rigtheous and are granted eternal life because they gave the least of His brethren the things that they needed.

- they gave the hungry food
- they gave the thristy drink
- they took strangers in
- they gave clothing to the naked
- they helped those sick
- they helped those in prison

And those on the left, who the King said are going to everlasting punishment, did not do those things to help.


People hungry?

John 6:35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger

John 6:31-33
31: Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32: (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.


People thirsty?

See Matthew 6:31-33, and ...

John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.


Strangers need to be taken in?

Read the story of the samaritan woman (to Jews, a stranger) at the well - John 4:1-42

John 4:1-42
9: Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Isaiah 60:1-3
1: Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2: For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3: And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

John 10:27-28
27: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Matthew 15:24
24: But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel


People need to be clothed?

See John 6:31-33 again


People are sick?

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.


People are in prison?

Isaiah 61:1
1: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Luke 4:18-21(Jesus speaking)
18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised
18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19: To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20: And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21: And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears

[poptart]

It is Jesus Christ Himself who did/does all of these things.

- fed the hungry
- gave drink to the thirsty
- took strangers in
- gave clothing
- healed the sick
- freed the captives


v. 45, 46 of the Matthew 25 parable has the King sending people to eternal punishment for not meeting the needs of the least.

The parable's meaning is that eternal punishment is for those who do not tell others of CHRIST, who meets ALL of the needs people have.

And on the flip side, those who do tell others of Christ, who meets all the needs, inherit eternal life.


Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Disciples of Christ WILL be witness of Him.

That is the mark of one who is truly saved.

[poptart]

The Bible is centered on the spiritual world.


Genesis 3:6,7
6: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.



As soon as man became separated from God, his physical eyes became dominant and his spiritual eyes became very dim.

[Tom In VA]

Still is a subjective breakdown poptart but thanks for the explanation and take.

[poptart]

Luke 10:20 (Jesus speaking to believers)
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you;
but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.



Adam and Eve surely died in the day that they became separated from God, the source of life.
Adam's seed could, from that day, produce only death.
So God promised that His seed would come and would give life back to any who would simply believe in Him.

This is the Gospel.



Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name (Jesus Christ) under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

Still is a subjective breakdown poptart but thanks for the explanation and take.

You're more likely to have a healthy debate on Christianity in Igloo Spin Zone than from poptart.

All he's going to do is push Chick Tracts into your hands.

[SunCoastSooner]

Still is a subjective breakdown poptart but thanks for the explanation and take.

You're more likely to have a healthy debate on Christianity in Igloo Spin Zone than from poptart.

All he's going to do is push Chick Tracts into your hands.

You're just desperate to get someone, anyone, to use your forum and come look at the polar bears aren't?

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

You're just desperate to get someone, anyone, to use your forum and come look at the polar bears aren't?

That's besides the point.

[Johnny Bold]

WAR Teh Harp for Proroguing Parliament.
WAR no longer having to listen to adults coming across like 12 yr olds.

- And WAR our sad Libbers for finally realizing that war is evil.

But more importantly:
ETERNALLY WAR CHRIST for knowing his gift and how it sets us free.