Unto the Least – November 12, 2023 – Eddington Presbyterian Church

Psalm 84, Matthew 25:31-46
November 12, 2023

We read today from the end of Matthew chapter 25. And as I read this, these are some of the last words Jesus ever spoke in public. Matthew tells us at the beginning of the next chapter, that “When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

And just think about that for a moment! We read those words like they’re just part of the fabric of our faith. “The Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” We read them in our “Bible voice.” But when I really think about it, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for the disciples to hear that! Was Jesus serious? Was he trying to teach them something? They knew he had enemies, but had it really come to that? Was he being fatalistic? Had he become mentally unstable? Maybe suicidal? And when he said it, did they just listen in disbelief? Or did they try to deny it? “Surely this will never happen to you!” Peter said that once before when Jesus said such things!

Well, the next thing Matthew tells us is that, right after that, “the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the High Priest, and took counsel about how to arrest Jesus by stealth, and kill him.” And that was the beginning of the end. After that came Jesus’ Last Supper, his arrest, and his trial. So according to Matthew, these words we read today were Jesus’ last words in public, his last words to the large crowds that always came to hear him speak.

So what were these last words? My Bible (my computer bible!) gives this paragraph a heading that says, “The Judgment of the Nations.” That’s a pretty final sounding last thought for the crowds, isn’t it? I sometimes wonder what my last words in public might be like. I’m sure they’ll be nowhere nearly as profound. But with Jesus, the last thought was “The Judgement of the Nations!”

Now, as we think about this, I know that “judgement” is not a very popular word in our world. People think we Christians are too judgmental. Yeah, like we have a corner on that market, right? We don’t! There are a lot of highly judgmental groups out there! But we get beat up for it! Too often people think of us that way. And if people outside of the church have one Bible verse memorized, it’s the verse that says, “Judge not and ye shall not be judged.” It’s as though that’s all the Bible says!

Well, I don’t want to dwell too much on the judgement this morning. I don’t want to get too much into the weeping and gnashing of teeth. But I do want you to see how Jesus approached this whole subject of “The Judgement of the Nations.” He did so by telling those people – and us – the importance of how we treat “the least of these.” That’s the context in which he gave them thoughts about judgement!

Think about that. Jesus is talking about judgement in conjunction with doing “unto the least.” And then turn that around for a moment. He’s talking about doing unto the least, and adding thoughts of judgement to that! He’s using that context to make this message about how we treat others incredibly important! He makes it to be eternally important! And he even ties it into our whole relationship with God. That’s what he was saying here! And I wonder how that makes us feel, when we think about what we have done “unto the least.” That’s pretty powerful, isn’t it? Jesus had a way of getting to people’s hearts. And he still does!

I want you to see how brilliant this story is, the way Jesus tells it. And don’t forget, like the other parables, Jesus made up these lessons in his mind! He was the master storyteller! And here, as he tells this story of the sheep and the goats, he does not leave the people with the understanding that they would be judged on the basis of how they treated “the least” because “I will be watching you.” He doesn’t tell it that way, “Do unto the least, because I’ll be watching.” He says this incredible line, “When you’ve done it ‘unto the least,’ you’ve done it unto me.” And those words have challenged the people of God ever since! Take a moment and think about that. Think how it makes you feel about your own life, and how you have treated “the least.”

While you’re thinking about that, consider this. And this is another moment of brilliance on the part of Jesus! As he told this story, after the king said, “I was hungry and you gave me food,” and all those other things, the sheep – the righteous – did not say, “We sure did, Lord!” “We did all those things for you.” No! They asked, “When, Lord?” “When did we do all those things for you?” And the king said, “When you did them ‘unto the least.’” Isn’t that incredible?

What that says to me is that we never know where people are in their faith. We never know where they might be on their journey to faith. And the way Jesus said this, he was telling us that people who don’t realize it can be doing things “unto the least,” and be honored by God, as though doing them unto him!

Think about that. Things people do can honor God and further his kingdom, even though they don’t realize it, or maybe even intend it! There are people in this world who would not consider themselves to be God’s people, but they do God’s work! And sometimes they do God’s work more than those who would consider themselves God’s people. That’s quite a thought for me! And I think about that a lot! And I ask you, who do you know in your life who is good and kind and generous, but maybe they’re not sure where they stand with God. Is God not pleased with what they do “unto the least?”

I’ve read a lot of the works of C. S. Lewis over the years, and that’s one of the challenging thoughts he’s given me. In a number of different ways, he’s posed the question, what about those people who honor God with the way they live their lives, but who don’t necessarily know God or worship God? He said it is God alone who judges. And again, we never know where people stand with God or even where they might be on their journey to God.

Think about the Centurion who came to Jesus about his servant who was ill. He was a Roman soldier, but he was a good and honorable man, a man who the people respected. And think about how Jesus honored him in that story. Add that thought to these words of Jesus today, telling us the importance of “doing unto others” – doing “unto the least.” And not because “I’m watching,” but because you’re “doing them unto me.”

I have one final thought. It seems to me there’s a third possibility here. Did the “goats” – those who were not “blessed of the Lord” – possibly do any bad things “unto the least?” As Jesus tells this, they were mainly guilty by inactivity. They were condemned for what they didn’t do “unto the least.” But could they have done bad things to the least, and therefore have the same principle apply, that they did those bad things “unto the Lord” as well? Jesus doesn’t say that here. But doesn’t that follow logically? And does that give us any further thoughts about how we may have done things “unto the least?”

Again, the way Jesus tells this, the way he gives these people – and us – this lesson – these last thoughts – is brilliant! It’s the pinnacle of his teachings! But it’s not so easy to hear, is it? Maybe that’s why the chief priests and elders were so quick to plot against him after this. Because I’m sure they were there. I’m sure they heard this!

May the same not be said of us. May it be said among us that we honor Jesus by the way we live our lives, and by the way we do “unto the least.”

Prayer

Eternal God, we are so grateful for the words and teachings of Jesus. We are grateful that you have shown us your heart through him. Give us strength to follow, and to reach out to others with the love and grace you have shown us through him. For we pray in his name, Amen.