Sheep, Goats, and Serving Jesus in Those Who Suffer

Introduction

On Palm Sunday, you remember that Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, acclaimed by the crowd. Today, you can no longer meet him physically the way people did that day. And yet you cross his path far more often than you realize, without even noticing it.

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus lifts a corner of the veil on the final judgment. He presents himself as king, as judge, as Son of Man, and as the shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. And he announces something staggering: it is in the suffering people placed on your path that you can meet Christ himself.

This passage, spoken on the Mount of Olives just two days before the Passion, holds both wonderful promises and solemn warnings. Receive it with a humble heart.

Sermon outline

1. The judge, the king, the shepherd: four proofs of Christ's divinity
2. Sheep or goats: what Jesus judges first is your nature
3. The six faces of "these least of my brothers"
4. Practical love, not theoretical love: the order of charity
5. The promise side and the warning side of the text

1. The judge, the king, the shepherd: four proofs of Christ's divinity

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory." All of us, every one, will stand before that throne. The very fact that Jesus judges shows us that he is almighty God.

In this passage, Jesus gives himself four titles that, taken together, form so many proofs of his divinity: the judge who gathers all the nations, the king of the universe, the Son of Man announced in Daniel to judge and govern the world at the end of the age, and the shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats, echoing directly Ezekiel 34, where the Lord himself compares himself to a shepherd sorting his flock.

When you read this passage, you behold the Son of God in the fullness of his glory. This is not just one spiritual teacher among others. This is the Lord before whom every human being will one day stand.

2. Sheep or goats: what Jesus judges first is your nature

Before any misunderstanding sets in: this passage does not say you can be saved by your works. Scripture is clear elsewhere: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2). That same passage goes on to say that God prepared good works beforehand for you to walk in. Good works are not the cause of your salvation, they are its fruit.

That is why Jesus begins his discourse with the nature of the people he judges, even before speaking of their works. The nature of a sheep or the nature of a goat. In the Bible, a sheep is someone who belongs to Christ, who shares the nature of the Lamb of God, his master. A goat, by contrast, is someone who does not belong to Christ and has not experienced the new birth.

Another misreading to avoid: this passage does not say that non-Christians who do works of charity could be saved without believing in Jesus. The Son of God was very clear: those who reject him are already condemned. Loving your neighbor is beautiful, but we live in a society so humanistic that we forget the first of the two great commandments: you shall love your God. A humanitarian, however honorable, who sets God aside is nothing more than secularized humanism. The glory of God stays at the center: it is indeed of the Son of Man in his glory, on his throne of glory, that Jesus is speaking.

3. The six faces of "these least of my brothers"

Who are these "least ones"? The Greek word adelphos means brothers by blood but also brothers in a symbolic sense. Three main interpretations exist: the Jews, all of humanity, or Christians. This last one seems the best, since Christ is the elder brother of every Christian. That explains why Jesus says he found himself in these hungry, thirsty, foreign, naked, sick, and imprisoned people: these are Christians in whom Christ, by his Spirit, dwells and lives. Paul confirms this order in Galatians 6:10: "As we have therefore opportunity, let's do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith." Charity rightly ordered begins with the church, your spiritual family, and especially with brothers and sisters persecuted in more than 60 countries.

But be careful not to behave like that lawyer who asked "who is my neighbor?" to justify himself. Jesus commanded you to love non-Christians too, to give to whoever asks of you, to love even your enemies. A genuine Christian loves everyone, without exception.

Jesus gives six concrete examples: the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, prisoners. All of them share one common thread: they are people in a state of very great distress, very great vulnerability. And he invites you to treat them as though it were Jesus himself. For God, this is not only a matter of charity, it is also a matter of justice, as Ezekiel shows: "the just man, who does what is lawful and right… he gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with a garment."

4. Practical love, not theoretical love: the order of charity

Some Christians treat words like charity, social work, and humanitarian aid almost as dirty words. But in the Lord's eyes, they are not. If you cut out of your Bible every verse where God calls you to come to the aid of the suffering, you would end up with a Bible in tatters. Every great revival in church history has come with social works alongside it. Evangelism in deeds and evangelism in words matter just as much as each other.

On welcoming the stranger, the Bible is clear (Deuteronomy 10:19). Being a Christian and being racist is a contradiction in terms. Every Christian should hold every form of racism in horror: antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-White. All of it must be condemned.

When it comes to the sick and prisoners, Jesus is not talking only about giving money, but also about giving time, love, energy. A word of encouragement, a visit, a prayer. For persecuted brothers and sisters you cannot visit in person, you can visit them through prayer and support them through organizations like Open Doors. Remember what the author of Hebrews says: "Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them."

As John says, let's not love in word only, but in deed and in truth. The first Christians were known for their charity toward everyone: they took in babies abandoned across the Roman Empire, they even cared for those who persecuted them. It was these very works that tipped the empire toward Christianity. If mercy is not found in the church, where will it be found?

5. The promise side and the warning side of the text

The promise side: the true sheep are blessed by the Father, and an eternal kingdom has been prepared for them since the foundation of the world. Nothing you do for others will ever be forgotten. Even a cup of water given to one of Jesus's disciples will not cost you your reward. And notice this: in the text, the sheep are surprised when Jesus reminds them of their good works. They did not act out of some bookkeeping logic, but out of selfless love, in keeping with their nature. Luther put it this way: the only truly good works are those done out of gratitude toward God, not in order to be saved, but because we are saved.

The warning side: the goats are punished for what we might call sins of omission, not for flagrant crimes, but for the good they failed to do for those who were suffering. As James says, "to him who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin." What the goats have in common with the devil is not that they are openly satanic, it is their total lack of compassion for suffering humanity. Like the rich man in the parable of poor Lazarus: he stole nothing, he defrauded no one, the only charge against him is that he showed no mercy. And remember: Sodom was not destroyed for sexual perversion alone. Ezekiel 16:49-50 makes clear that she "didn't strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."

The only one who has ever practiced perfect charity is Jesus Christ. And it is no accident that he gives this discourse two days before the Passion. It is not your charity that saves you, it is his blood poured out. Today remains a day of grace. On this Palm Sunday, welcome the Lord Jesus also through the people who have the least, for the glory of God alone.

Key takeaways

• In Matthew 25, Jesus presents himself as judge, king, Son of Man, and shepherd: four titles that affirm his full divinity.
• The judgment concerns your nature first (sheep or goat), not a tally of works: good works are the fruit of salvation, not its cause.
• Serving "the least of these" (the hungry, the thirsty, strangers, the naked, the sick, prisoners) is serving Jesus himself.
• Charity rightly ordered begins with the family of faith, without ever stopping there: it extends to everyone, even enemies.
• The goats are condemned for sins of omission: the good they failed to do for those who suffered reveals an untransformed heart.

Personal application

1. When, this past week, did you pass by someone suffering without stopping? How is the Holy Spirit inviting you to better recognize these divine appointments?
2. Does your charity flow from gratitude for what Christ has done for you, or from a desire to be seen and rack up "good points"?
3. What are you concretely doing for your Christian brothers and sisters persecuted in the 60 countries where faith is suppressed? Prayer, giving, involvement with an organization?
4. Is there a form of contempt in your life (racism, class indifference, judgment toward the poor) that contradicts your belonging to Christ?
5. How will you respond to Jesus's call to give not only money, but also time, listening, and energy to those suffering around you?

Scriptures cited

• Matthew 25:31-46 · The judgment of the nations, sheep and goats
• Ezekiel 34 · The Lord as shepherd of his flock
• Ephesians 2 · Saved by grace, through faith
• Galatians 6:10 · Doing good toward all, especially toward the household of faith
• Deuteronomy 10:19 · Loving the stranger
• Isaiah 58 · Sharing your bread with the hungry
• Ezekiel 16:49-50 · The real sin of Sodom
• Titus 3 · Those who have believed devote themselves to good works
• Jeremiah 22:16 · Doing justice for the weak and the poor is what it means to know me
• Hebrews 13:3 · Remember those in prison

FAQ

Does Matthew 25:31-46 teach salvation by works?

No. Ephesians 2 is explicit: salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by works. The good works described in Matthew 25 are the fruit of a heart transformed by Christ, not the price paid to enter paradise. Jesus judges nature first (sheep or goat), and the works reveal that nature.

Who are "the least of these my brothers"?

Three interpretations exist: the Jews, all of humanity, or Christians. The most faithful reading is the third: Christ, elder brother of every Christian, identifies especially with his disciples in their suffering. Galatians 6:10 confirms this order: do good toward all, especially toward those of the household of faith. This obviously does not excuse you from also loving non-Christians, and even enemies.

Why are the goats condemned for what they failed to do?

Because a persistent refusal of compassion reveals a heart that has never been regenerated. The Bible teaches that "to him who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). Settled indifference toward the suffering of others is a sign of sharing the devil's coldness rather than the mercy of Christ. So it is truly the nature of the heart, and the fruit it fails to bear, that stand under judgment.