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The Parable of the Sheep and Goats

K

Kathi

Member
This will happen at the end of the tribulation and the start of the 1000 year Millennium.Many people get this judgment confused with the Great White Throne Judgment.

Question: "What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats?"

Answer:The Parable of the Sheep and Goats is part of theOlivet Discourse. It is found inMatthew 25:31-46. A parable is a short, simple story of comparison. Jesus used parables to teach spiritual truths by means of earthly situations.

Jesus begins the parable by saying it concerns His return in glory to set up His kingdom (verse 31). Therefore, the setting of this event is at the beginning of themillennium, after the tribulation. All those on earth at that time will be brought before the Lord, and He will separate them “as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left” (verses 32-33).

The sheep on Jesus’ right hand are blessed by God the Father and given an inheritance. The reason is stated: “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” (verses 35-36). The righteous will not understand: when did they see Jesus in such a pitiful condition and help Him? “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’” (verses 39-40).

The goats on Jesus’ left hand are cursed with eternal hell-fire, “prepared for the devil and his angels” (verse 41). The reason is given: they had opportunity to minister to the Lord, but they did nothing (verses 42-43). The damned ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?” (verse 44). Jesus replies, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (verse 45).

Jesus then ends the discourse with a contrast: “They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (verse 46).

In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, we are looking at man redeemed and saved, and man condemned and lost. A casual reading seems to suggest that salvation is the result of good works. The “sheep” acted charitably, giving food, drink, and clothing to the needy. The “goats” showed no charity. This seems to result in salvation for the sheep and damnation for the goats.

However, Scripture does not contradict itself, and the Bible clearly and repeatedly teaches that salvation is by faith through the grace of God and not by our good works (seeJohn 1:12;Acts 15:11;Romans 3:22-24;Romans 4:4-8;Romans 7:24-25;Romans 8:12;Galatians 3:6-9; andEphesians 2:8-10). In fact, Jesus Himself makes it clear in the parable that the salvation of the “sheep” is not based on their works—their inheritance was theirs “since the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34), long before they could ever do any good works!

The good works mentioned in the parable are not thecauseof salvation but theeffectof salvation. As Christians we become like Christ (seeRomans 8:29;2 Corinthians 3:18; andColossians 2:6-7).Galatians 5:22tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Good works in a Christian’s life are the direct overflow of these traits, and are only acceptable to God because of the relationship that exists between servant and Master, the saved and their Savior, the sheep and their Shepherd (seeEphesians 2:10).

The core message of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats is that God’s people will love others. Good works will result from our relationship to the Shepherd. Followers of Christ will treat others with kindness, serving them as if they were serving Christ Himself. The unregenerate live in the opposite manner. While “goats” can indeed perform acts of kindness and charity, their hearts are not right with God, and their actions are not for the right purpose – to honor and worship God.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-sheep-goats.html#ixzz3PQv2y0h8
 
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One of the more interesting aspects of the parable, for me, is the fact that the sheep didn't even realize they were helping God when they helped these others.

I also really appreciate the simplicity of the message. Sheep and goats; those who show love and those who don't.

If you show love, there's a good chance God will save you. If you do not show love, there's a good chance God won't save you. It's still God (and not the works) doing the saving, but without the works God won't do the saving. It's a bit like a paradox; we're not saved by works and yet without the works we won't be saved.

There was a similar lesson in the parable of the Samaritan. Jesus deliberately contrasted the Samaritan against a Levite and a priest precisely because the Samaritan had all the wrong theology, whereas the Levite and the priest had the correct theology.

However, Jesus still used the Samaritan as the example of what God is looking for in his followers; a sincere desire to show love for others.

Ultimately it's God's salvation and he can do whatever he wants with it but from what I can see, I think he's going to give it to people who show that they want to love their neighbor. Or in other words, by putting thier faith in to action.
 
Hi Willie. I read the link you posted.

If Jesus wanted to say that the goats were damned he should have used the word timoria, which means just that! Instead he chose the word kolasis, usually harshly translated as punishment, which specifically means to restore through corrective discipline and chastisement.
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I liked this explanation about eternal punishment.

This means that when Jesus says that the nations will be judged based on how they treated his “brothers” in need he is not talking about the way people in general treat the needy in general; but the way the unevangelised treat his needy disciples. In other words this passage is not talking about the judgment of all humans of all time and it definitely does not describe the judgment of Christians. If anyone is judged it is only the unevangelised nations and specifically for the way they treated the missionaries of Jesus. This is how it was understood in its original setting: nothing more; nothing less. We move into the area of conjecture if we go beyond this.
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I read the whole article, and it makes some interesting connections, though I feel it becomes too bogged down in it's own connections between "nations", "brethren" and the "least", like missing the forest for the trees.

I still think the lesson of the parable is about loving our neighbor (rather than specifically sincere lost sheep becoming found by showing love specifically for missionaries, even though I can appreciate that interpretation).

When Jesus was asked, "who is my neighbor" he told the story of the Samaritan, who did something very similar to what the sheep are described as doing. They helped someone in need. It didn't have anything to do with who the person was, but focused simply on the act of showing love.

For example, lets say someone visits people in hospital. This person doesn't claim to be a Christian but still feels bad for the sick and enjoys visiting with them. I doubt God is going to say, at the judgment, "sure you visited the sick but the context was visiting sick missionaries and not random sick people, so you're still a goat"
 
Interesting thoughts.

Did you spend much time on the "works" concept?
 
You mean from the article? Yeah I noticed that. I think I disagree with the comment that the parable isn't about what we do or don't do. When I read it, that is the obvious lesson to me; how we treat one another. I realize the author gives an explanation about how parables sometimes communicate lessons which are not obvious, though I think that also depends on the perspective of the one who's interpreting the parable, too.

I don't particularly disagree with the author's conclusion, except to say that I don't think the parable is meant to be limited to how the disciples are treated on their various missionary journeys.
 
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