The Final Judgment—Loving Others Is Loving Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46)
In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus tells a powerful story about what will happen when He returns. It’s often called “The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.” It’s not just a story—it’s a picture of the final judgment and what truly matters to God.
Let’s walk through it in a way that’s easy to understand.
Jesus, the King, Will Return
Jesus begins by saying that one day He will return in glory, like a king sitting on a throne. Everyone in the world—all people, from all nations—will be gathered before Him.
Then, Jesus says, He will separate the people into two groups, just like a shepherd separates sheep from goats.
- The sheep go on His right side—this is the place of honor.
- The goats go on His left side—this is the place of judgment.
What’s the difference between the two groups? It’s not about wealth, knowledge, or even how religious someone was.
What the “Sheep” Did Right
To those on His right—the sheep—the King says:
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father… For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”
He continues, saying they clothed Him when He was naked, cared for Him when He was sick, and visited Him in prison.
The people are surprised. They ask, “When did we do all that for You?”
And Jesus says something amazing:
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
In other words: When you care for others, you are caring for Jesus.
What the “Goats” Did Wrong
Then Jesus turns to those on His left—the goats. He says they did not feed Him, give Him a drink, welcome Him, clothe Him, or care for Him when He needed it.
They’re confused too. “When did we see You and ignore You?”
And Jesus gives the same answer:
“Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
What This Teaches Us
This story is clear and direct. Jesus is not impressed by just words or appearances. What matters is how we treat people—especially those in need.
Here are some key takeaways:
- Loving others is how we show love to Jesus.
- Real faith shows up in action. Helping the hungry, the sick, the lonely, and the hurting is part of following Jesus.
- God notices the small things. A meal, a visit, a kind word—they may seem small to us, but they matter deeply to Him.
- We’re called to live with compassion every day.
Final Judgment—Not to Scare, but to Prepare
Jesus ends the story with a serious note: there will be a final separation between those who lived with love and those who didn’t. One group will go to eternal life, the other to separation from God.
It’s not meant to scare us—but to wake us up. God’s judgment is real, but so is His grace. He gives us time, every day, to choose love.
Final Thought:
At the end of our lives, what will matter most isn’t how much we knew or how “religious” we looked—but how we loved. Jesus is found in the people we often overlook. When we serve them, we’re really serving Him.
So today, let’s ask ourselves:
Who can I care for? Who needs encouragement, kindness, or support?
Because when we reach out with love, we’re not just doing something good—we’re doing it for Jesus.
Matthew 25:31-46 (WEB)
25:31 “But 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. 32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. 36 I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’40 “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’44 “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’45 “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”