Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Matthew 25,31-46. 26. Trinity

Matthew 25,31-46 5423

26. Trinitatis 73

Elisabeth (born in Hungary), Landgravine (countess equivalent to a duchess) of Thuringia, ✠ 1231

19. November 2023

1. ℣ Save me, O God, by Thy Name:

℟ And judge me by Thy strength (Psalm 54,1-2).

O Yahweh, God of heaven and earth; in Your judgement declare Your righteousness to us, so that we see in Your justice both mercy and grace. Amen. (Psalm 50,4.6 Gradual).

2. »„When the Son of Man arrives in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will be seated on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right: ‘Enter, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the reign prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you went to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying: ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will answer them: ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers,you did it to Me.’ Then He will say to those on His left: ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer, saying: ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying: ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.“«

3. Professor C. John Sommerville used to demonstrate to his history students how thoroughly Christianized they were, even those who were atheists or anti-religious. He would list corresponding Christian values, which had been hitherto unknown to the pagans of Europe — things like humility, forgiveness, peaceableness and service to others, along with an equal respect for the dignity of all people made in God’s image. Many of Sommerville’s most anti-religious students were surprised to learn just how deeply they had been influenced by ways of thinking and living that had grown out of biblical ideas and been passed on to them through complex social and cultural processes. His point was that much of what is good and unique about Western civilization is actually „borrowed capital“ from a Christian faith, even though the supernatural elements of the faith have been otherwise neglected of late in the public sphere.

4. We cannot read Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 apart from the rest of His teaching throughout the Gospel. If we do take today’s teaching all by itself, then the conclusion is that Jesus is teaching that one merits eternal life based solely on how one treats his or her neighbors through social ministry. In its context in Matthew’s Gospel, the social ministry interpretation that seems prevalent in 21. century American Christianity is almost certainly incorrect (Gibbs 1346).

5. This is not to say social ministry in unimportant, but simply that social ministry is not what Jesus is discussing in these verses. Neither Matthew nor any of the Scriptures place caring for the needy in society as the basis for eschatological judgment (Gibbs 1346).

6. The brothers mentioned here are consistent with who the brothers are throughout the Gospel according to St. Matthew: the brothers are Jesus’ disciples. This is clearly taught by Jesus in Matthew 12: »While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and His brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. And someone said to Him: „Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to you.“ But He answered and said to the one who was speaking to Him: „Who is My mother and who are Mt brothers?“ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, Jesus said: „Behold, here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven—that person is My brother, sister and mother.“« (12,46-50).

7. One of my seminary professors, Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs, calls this teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25 the missionary-encouragement teaching (Gibbs 1348). The all the nations mentioned refers to those to whom the gospel was preached. How did they receive this gospel? Some received it and believed, while others rejected it. In receiving or rejecting the gospel, the nations are receiving or rejecting the brothers of Jesus, that is those Christians who have brought the gospel to them. Ultimately, to receive or reject the gospel is to receive or reject Jesus Himself. On the last day, all the nations will give an account of how they received the gospel, the Christians who brought it to them and ultimately Jesus.

8. „Matthew 25.31-46 is christologically rich. Jesus is the Son of man of Daniel 7. Angels belong to him. And he is destined to be the king and judge of the world. The confluence of these powerful christological facts, which recapitulate so much that has come before, provides the immediate background for the passion narrative and lends to that narrative great irony. Those who condemn and pass judgment upon Jesus know not what they do. The one whom they mock as “king of the Jews” [27:29] is destined to become the king of the world. It is not his fate that is in their hands but their fate that is in his. It is moreover striking that, as soon as he finishes recounting the judgment of the Son of man, Jesus declares: “The Son of man will be handed over to be crucified” [26.2]. Darkness (cf. 27.45) is about to envelop the glory of the Son of man“ (Davies and Allison, Matthew, 3:433; Gibbs 1362).

9. The teaching of these verses concludes with the promise of glory, of judgment and salvation. The Christology is high, perhaps as high as can be found in all the New Testament. The glorious Son of Man is enthroned; He is the King and Judge accompanied by the holy angels. Every human destiny is decided by how each has stood in relation to Jesus as that relation has been mediated through the proclaimed gospel about God’s reign in Himself (Gibbs 1362).

10. We do not know the day when Christ will return. As we long for that day and hope for that day, we do so working with those talents that Jesus has entrusted us with for His honor and the benefit of our neighbor. Jesus is now present with us by faith, and we have Him among us in the Word and the Sacraments. But He will return to judge the wicked and bless those who believe in Him. On that day we will have Him always present among us by sight. »Therefore, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the world of Jesus, knowing that in the Lord our labor is not in vain« (1. Corinthians 15,58).

11. God’s Word to us He gives

By His great mercy,

That we should by it live

And make ourselves ready.

So let us now take hold of it,

And cling to it firmly.

If we shall abandon it,

We’re doomed eternally.

(Wacht auf, ihr Christen alle elkg 497,4 2021 Braunschweig 1648, Lübeck 1545; Christian Adolf 1540).

This is most certainly true.

12. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

13. Let us pray. O Lord Christ, Son of the Living God, who at the last judgment wilt acknowledge all deeds of mercy to others as done onto Thee, grant in this world of sin, pain and want that we may never pass by the poor and helpless whose cry is Thine own; for the honor of Thy holy Name. Amen. (26. Trinitatis, 2. Vespers Collect. The Daily Office.)

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Friday, November 24, 2023

Matthew 25,31-46. 26. Trinity

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