Jesus has been telling his disciples not to be alarmed by the cataclysmic events that would befall their country within their generation (Matthew 24). He doesn’t want them to bunker down and think that the end of the age has arrived when these things happen. They have a job to do, and Jesus wants them to focus on this, because the end of the age will not come until this job is done. This is an age of mission. God is reaching out to people in love through Christ and we are Christ’s body, his hands and feet. To be a Christian means to orient your life around Jesus’ mission. To follow Jesus means to be about his business. Whatever our occupation may be, this should be our preoccupation. Jesus therefore calls us to examine our lives to make sure we really are following him. This is what this judgement scene in Matthew 25:31-46 is about. It is not intended to provide criteria by which we can work at earning our salvation. Salvation is given freely. It cannot be earned. We are not saved by serving God. Rather, we are saved to serve God. In Matthew 25 Jesus is giving us criteria by which we can examine ourselves to see if our lives are on track. It is hard-hitting teaching, but the purpose is to wake us up so that we can be watchful, that is, so that we don’t lose sight of the ‘main game’. If you find this teaching alarming, then it has done its job. Make sure then that you wake up to what is most important in life.
Examine your life by Jesus’ teaching in this chapter.
Read Matthew 25:31-46
