It is commonly assumed that the parable of sheep and goats is all about doing good works, such as caring for the poor or doing charity. However, to say that not doing good works will result in ‘eternal punishment’ (V46) or hellfire (V41) would amount to basing salvation on works and not on grace. Though doing good deeds as a Christian is necessary, this is not the focus of this parable.
A key to understanding this parable is to establish who the ‘goats’ refer to. They are not the ‘pagans’ (6:32) or ‘crowds’ (5:1) that Matthew talks about, because all throughout the Gospel, the group that opposes the ministry of Jesus most is the Pharisees & teachers of the law (aka religious leaders). They are the ones that Jesus condemned most, even to hell for their hypocrisy (Mt 5:20, 23:33). …Read More
Also, from the Jewish perspective, both sheep and goats are clean animals that can be offered as sacrifice in worship. Ezekiel 34, which the Jewish audience at Jesus’ time would be familiar with, also describes about the separation of the flock (i.e. community) as dividing between ‘one sheep and another’ and ‘rams and goats’ (34:17) – it is a separation from within, not with the outside world. This suggests that Jesus’ contrast of both is not referring to believers versus non-believers, or Christians versus the world. We can also see this flow in the ‘triplet’ parables of Mt 25, that both the wise & foolish virgins were preparing for the Bridegroom’s coming, and both the faithful & lazy servants were serving the same Master.
Thus the ‘goats’ are people who are in the church, but who do not respond to the times or understand what God demands of them. As such they are not able to be led by the Holy Spirit to serve others in the appropriate manner or at the right timing, thus being insensitive to the things of God (V44). As Ezekiel 34:18-19 says, they live out of self-centredness and lack a sense of community. Thus, unable to lay down their lives for the community.
Again, this parable is not referring to doing good deeds, because the group in need is highlighted as ‘one of the least of these brothers & sisters of Mine’ (V40), i.e. the Lord’s disciples, the ‘little ones’ (18:5-6, 10:40-42). ‘Least’ does not mean the marginally-saved or the weakest Christian, but all those who “do the will of my Father in Heaven” (7:21, 12:48) and are known by Him (7:23).
The reason why the ‘goats’ cannot serve these disciples of Jesus is because they do not recognise that these are God’s disciples – worst, persecuting them, and hence not recognising Jesus (‘whatever you did for one of the least of the brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ (V40 & V45)). As such, the ‘goats’ though having similarity as the sheep, are not true disciples to begin with. Only the true disciple will recognise the true disciple/Church.
In the days when wickedness is increasing and the love of most is turning cold (24:12), many Christians are dull and ignorant to what God is standing for, and what He is drawing our attention to. It is necessary to confirm ‘sheep’ and rid ourselves of the ‘goat’ nature that is insensitive to the things of God, so as to be ready for His coming (25:13).
