In contrast to the sheep in Jesus’ story, the goats have failed to serve “the least of these.” The king reveals that when the sheep served those in need, they were also directly serving him, feeding him, welcoming him, and so on, and when the goats didn’t, they weren’t.
Those who fail to see the needs of the disadvantaged do not follow in Christ’s footsteps. They do not continue to do the work the Master has called them to do.
A common interpretation of this story of Jesus is that God will definitively send significant numbers of people to “eternal fire” for their choices in this life. Is this really what this story is about? I doubt it.
The story establishes salvation as God’s business, not ours. We cannot rule out the possibility that, in the end, no one will categorically fail to perform works of love and mercy or that God will ultimately forgive those of us who fall short in this regard. After all, salvation is always the forgiving, loving rescue of creatures who have fallen short; redemption is not a reward for generosity but a graceful gift that makes such generosity
possible.
And yet, this story of Jesus is still profoundly challenging. We do not have either the money or the time to help everyone. Besides, who can tell who is really needy and who simply wants a bottle of cheap wine or money for drugs?
What we can do and are called to do is to remember what Jesus said: “What you did to one
of the least of these, you did to me” - not just the hungry and deserving. So what we can do is not ignore and overlook, but look into a human face and see the face of Jesus Christ.
Rather than letting this story scare us about the possibility of a future of eternal torment, we may rather see it as an invitation to greater compassion and mercy. How can we put our assumptions aside and learn to see Christ in
all people, even those we are sceptical or unsure of?
Reflections by Rev Joe Taylor
