Blog : Does Jesus’ command in Mt. 25 mean we are to take care for the world?

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3/6/2008 2:38 am

Does Jesus’ command in Mt. 25 mean we are to take care for the world?

Matthew 25:31-46: "When the of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you 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; 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 drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

Many have this as their theme and a requirement for a social gospel, they have changed the text to a general principle that is applied to everyone. Jesus’ principle of We are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us is to be our lifestyle but in this rebuke it is more specific. Christians are to help in various ways but this is not our specific mission to solve poverty or disease. Of course, if people are starving they cannot listen to a spiritual message about their soul too well. We should be there for catastrophes such as earthquakes and floods... What of the poverty in the church, are we to feed the world and not the brethren? Isn’t this what Jesus said to do in Mt.25. Unfortunately Mt. 25 is often used for a general humanitarian effort of the church.

Notice the point- least of my BRETHREN ‒ primarily the Jews are Jesus brethren and so are believers and this rebuke is mostly centered in the tribulation period.

Jesus sees this as being against him by not doing these things to his brethren- feed and clothed Christ is used just as Jesus said to Paul in Acts 9 that he persecuted him by going against his church and arresting and killing his people.

Its general wider application it means - taking care of the brethren means to care for Christians that are homeless or in jail; (inasmuch as you did it to the least of the My brethren, you did it to me), in its primary meaning it has to do with the Jews and believers in the tribulation. This cannot be applied to the nations and people who are unsaved by the context and the meaning of the word brethren and the personal application of “I,” “me” and “you did it to Me.”

Along with the literal application of their actions their would be of necessity be a spiritual one. They gave food- this is not just physical food but food for eternal life- the word. They gave them water for their thirst- again it is not just physical food but the water of life.

The gospel is to the Jew first. When you see organizations claiming to help the Jews back into Israel and they purposely do not give them the gospel they are guilty of this negligence and will be judged accordingly
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