Matthew 25:45, commentary and pictures

At the final judgment the Son of man comes in glory with angels, sits on the throne, gathers all nations and divides them into only two classes for eternal destiny, and the verse is his answer to those on the left who ask when they saw him hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick or in prison and did not help him. To leave even one of the least unaided is to leave him unaided, because he has joined his interests with theirs and made their cause his own. The least are the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and imprisoned, the suffering poor who are his representatives on earth, and in a special sense his brethren, saints, servants and workers who carry the word of life. The decision turns on that one point of what was done or neglected for him in the poor and suffering, not on profession, theology, commandment-keeping or church membership, and those on the left are condemned not for great crimes committed but for good left undone that might and ought to have been done. Therefore entrusted wealth, time, influence and means are to be used to feed, give drink, shelter, clothe, care for the sick and afflicted and spread the gospel, not hoarded or spent on self-gratification, costly display and needless adornment, for what is squandered while need goes unrelieved will be strictly accounted.

Judgment Scene and Setting

The saying belongs to the great Judgment day when the Son of man comes in glory with all the holy angels, sits upon the throne of His glory, gathers all nations before Him, and separates them into only two classes, the sheep on the right and the goats on the left, for eternal destiny. The division reveals the character God accepts and with the rest of the representation decides forever the destiny of the two classes. In that setting Christ does not present His great work of giving His life for redemption but presents the faithful work done for Him, and the decision turns upon the one point of what was done or neglected for Christ in the person of the poor and the suffering. Neglect of the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned, and in a special sense of the brethren who are hated, persecuted, afflicted, driven from homes, brought to poverty, distressed by disease and privation, and cast into prison for His name, is neglect of Christ Himself, in whom all who suffer for His name are to be recognized, and ministry to them as men would minister to Him is the evidence of discipleship.

It is the King's final answer to those on His left hand when He makes the separation and declares the reward of each party, after He has charged them with giving Him no food when hungry, no drink when thirsty, no welcome when a stranger, no clothing when naked, and no visit when sick and in prison. To their question when they saw Him hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison and did not minister to Him, He answers that failure to help even one, not the greatest but one of the least, was failure to help Himself. They are surprised because they did not think they had done anything particularly wrong, and they are unconscious of guilt because they educated and trained themselves in the school of self-indulgence and self-pleasing, which kept them from seeing what they owed their brethren and from bringing Christ into everyday life. That self-indulgence causes them to lose heaven and the eternity of bliss they might have had if they had devoted their powers to God.

For that neglect the wicked hear the sentence to depart as cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. They are excluded from the kingdom with the portion of unbelievers, having no part with Him because they know nothing about Him and could not enjoy life in His kingdom, and they go away into everlasting punishment while the righteous enter life eternal. Their neglect is judged according to their actions, and the short sentence, Depart, is the doom pronounced upon failure to care for even the least of His needy and suffering people as failure to care for Himself.

The division is final, and those who refused mercy and rejected Christ are finally excluded from God's kingdom, their choice becoming final when they recognize too late that they scorned God's love and mercy. At that judgment conduct reveals character and helps determine destiny, for men are judged by their works according to obedience or violation of God's law, the works of both good and evil are tested, and Christ's description of those works is the criterion, with good works as the fruit of genuine faith resulting from justification by faith. The whole of Matthew 25 develops the principles of eternal justice to be revealed in the decisions of that great day when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened and the character of works is examined in light of Jesus giving His life to give the transgressor opportunity to become transformed in character and fit for the kingdom, and denunciation falls not only on revolting crimes and outbreaking sins but especially on neglecting to do what might and ought to have been done, left undone for lack of the moral qualifications Christ made every provision to place within reach by clothing divinity with humanity to bring moral power to fallen man as a laborer together with God. Before God the eternal Creator and Judge who makes no mistake there is no compulsion, threats, harsh words, or condemnation imposed on anyone, yet every person may be saved by believing in Christ as a personal Saviour though not all will be saved.

The saying belongs to the memorable discourse of Matthew 24 and 25 given shortly before He entered Gethsemane, including the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. It stands within Matthew 25:14-46 and Matthew 25:31-46 and Matthew 25:41-46 as instruction to be studied and compared with the life record, teaching that people are judged by whether they serve those in need. The present is the time for using God-given abilities in the Master's service, for church membership alone does not secure entrance into heaven but each person's use of opportunities matters, and God rewards self-denying, self-sacrificing service for the salvation of souls, requiring those who believe and purify their souls through the truth to begin missionary work for people perishing in sin. It calls every person to put away boasting and self-trust, for self-sufficiency is fearfully dangerous because it makes the words of Christ of no effect, and to walk in the footsteps of Christ in all the humility of true faith, committing to the Saviour day by day and hour by hour while constantly receiving and imparting His grace, preparing to meet the Lord's expectation after the example of Him who entered a world of sin and poverty, took human nature, and faced temptation without yielding to sin so that no sinner can claim He does not know human trials.

Who Are the Least

The least are the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and those in prison, the suffering poor who stand as Christ's representatives on earth placed among men to awaken love toward the suffering and oppressed. To leave them without food, drink, shelter, clothing, or visitation is to leave Christ Himself without help, for He has joined His interests with fallen man so that failure to help one of the least, not the greatest, is failure to help Him. That neglect is unconscious because self-indulgence and absorption in earthly concerns train men in self-pleasing and blind them to what they owe their brethren, and it separates them from Christ because they have not hidden their lives in Him.

In a special sense the least are His brethren born into the heavenly family, those hated, persecuted, afflicted, driven from homes, brought to poverty, distressed by disease and privation, and cast into prison for His name, in whom Christ is to be recognized as men would minister to Him. They are His saints, His servants and brethren, those counted worthy to hold forth the Word of life and minister to souls ready to perish, and God proves profession by placing a suffering child directly before believers to test willingness, zeal, and faithfulness in that which is least. This includes missionaries in foreign fields who lack necessities, and workers in the field whose support, standing, means, and cases are decided by others, who must be dealt with as the person of Christ with humble prayer, fairness, and a fair chance to explain, without wrong, hasty, hardened, arbitrary, discourteous, or overbearing decisions, disparaging words, distrust, discouragement, or withholding of resources when need is known.

They include orphans, widows, and the fatherless, and children and youth who lack home advantages, culture, care, and religious training and must not be passed by because God does not favor according to advantages. They are the needy, oppressed, tempted, erring, weakest, most vulnerable, neglected, and overlooked, including children not one's own, who need homes, affection, patient instruction, help to develop Christian character, guidance toward usefulness and heaven, reform, and effort to save souls beyond one's own family. Welcoming and caring for them is a willing, happy sacrifice and imitation of Jesus calling for self-denial rather than ease, while refusing them as blessings in disguise or refusing help and shelter forfeits eternal reward and leaves men to answer for souls lost and to face everlasting punishment.

As Son of man and brother to every son and daughter of Adam, having become a member of the earthly family to make men members of the heavenly family, Christ identifies Himself with every child of humanity without distinction of nationality or race in His plan of salvation. The least are more broadly all who suffer for His name, the perishing world around, the fallen, the erring, the sinful, and the lowly among the nations and among the heathen, with whom Heaven regards His followers as bound in one great web of humanity as brothers to sinners as well as saints. Even among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, who never heard the words of life by human instrumentality yet heard His voice in nature, befriended sufferers at peril of life, and did the things the law required, proving the Holy Spirit touched their hearts and that they are children of God.

They are the afflicted present to test the character of those who claim to be children of God, the bruised and wounded and lame of the flock who need sympathy and kindly acts. To pass them by while bestowing special favors on the more pleasing, the wealthy, and those who have no need, with partiality, preference, oppression, and neglect of the weak, is to insult Jesus in the person of His afflicted ones and to withhold service from Christ Himself, bringing condemnation rather than reward and requiring exact and impartial justice with compassion, pity, and love for the erring. Christ is present among people in need so that refusing fellowship or care is failing to recognize Him, and even giving the hungry inadequate food or the poorly clothed inadequate garments does not meet their need but still leaves it unmet.

Christ Identifies With Sufferers

Failing to help even one of the least is counted as failing to help Christ himself, because He has joined His interests with theirs and made their case His own in oneness with His suffering disciples. Their neglect is judged according to actions, and those who have neglected the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, or imprisoned hear the sentence to depart into everlasting punishment, while the righteous enter eternal life. In the last days there are only two parties, those on the right hand and those on the left, and the failure concerns not the greatest but the least. Those on the left are not conscious of their neglect because they have educated and trained themselves in the school of self-indulgence and self-pleasing, have been blinded, have not hidden their lives in Him, and have been absorbed by earthly concerns. That self-indulgence causes loss of heaven and the eternity of bliss they might have had if they had devoted their powers to God and brought Him into everyday life, and it calls for giving up worldly possessions to relieve suffering rather than withholding resources for personal gain.

He is in person the very sufferer who was famishing while others enjoyed bountiful tables and feasted at full tables, who famished in the hovel or street not far away. He Himself was a stranger with nowhere to lay His head when doors were closed against Him while well-furnished rooms stood unoccupied and empty. He Himself was naked and destitute of comfortable apparel while wardrobes were filled with abundant supply and needlessly squandered apparel that might have been given to the needy. He Himself was sick while others enjoyed health, and was bound in prison where misfortune cast Him into fetters, bowing down the spirit and depriving Him of freedom and hope while others roamed free. Every neglect of the needy poor, the orphan, and the fatherless is a neglect of Jesus in their person, and that neglect brings everlasting punishment and meets final rejection.

This applies to the rich, to whom wealth was given to relieve and comfort His suffering children, but who feel superior to their poor brethren, do not put themselves in the poor man's place, do not understand the temptations and struggles of poverty, and let mercy die out of the heart. They shut themselves from the poor in costly dwellings and splendid churches and spend in pampering pride and selfishness and in extravagant display, superfluous clothing, and needless jewelry and ornaments for jewels, gold chains, necklaces, rings, feathers, ribbons, and expensive trimmings the means given to bless the needy and to feed the hungry and clothe the naked in towns and cities. They treat the poor with contempt as paupers, let the treasury remain empty, let the cries and prayers of widows, orphans, the afflicted, and the worthy poor in pinching want ascend to Heaven, and turn ears from real want and suffering. By this the poor are robbed of the knowledge of tender mercies and ample provision for their comfort, are left to a narrowing poverty, and are tempted to envy, jealousy, and evil surmising. Even a pittance of bread for the starving or flimsy garments against frost, and even inadequate food or flimsy clothing that does not meet need, given without remembering that it is given to the Lord of Glory, is neglect of Christ Himself and proves they did not seek Him and would not enter fellowship with Him.

Injustice, oppression, cruelty, fraud, robbery, speculation, double dealing, and abuse toward even the weakest and most erring are felt by Him as done to Himself. To place things in an uncertain light in business or institutional dealings in order to do injustice, to practice unfair dealing, falsehood, robbery and speculation that makes men and women poor and causes suffering to human beings, is to do that wrong to Christ Himself in the person of His saints. He is not an indifferent spectator of what happens to them, but suffers with them as members of His body. He purchased them with His life and they are His by creation and redemption, and He has identified His interests with theirs. Unfaithful stewardship and withholding what is owed to a vulnerable person therefore have eternal consequences and will not go unpunished.

Pity, benevolence, and practical ministry toward the humble poor are accepted as done to the Son of God. The poor are His representatives on earth, placed among men to awaken the same love toward the suffering and oppressed that He feels, and His heart sympathizes with the poorest and lowliest of His earthly children. In a special sense this concerns brethren who are hated, persecuted, afflicted, driven from homes, brought to poverty, distressed by disease and privation, and cast into prison for His name, and in all who suffer for His name He is to be recognized, and as men would minister to Him so they are to minister to them. Such ministry is the evidence of discipleship. Clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, sympathizing with the discouraged and grieving, dispensing to the needy, succoring the poor, sympathizing with the afflicted and oppressed, befriending the orphan, relieving the poor, and bringing them comfort, compassion, encouragement, and patient instruction bring a person into a closer relationship with Jesus, bring angels very near, and draw an answering response in heaven, while refusing this work brings loss of eternal reward so that when a habitation in the heavens is needed none will be awarded. He took humanity and entered poverty and human suffering to work for humanity's uplift.

To pass by one who is afflicted and in need of sympathy and kindly acts, while bestowing special favors on others simply because they are more pleasing, is to insult Jesus in the person of His afflicted ones and to withhold service from Christ Himself. The least are those who are afflicted and need sympathy, the bruised and wounded and lame of the flock who are present to test the character of those who claim to be children of God. This condemns preferring one above another, partiality to the wealthy and to those who have no need, and oppression and neglect of the weak, and requires exact and impartial justice and also compassion for the suffering and pity and love for the erring. Giving attention to those who have no need while neglecting the needy brings condemnation rather than reward, and such wrongdoing will not be excused. He is present among people in need and near every day in the person of the afflicted, so refusing fellowship or care for them means failing to recognize Him, and such neglect is recorded in heaven and helps form character.

Judgment Turns on Works

The decision at the final judgment turns upon one point, what was done or what was neglected for Christ in the person of the poor and the suffering, and people are judged by actions and not by profession. Profession of faith does not determine the reward, professed commandment-keeping does not excuse neglect of mercy and love, and church membership alone does not secure entrance into heaven, for actions show love for Christ and for those in need and practical care is the evidence of discipleship. Those who pass the needy, oppressed, and tempted by cannot claim entrance into God's city as redeemed sinners, and indifference to widows and the fatherless is recorded as guilt with reward according to works.

Those on the left are condemned not for great crimes they committed but for what they left undone, for failing to do the works Heaven assigned such as caring for orphans and denying self for Christ's sake. The denunciation falls especially on neglecting to do what might have been done and ought to have been done, left undone for lack of the moral qualifications made possible through Christ, who clothed divinity with humanity that humanity might touch humanity and bring moral power to fallen man to become a laborer together with God. Heaven is for workers who have denied themselves and sacrificed for others, while do-nothing, illiberal, selfish souls who take special care in loving and looking out for themselves and pleasing themselves make no record for heaven and take their portion with self-pleasers. This applies especially to refusing perplexing, erring children who must be untaught many things and taught anew self-control, and to teaching the ignorant and pitying and reforming those ever learning evil, whom Heaven has placed in the way as blessings in disguise.

In the judgment the works of both the good and the evil are tested, conduct reveals character and helps determine destiny, and all are rewarded or punished according to whether they obeyed or violated God's law. Christ examines how abilities, time, words, money, influence, understanding of truth, and every gift and opportunity entrusted were used, including whether help was given to others. Profession of faith alone has no value as evidence of genuine faith, but good works result from justification by faith as its fruit, and love shown through works is counted genuine. Acts done from love, however small they appear, are accepted and rewarded by God, who as eternal Creator and Judge makes no mistake, with no compulsion, threats, harsh words, or condemnation imposed on anyone.

Those condemned are unconscious of guilt and surprised because they did not think they had done anything particularly wrong in failing to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned. Satan has blinded them so they have not seen what they owe their brethren, and self-absorption, self-indulgence, and training in the school of self-pleasing kept them from seeing responsibility and caring for the needs of others. They had educated themselves to lose heaven and eternity of bliss they might have had if they had devoted powers to God and brought Christ into everyday life, and such neglect proves they did not seek Him and would not enter fellowship with Him. Because they know nothing about Him they could not enjoy life in His kingdom and have no part with Him.

Day by day in the common incidents of life men determine eternal destiny by what they do or do not do, by self-denial or living to please and glorify self, by obedience to the commandments, coming out from the world and being separate, loving Christ who died for them, and using probationary time to form character after the pattern of Christ rather than after the enemy of righteousness. The whole tendency, disposition, and actions are examined in the courts of heaven. Those who drive the weak into temptation and spiritual ruin are held accountable for souls harmed, and the people left in degradation will bear witness against those who neglected them.

Boasting and self-sufficiency must be put away, for self-sufficiency is fearfully dangerous because it makes the words of Christ of no effect. Every person is to walk in the footsteps of Christ in all the humility of true faith, committing to the Saviour day by day and hour by hour while constantly receiving and imparting His grace. Those who show no mercy face judgment without mercy, and impatience, an unchristlike disposition, or uncontrolled self may make religion distasteful to others and contribute to their being lost.

Failing to befriend God's people is counted as done against Christ Himself, while every act befriending them will be rewarded as done to Christ, and the virtue of character received from His righteousness joins believers to true greatness of the highest order. Betraying Him in the person of His saints is counted as disowning Him, and opposing the truth His people must proclaim in His name, turning from truth to accept and advocate falsehood, dishonors His name and does violence to the laws of His kingdom. At the general judgment at the end of the one thousand years those who did so will see the result of their work and will not go unpunished.

Practical Duties Toward Others

Entrusted wealth, time, influence, and means are to be used to feed the hungry, give drink, shelter strangers, clothe the naked, provide schooling and homes for orphans, care for the afflicted, and spread the gospel, for neglect of the needy is counted as neglect of Christ himself in the final judgment. Hoarding what God entrusted or spending it on self-gratification and self-indulgence while others lack food, shelter, clothing, schooling, and homes leaves these duties undone and shows failure of mercy, compassion, and wise stewardship. Those tested with property who use for themselves money given to be used for God, instead of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked and relieving want and distress, fail the proving, and the cries of His children in want have entered the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. To those who gave no meat, no drink, no shelter, no clothing, no visitation in the sick and imprisoned, the answer will be departure as cursed into everlasting punishment, with selfish neglect called to strict account over what was done with His money. Abundance must not be spent on costly dwellings, splendid churches, extravagant display, superfluous clothing, jewelry and ornaments, jewels, gold chains, necklaces, rings, feathers, ribbons, and expensive trimmings sufficient to feed the hungry and clothe the naked in towns and cities, while the treasury remains empty and the cries and prayers of widows, orphans, the afflicted, and the worthy poor in pinching want ascend to heaven. Such turning from real want and suffering calls down the vengeance of Heaven, will confront members in the day of God when the wicked reap corruption, will be strictly accounted when the Master comes, and will be condemned by the poor, for means should be returned to Him to help save souls, including among those who believe in Jesus and present truth, rather than withheld for personal gain.

Care is required for the sick and poor who cannot afford treatment and for those in poverty, distress, and human suffering, since Christ identifies himself with them as his brethren and counts help to even the least of them as service to the Son of God. He entered a world of sin and poverty, took human nature and humanity upon himself, faced temptation without yielding to sin, and entered poverty and human suffering to uplift humanity, so no sinner can claim He does not know trials endured, and His followers are to relieve the poor with comfort, compassion, encouragement, and patient instruction. The judgment distinguishes those who minister to the needy from those who do not, with eternal life for the righteous and everlasting punishment for the others, calling people to prepare to meet the Lord's expectation. Sharp, keen, designing service done to make one's own line appear a success is selfishness that shuts one out of the kingdom at the judgment, for false principles will never prevail in heaven and not one thread of selfishness is to be brought into any part of God's service on earth.

Destitute orphans, fatherless, widows, discouraged, grieving, afflicted, oppressed, and neglected youth are to be welcomed, clothed, fed, succored, befriended, sympathized with, dispensed to, and taught self-control and usefulness, and such work brings closer relationship with Jesus, brings angels very near, and draws an answering response in heaven. Caring for children not one's own is service to Jesus, and children and youth who lack care, home advantages, culture, or religious training must not be passed by, for those who withhold help will answer for souls lost through neglect. Neglect or abuse of even the weakest, most erring, and least soul is recorded as neglect of Christ and is commended or condemned at the last judgment as treatment given to Him. When poor givers have given what they could to support God's work, their gifts should be returned with extra help to meet their needs, and welcoming and caring for saints as willing, happy sacrifice must not be refused by choice, for refusing perplexing children as blessings in disguise and refusing this work forfeits eternal reward so that when a habitation in the heavens is needed none will be awarded.

Those who decide support, standing, and cases of workers and messengers in new and foreign fields, who hold forth the Word of life and minister to perishing souls, must act toward them in every case as toward the person of Christ and as they themselves would wish to be treated, with most humble prayer for guidance, fairness, encouragement, clothing, and needed facilities. Making wrong and hasty decisions about what means shall go to workers, deciding in a hardened, discourteous, arbitrary, and overbearing manner, speaking disparaging words against a worker who made a mistake or incurred displeasure without giving a fair chance to explain, bringing discouragement upon scattered workers whose homes and results are unknown, and treating protesters discourteously breaks His word and is a very serious matter of doing it not to Christ. Withholding means and facilities when needs are known leaves missionaries and workers in foreign and new fields without necessities for hardships and work, hinders advancement of the cause, and dishonors Him, whereas unselfish efforts to help them are recognized and blessed, for Christ is suffering in His saints. Neglect, distrust, and lack of sympathy, help, and support toward those sent to serve count as offenses against the Master and will stand against those responsible in the day of God unless repented.

Exact and impartial justice with compassion for the suffering and pity and love for the erring is required, and to pass by one afflicted and in need of sympathy and kindly acts while bestowing special favors on others simply because they are more pleasing insults Jesus in the person of His afflicted ones. The bruised, wounded, and lame of the flock are present to test character, and preferring one above another, partiality to the wealthy and to those who have no need, oppression and neglect of the weak, oppression and fraud, and attention to those with no need while neglecting the needy bring condemnation rather than reward and will not be excused. Injustice and selfishness toward even the least of suffering followers, injustice done to one soul in the person of saints, unfaithful stewardship, and withholding what is owed to a vulnerable person are counted as done to Him personally and have eternal consequences. To place things in uncertain light in business or institutional dealings to do injustice, to practice unfair dealing, falsehood, robbery, and speculation that makes men and women poor and causes human suffering, to treat a poor stranger ungenerously or unjustly, and for a husband to rob wife and children by withholding earnings and leaving burdens without conversion and restitution, are wrongs to Christ recorded in heaven to confront the responsible at the final judgment, while neighbors are to be helped now by opening Scriptures, prayer, and care for salvation before He comes.

Self-denying, self-sacrificing missionary work for perishing souls is to begin now, using God-given abilities in the Master's service, for church membership alone does not secure heaven and each person's use of opportunities matters. Belonging to Christ requires doing the works of Christ after His example in sacrificing, not pleasing self but seeking to do others good and imparting benefits to suffering humanity, or there is no part with Him. Ministers will be asked what they did for Him as measured by what they did for perishing souls around them who need light and truth and are perishing in sin and iniquity as the purchase of His blood, so neglecting to seek to save them and open their understanding to accept Jesus in truth and the Word sent them is doing nothing for Him. Not receiving His messengers and not honoring Him with substance, lowly service, self-denial and self-sacrifice, and care and devotion of heart, but finding fault with those sent and the message of mercy instead of gathering with Him and advancing His work, stands recorded in the great book as dishonor. Rejecting a humble, needy, self-denying missionary seeking work, as in turning away Hannah More by judging plain appearance instead of discerning character and gifts, was rejection of Jesus in her person, and those who wear religion as a mask, follow evil imaginations, disregard brotherhood, honor the rich and high, and give no encouragement, consolation, or substantial help through methods and institutions for the good of the poor, ignorant, and afflicted neglect Christ, bring condemnation, and unless repented will receive according to evil works under the watch of astonished angels.