AS A SHEPHERD DIVIDETH HIS SHEEP FROM THE GOATS

This parable describes the event that has been repeatedly alluded to in our series of meditations; the identifying of those among ‘all nations’ who will be blessed and those who will be punished. This will take place when our Lord returns to the earth and sits ‘upon the throne of his glory’. Here are the ‘bad and good’ brought to the wedding celebration, the inattentive ‘goodman of the house’, the ‘faithful’ or ‘evil’ rulers ‘over his household’, the ‘wise’ and ‘foolish virgins’, the ‘good’ and ‘wicked’ servants now portrayed as sheep or goats.

The Son of man is seen in this passage to be the King with global authority. ‘The Lord shall be king over all the earth’, Zech. 14. 9. His first act will be to summon ‘all nations’ to appear before Him. He will deal with them according to how they have dealt with ‘his brethren’. Joel chapter 3 verse 2 describes the inci­dent thus, ‘I will also gather all the nations … and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of my people and mine inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations’ JND.

It is touching to see how the Lord shares His people’s experi­ences. He said that their treatment of His own was tantamount to having ‘done it unto me’. The risen Lord said such a thing to Saul at his conversion, cf. Acts 9. 4. Realization of this fact ought to dictate my behaviour to my fellow saints.

The ‘sheep’ are said to be ‘righteous’. By nature we know that ‘there is none righteous’, Rom. 3. 10. Thus, these are not saved by their works but rather by God’s work in them. Their conversion, having responded to the gospel of the kingdom, evidences itself by their works. So too should ours.

It is noticeable that the ‘goats’ were not actively hostile to God’s people. They were simply indifferent. The reality is that people have to do nothing to be lost.

The contrast could not be greater between ‘everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels’ and ‘the kingdom pre­pared for you’. Little wonder the righteous are referred to as being ‘blessed of my Father’.