easyenglish.bibleBooks > A Study of the Gospel (Good News) of Matthew >

Matthew 25:31–46

Serve God in ordinary activities

Real service for God is humble service just where we are.

Jesus appealed to his disciples:

This shows the sort of service that Jesus wants from his disciples.

Jesus used the same ideas that Daniel had used. (Read Daniel 7:13–14.) Jesus described a throne. (This is a king’s special chair.) Jesus will judge everyone (Matthew 25:31–32). This judgement will divide all people into two groups. It will depend on what they have done in their lives.

This story did not mention sins. God did not condemn one group of people because of their sins. He condemned them because of duties that they had neglected. (Read Matthew 25:41–43.)

Experts in the study of the Bible have an idea. A person can obey God by avoiding acts of sin. Or, that person can obey God in a definite way. He or she can try to do all the things that would please God. This was what Jesus seemed to be saying here. All Jesus’ real disciples should love people who are in need. Jesus still expects this (Matthew 25:37–39).

In ancient Israel, it was hard to tell the difference between sheep and goats. It is the same with Jesus’ disciples. They may seem to be very like each other. But on the Judgement Day he will show the truth. Some people have really served him. Other people have just said that they serve him. Look carefully at sheep and goats. They are very different. It is the same with the real disciple and the false disciple. Look carefully at them. They are very different too.

Jesus spoke about normal things, like when people are hungry and thirsty. He did this for a good reason. He did not talk about the very great problems of the world. He knew that most of his disciples could not solve them. So he spoke about things that happen every day. We must serve him in the way that we live every day.

People who live like this are special to Jesus. Jesus emphasised this. Small things that people do for him get big rewards (Matthew 25:34). We may only do a very small thing to help other people. But it is the same as if we did it for Jesus. That is what Jesus said (Matthew 25:40). But there was more. Only this sort of behaviour will please him. This does not mean that God saves us because of what we do. But, when we serve God humbly, it proves our salvation. The opposite is true for those who fail to serve God humbly. It proves their sad end (Matthew 25:46).

Questions

  • What can you do today to serve Jesus? Do you need to change your plans because of what you answer? Explain why you would need to change your plans. Or explain why you would not need to change them.
  • In this parable, the master judged his slaves by their actions. He judged them by what they did. Or he judged them by what they did not do. The Bible teaches that our salvation is not because of what we do. It is because of what Jesus has done for us. (Read Ephesians 2:8–9.) How do these two things match?
  • Who does Jesus say are his ‘brothers’? (Read Matthew 25:40 and 45.) Are they all those people who are in need? Or are they all Christians? Think about what your answer means in a practical way.