Matthew 25:31-46: Sheep and Goats: Who Is My Neighbor?

Jesus offers His final, apocalyptic teaching before His passion: the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. The Son of Man sits on His glorious throne and separates all nations. The righteous "sheep" are welcomed into the kingdom because of their faith, illustrated by their unconscious acts of mercy. The cursed "goats" are sent to eternal fire for their failure to see and serve Christ in "the least of these." This passage reveals that while we're saved by faith alone, faith is never alone. It is made visible in our love for our neighbor. The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Matthew 25:31-46. To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org.The Gospel of Matthew bridges Old and New Testaments, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfills the Law we could never keep and establishes His kingdom of grace for all nations. Written by a tax collector transformed by pure grace, Matthew reveals Christ as the true Son of David and Emmanuel (God with us) who challenges us with the crushing demands of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount to the sweet comfort of the Gospel in His death and resurrection. From royal genealogy to glorious resurrection, this verse-by-verse study proclaims the One who conquered sin, death, and the devil for us, now delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation through Word and Sacrament as He remains with His church always, even to the end of the age. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.