The Test of a Nation's Greatness
The question of the day for those who want their nation to be great is: What are the criteria? What defines a great nation?
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: -Matthew 25:32 (KJV)
This is a dramatic and overwhelming scene that Jesus describes. As far as the eye can see, the nations are gathered before the throne. There are sheep and goats at a time when only sheep are truly welcome in the flock. There has been considerable blending up until this point, but now the shepherd is dividing them.
And there is one criterion by which He judges the nations. How did you treat me when I was among you?
He is not talking about His incarnation here, but His presence among His people many of whom were the poor, the lowly, the imprisoned, the hungry, and so forth. He is identifying with the powerless that He described in Matthew 5 and, from their perspective, evaluating the powerful.
What did you do with all your influence to positively touch the people I love? That is His question. It is the test of a nation's greatness and the test of greatness for every institution or individual that has been entrusted with power.
Were you just?
Were you fair?
Were you generous?
Were you compassionate?
Were you welcoming?
Were you righteous?
Were you aware that I was there amid my brethren?
This is one dimension of judgment in the heavenly kingdom and Jesus gives us a preview. It is but a glimpse. We could not understand more, but we can understand this much: We must always be aware of Jesus and receive others as if we were receiving him.
The greatness of America has always been in her central idea: the dignity of every human being under God.
It is the basis for freedom, laws, and our system of government. For the Christian, that means looking for the image of God in every person we meet and treating that person as we would treat Jesus.
Another Thought on Verse 32
There is a question for self-examination emerging from this passage. Such examinations are painful, but the process is necessary for our growth.
Am I among the nation of sheep or the nation of goats? How do I align myself
with what God values and those with whom Jesus identifies?
with what God values and those with whom Jesus identifies?
Leo Tolstoy spun a tale about a cobbler who was given to believe that Jesus would visit him on a particular day. He made simple but elegant preparations. One by one the poor came to his door, and he served them, but he came to the end of the day without the visit for which he longed.
Then he realized what had happened and he heard the voice of Jesus with the words of this passage.
So, the real question is this: Am I seeing Jesus where Jesus is? That one question separates the sheep from the goats.
We are at a turning point today as people and as nations. Are we here to serve ourselves or others?
Do we orient our lives and our policies toward to good of humanity using the best analyses and data and the brightest minds? Or do we serve immediate, temporal, shortsighted self-interest? Are we all in the same boat or do we live in silos of naivete?
For the disciples of Jesus, it is more, but it is also simpler. Do I see Jesus in every person and people group, especially the disinherited, dispossessed, discouraged, and disenfranchises?
If I see Jesus, how will I treat Jesus?
Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSVU)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?'
And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'
Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?'
Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
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