Sheep and Goats and Perfume

Thursday, February 8 - Matthew 25:31 - 26:13

I used to think I understood the message about the sheep and the goats. It seemed clear that those who do what's right are the ones who will win God's favor. And my mind was full of messages urging me to be that kind of "good" person. Lots of "shoulds" and "oughts" with a heavy dose of "don't you dare!" I was the person with the proverbial carrot - a golden one - hanging before me. I never could reach it - the promise of entering God's kingdom. How do you know when you've done enough? What do you do with a voice in your head that says, "Shame on you"?

Now I know that Jesus died in my place so that I might be reconciled to God. And now I find this passage about the sheep and goats more difficult to comprehend. Who exactly are the "righteous" to whom Jesus promises eternal life in 25:46? It sure sounds as though Jesus is
implying that good works will get a person into heaven.

Ponder with me -- We saw how Jesus told his opponents that "whatever is in your heart determines what you say" (Matthew 12:34). I think Jesus would also tell us that what is in our heart determines what we do or fail to do. Jesus came to fulfill the Law, to institute a new covenant (solemn agreement) as he prepared to die. The prophet Jeremiah foresaw that very time, when God would make the old covenant obsolete: "The Lord [says] I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts" (Hebrews 8:10). Followers of Jesus are given that new heart, one that loves Him and therefore loves others.

If this is so, then I think the goats are those who have rejected Jesus. They don't know his forgiveness. Maybe don't realize they need it. Remember back in Matthew 9:12,13 - "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do . . . I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."

On the other hand, we see sheep. Those whose love is an outpouring of gratitude for what Jesus has done for them. Do you see a problem? What about those people we know who feed the hungry and visit the sick, but don't have a desire to follow Jesus? I don't think Jesus addresses that question here. We are looking at (listening to) a parable, not an allegory. An allegory is an extended metaphore, where each character or happening stands for something else. In a parable, that is not the case. The symbolism is limited. There is usually one main point. Here, I think, it's a point about forgiveness.

To try to understand that point, move ahead with me to chapter 26. Here we learn of a dinner party that gets interrupted when a woman anoints Jesus with expensive perfume. Does she have any idea what her burial oil means to Jesus? As he faces his death, he knows her heart, and receives the "beautiful thing" she has done. A similar incident is found in Luke's gospel. There, Jesus teaches that when we are aware of our sinfulness, and of the wonder of having a huge debt canceled, knowing we are forgiven will result in an outpouring of love.

Back to the sheep. They belong to Jesus. He knows them better than they know themselves. Forgiven, their new life becomes less self-centered and reflects their gratitude for what he has done. And knowing that, Jesus receives their kind deeds as a thank offering.

I saw it on a Christmas card: He came to pay a debt he didn't owe, because we owed a debt we couldn't pay. Lord, please give me the gift of a grateful heart.

Deetje Wildes