Let's Study the Parables - 7 - The Sheep and the Goats

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I’m doing a study on these forums of the parables. I’d like to study each parable individually looking at:

a) What is the Message behind the Parable?
b) What doctrines do we see being taught in each Parable?
c) Can a Parable be used to defend against Non-Catholic doctrines?
d) What is the context of the Parable?

If you like this study, you’ll find others at:
**Let’s Study the Parables - 1 - The Good Samaritan
Let’s Study the Parables - 2 The Wicked Vinedressers
**** Let’s Study the Parables - 3 - Parable of the Talents
**
Let’s Study the Parables - 4 - The Wheat and the Cockle
**Let’s Study the Parables - 5 - The Prodigal Son
**** Let’s Study the Parables - 6 - The Bride’s Girlfriends (or The Ten Virgins)**
**
** Or you could always find the Table of Contents on the Sticky on Sacred Scriptures:

With that in mind, I’d like to do a study on

The Sheep and the Goats Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

*** 31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' 45 Then he will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This is another one of my favorite parables. It’s especially valuable when discussing “Faith Alone” with someone, for in this parable Jesus clearly teaches that those who do the Will of the Father (feed the poor, clothe the naked, etc.) are the ones that will be rewarded.

Of course, I once ran across someone who said those that were punished were punished simply because they were goats (“non-elect”) and those that were rewarded were rewarded simply because they were sheep (the “elect”).

With that being said, this is a beautiful teaching on how a Christian should act!
 
I think that it can be viewed as showing one’s faith must be evidenced by actions if one has the opportunity. It can be noted that both the sheep and the goats had the chance to do things. They each saw those in need. The sheep did something the goats did not. You can note that there is no reference to those who did not see someone in need. Where would an infant be placed who has not helped or ignored anyone?
 
SyCarl said:
I think that it can be viewed as showing one’s faith must be evidenced by actions if one has the opportunity. It can be noted that both the sheep and the goats had the chance to do things. They each saw those in need. The sheep did something the goats did not. You can note that there is no reference to those who did not see someone in need. Where would an infant be placed who has not helped or ignored anyone?
Click to expand...
If the infant is baptized, I would place the infant as a member of the Body, until such a time comes up that the infant sins their way out of the Body. We get this from the knowledge that baptism replaces circumcision, and one became a child of Abraham when circumcised.
 
I believe this parable unfolds on two historical levels. (and chapter 24)

1. The end of the old covenant age and destruction of the Temple (a microcosm of the world), which prefigures

2. The end of history.

Peace,

Ryan 🙂
 
ryanoneil said:
I believe this parable unfolds on two historical levels. (and chapter 24)

1. The end of the old covenant age and destruction of the Temple (a microcosm of the world), which prefigures

2. The end of history.

Peace,

Ryan 🙂
Click to expand...
Interesting. Care to elaborate?
 
NotWorthy said:
Interesting. Care to elaborate?
Click to expand...
Mat 10:23
Mat 16:28
Especially Mat 23:36 and Mat 24:34
suggest that Jesus will be coming within fourty years.

Because the Temple was a miniature replica of the world his “coming” is in judgment of Jerusalem. Not in a physical body but in judgment as a public sign to the entire world that the Old Covenant Age has ended.

How many times did he use the Shepard and sheep imagery? With the destruction of the Temple He came as the Shepard who separates the faithfull sheep of Israel from the wicked goats. Ezekiel 34:17-22

So, this would be the initial unfolding of the parable wich represents and ultimately foretells the General Judgment at the end of history. (which we are all familiar with)

Peace,

Ryan 🙂
 
NotWorthy said:
I’m doing a study on these forums of the parables. I’d like to study each parable individually looking at:

a) What is the Message behind the Parable?
b) What doctrines do we see being taught in each Parable?
c) Can a Parable be used to defend against Non-Catholic doctrines?
d) What is the context of the Parable?

If you like this study, you’ll find others at:
Let’s Study the Parables - 1 - The Good Samaritan
Let’s Study the Parables - 2 The Wicked Vinedressers
Let’s Study the Parables - 3 - Parable of the Talents

Let’s Study the Parables - 4 - The Wheat and the Cockle
Let’s Study the Parables - 5 - The Prodigal Son
** Let’s Study the Parables - 6 - The Bride’s Girlfriends (or The Ten Virgins)**
**
** Or you could always find the Table of Contents on the Sticky on Sacred Scriptures:

With that in mind, I’d like to do a study on

The Sheep and the Goats Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

*** 31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' 45 Then he will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This is another one of my favorite parables. It’s especially valuable when discussing “Faith Alone” with someone, for in this parable Jesus clearly teaches that those who do the Will of the Father (feed the poor, clothe the naked, etc.) are the ones that will be rewarded.

Of course, I once ran across someone who said those that were punished were punished simply because they were goats (“non-elect”) and those that were rewarded were rewarded simply because they were sheep (the “elect”).

With that being said, this is a beautiful teaching on how a Christian should act!
Click to expand...
People can act all they want, but it has to be in the heart of a person. Furthermore, the “sheep and goats” in this particular judgement are surprised who ultimately they did or did not care for, that is Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, the Lamb of God, God himelf. Believers in Jesus today should NOT be surprised who they are ultimately helping when the care and love for all people.

Secondly, I believe this parable is purely prophetic. Matthews testimony of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 only proves more that Jesus is the Messiah because it goes along the same description of other prophecies in the OT concerning Messiahs return to Israel and the Earth(Joel 3).

Here Jesus talks about gathering the “nations” before him for judgement, that is the “sheep and the goats”.

One thing I find when people talk about this parable, is they never mention who the “bretheren” are.

Since this passage is prophetic, undoubtedly the bretheren Jesus refers to are ultimately his remnant of Israel that Satan has the whole world against.
 
I like Pope John Paul II’s interpretation of this parable in his letter Salvifici Doloris, where he explains that in our ministering to others in their time of suffering, their suffering becomes a means of salvation for us (because of Jesus’s words, that we are ministering to HIM when we minister to others).

If you have the time, read that letter of his. It’s quite good.

I like Matthew 25. It’s the “Catholic chapter”.
 
OK, I came across a rather new and unique rendering of this parable. While discussing the Church with a non-catholic friend, I wrote:
If one were saved, but refused to follow the Will of God (which is to do good works), then one would be like the Goats in Jesus parables.

To which my friend wrote:**
Now, you are not dividing the Scriptures correctly. Jesus is not talking about individual salvation He is talking about the judgment of nations and how they treated the Jews during the time of Jacob’s trouble.
Click to expand...
**Has anybody heard this before? I could see how one could arrive at this conclusion, but this rendering is inconsistent with all of the other parables of Jesus.
 
Maybe I’m wrong, but I believe the purpose of this parable is to show us the importance of serving others and putting others’ needs above our own. The “sheep” were doing just that-serving others, while the “goats” were selfish and focused only on themselves.

This parable reminds me of how Blessed Mother Theresa looked at life. She helped the poorest of the poor because she saw Jesus in each one of them. When we serve others, we are seving Christ and therefore we’re putting Christ first in our lives.

I’m certainly not a theologian by any stretch of the imagination. This is just how I see it.

Scout :tiphat:
 
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