Daily Devotional For Sunday, March 1, 2026
Good day Southside. Today, we come to one of the most convicting and frightening passages and words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, at least to me. It is a very long passage and therefore, we are going to break it down into parts so that we can digest it. The whole passage can be read in Matthew 25:41-46. For today, we are going to look at the first part: Matthew 25:31-40:
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. (32) All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; (33) and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. (34) “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are 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 something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; (36) 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 You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? (38) And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? (39) When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ (40) The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me’” (NASB).
This starts out with Jesus returning with His angels not as an humble carpenter, but as King of kings and Lord of lords to execute judgment upon the world. He is coming as Judge (see also Matt. 16:27-28; Matt. 24:30-31; and Zechariah 14:5). With Jesus coming as Judge, fulfills a prophecy in Psalm 110:1. The Apostle Paul affirmed this judgment in his own epistle in 2 Corinthians 5:10. Here Jesus used animals to symbolize believers (sheep) and unbelievers (goats). In fields, both graze together just like wheat and weeds grow together. When sheep and goats were brought in at night, they were separated. Goats needed a warm shelter at night (their coats are not nearly as thick) while sheep preferred open air.
In the Final Judgment, Jesus will separate people from one another as farmers separated sheep and goats from one another. Even though all the nations are before the Lord, He will judge each person individually for their sin and their lives. Each person will held responsible for their own willingness and response to the voice of God to receive the Gospel and salvation. We saw the same thing in the previous parable of the Parable of the 10 Bridesmaids (Matt. 25:1-13). The concept of the Messiah as both Shepherd and Judge can be found in the prophecy of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 34:17-23.
In the first century, sheep were commercially more valuable than goats. They are the number on animal used to represent God’s people for various reasons. Here they are referred to as God’s “elect.” Meaning – God’s chosen people who have responded to the Gospel and salvation. There is an inheritance for those that has been prepared for them even before the universe was created. Just as we believe the Lord for salvation and heaven, we should believe Him for this as well.
In verses 35-36, Jesus describes acts of mercy that are not dependent upon one’s wealth or economic standing. Based on the “talents” given, these sheep chose to use them to meet the needs of those less fortunate. This list is repeated four times in this whole passage of Matthew 25:41-46, showing how important this is to the Lord. Nothing special is needed other than a loving and caring heart.
Caring for the less fortunate is also found in the Old Testament. Look at Isaiah 58:7. The list here is not exhaustive and Jesus is not saying we are saved by good deeds, but that genuine salvation causes good deeds, especially to those who are less fortunate. The righteous are shocked. They do not ever remember seeing Jesus in such a state of need. Jesus said that when these believers helped other believers, especially the lowest and most humble in their family (local church probably), they were helping Him personally.
The point of this parable is not the “who,” but the “what.” It involves serving where service is needed. Jesus’ intent is to say that how we treat lowly and less fortunate Christians is proof of how much we really love Him. We who have resources would help less fortunate Christians, that has a way of impacting the lost and non-believers with the Gospel. Love express in this way show how much we truly love God.
Reflection Assignment: (1) First, develop a heart of generosity to less fortunate believers. Don’t draw attention to it; just do it. Be generous as God has been generous with you. (2) Second, don’t be so focused on doing something big for God. It is the simple, small things that He is watching such as greeting visitors, handing out bulletins, sitting next to visitors or preparing snacks for Children’s church and etc. (3) Third, be enthusiastic about even the small things in your ordinary day. Offer water to someone at work. It’s the little gestures that can make all the difference. Get someone to talk about themselves and their family rather than talk about your life, your adventures and hobbies. Show real interest in someone.
Scripture To Meditate On: Proverbs 19:17, “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and He will repay you!” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I want to be like You – generous, especially with believers who are less fortunate. I want them to see less of me, more of You and I want them to see that I am interested in more of them. Give me ideas of small gestures I can do each and every day to make a difference in people’s lives for You. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly