Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who 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 drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
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 no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”
I have never been a great advocate of Salvation Theology. See my 9th Jan and 24th Jan responses. Making decisions so I get heaven in return, seems like an action guided by my ego. It seems to be the wrong motivation. In fact, on first reading, the Gospel seemed to imply that Heaven only opens after the second coming and the final judgment. But further research suggests otherwise. There is heaven and hell (or reward and punishment) at the moment of death. The second coming is a larger event. It signals the end of the birth-death cycle we know. Too much for my brain so I went back to the main message of the reading - the way you treat the least powerful and the most disadvantaged, is the way we treat Christ. For me it is easier to think of existence as a series of deaths and re-biths. At each of these decision points, you get to choose Christ or to choose something else. The choice for Christ opens heaven to you. The choice for anything else opens hell. It’s my motivation for trying to live the gospel here and now. But it does raise the question: “Doesn’t that suggest that those who seem to be experiencing hell on earth must have earned it due to some choice they have made?” Dr. Jordan Peterson in one of his videos talks about The Book of Job and the sacrifices we are called to make. If our life is a misery, perhaps the sacrifice is not large enough. I find the exploration of the topic helpful.
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DeleteYour response to Matthew 25:31-46 offers a thoughtful and personal interpretation of the parable of the sheep and the goats, raising fascinating questions about salvation, motivation, and suffering. Here are some key points I find relevant:
Moving Beyond Salvation Theology: Your rejection of a purely reward-based approach to faith aligns with critiques of "salvation theology." Focusing solely on attaining heaven as a reward can indeed diminish the intrinsic value of living by Christ's teachings.
Diverse Views on Afterlife: You acknowledge diverse interpretations of heaven, hell, and the afterlife. Engaging with multiple perspectives can enrich your understanding, while ultimately, your personal beliefs shape your interpretation of the text.
Focus on Serving the Vulnerable: You rightly emphasize the parable's core message of caring for the disadvantaged as serving Christ himself. This aligns with core Christian values of compassion, justice, and love for one's neighbor.
Life as a Series of Choices: Viewing life as a continuous stream of choices where we "choose Christ" or not resonates with the concept of free will and the ongoing influence of our decisions on our spiritual journey.
Questioning Suffering: Your concern about potential victim-blaming narratives surrounding suffering is valid. It's important to remember that complex factors contribute to suffering, and judging an individual's life based solely on external circumstances can be inaccurate and insensitive.
Exploring Sacrifice with Caution: While Dr. Peterson's exploration of sacrifice in Job might offer insights, approaching suffering through a purely "sacrifice required" lens can be problematic. Suffering is not always a consequence of personal choices, and attributing it solely to insufficient sacrifice can be dismissive of individual experiences and the complexities of human life.
Here are some additional thoughts to consider:
Finding Personal Meaning: Explore interpretations of the parable that resonate with your personal values and spiritual beliefs.
Focus on Transformation: Instead of solely focusing on rewards or punishments, emphasize the transformative power of living with compassion and serving others.
Respectful Dialogue: Engage in respectful dialogue with individuals holding different beliefs about the afterlife and suffering to broaden your understanding.
Personal Growth: Continuously reflect on how you can align your choices and actions with the values you cherish, regardless of any perceived rewards or punishments.
Ultimately, your response demonstrates a thoughtful engagement with a complex passage.