When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. – Matthew 25:31-33
In the middle of a conversation with his disciples about the end of the age, Jesus begins to talk about, of all things, sheep and goats. It seems like an unusual comparison. Yet, this comparison causes me to wonder why Jesus would use such an analogy. After all, what is so special or different about sheep and goats? When you begin looking closely at what Jesus says especially after making this analogy it brings into clear perspective who are the sheep and goats that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 25. Let’s take a closer look.
What Is the Nature of a Sheep and a Goat?
If we are going to talk about sheep and goats let’s consider what their natural characteristics are like. Since I am not a farmer or shepherd, I grew up in NYC and there are not a lot of goats and sheep walking around NYC. I’ve seen lots of dogs, cats, and pigeons but not sheep and goats. To help me understand the differences I turned to National Geographic. Here is a direct quote from their website which I think is very helpful in understanding this analogy Jesus used.
“WHEN IT COMES to barnyard animals, goats might be the weirdest. Unlike sheep, which are content to stay with their herd, goats are naturally curious and independent, often getting into mischief as a result. In a recent interview with National Geographic, University of Maryland sheep and goat expert Susan Schoenian explained that of all the livestock she’s worked with, goats exhibit the oddest behavior. Even getting them to stay in a pen proves surprisingly challenging.”
As I read that there are two things that jumped out at me. Sheep tend to be more cooperative and inclined to stay with the herd while goats tend to be more independent. It seems to me that sheep tend to be dependent on the shepherd and more inclined to stay with him and near him. Goats seem to want to forge their own way almost as if they are saying I don’t need the shepherd I will do it all myself. With this let’s define now who are the sheep and who are the goats in Matthew 25.
Who Are the Sheep?
Let’s apply some of the characteristics of the sheep to humans. Jesus helps us when you read further down in the passage.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. – Matthew 25:34-36
If sheep tend to be more content to stay with the herd then this is a perfect description of those people here in Matthew. Clearly, these people care about the herd. In fact, they display their love for Jesus by how they show love to the ones that Jesus loves.
Who Are the Goats?
The goats are exactly the opposite. Instead of caring for these Jesus loves they despise them. Look what the kings says about these.
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. - Matthew 25:41-43
Notice the Ones Jesus Mentions
I think it is important not to overlook or casually dismiss the ones that Jesus mentions in these verses. The hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the unclothed, the sick, and the prisoner. Jesus uses a term in verses 40 and 45 calling them the least of these. The truth is that there are those in our society who are the least of these. They exist in every ethnic group, age range, and literally all throughout our society. If we are going to be the body of Christ, then we can’t look past these people. What these people all have in common is that these are the ones that often get rejected in our society. Maybe they get the short end of the stick. Yet, these are the very ones that Jesus loves and encourages us to show love and compassion to. When we do this, we are doing it unto Jesus. Notice what Jesus says
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ – Matthew 25:40
The Gospel in Action
I think there is another truth here that we need to understand about the people Jesus is talking to. Sometimes before you can address the spiritual need of an individual you must acknowledge their physical need. The sheep because they care for the flock recognize this. The goats do not. In many instances, the best way to open the door to preach the gospel is to simply meet a need someone has. This could be food, shelter, or maybe just companionship. Jesus did this constantly when he walked the earth. When you study the Gospels, pay attention to the ones Jesus spent time with. It wasn’t usually the socially elite, but often it was the least of these. We should do the same. Consider what 1 John says,
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. – 1 John 3:16-18
I believe within this one passage it sums up the difference between the sheep and the goats.
Why Does He Wait Until the End to Separate Them?
If there is further food for thought beyond who the sheep and the goats are it would be this. Why does Jesus wait until the end of the age to do the separating? I can think of one important reason. Grace. One of the unique things about God’s character is that God never rushes to judgment. The Bible calls the judgment of God a strange act, which means it is not his first act and something he is never quick to execute. In fact, he would much rather pour out grace and mercy than judgment. Look at what Ezekiel says,
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. – Ezekiel 33:11
God in his great love and mercy waits as long as possible to judge those who are the goats because his heart is to give them as much time as possible to allow for repentance. This does not mean he won’t eventually bring judgment, but he is patient before he does.
Where Do You Go from Here?
If there is anything to learn about this story it’s simply this. Let’s take care of the least of these. This is how Jesus identified who are the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. The sheep cared. The goats didn’t. Could it simply be that the mark of your love for God is how you love the unlovable? How you care for those who are the less fortunate. How you address those that many in our society overlook. Jesus never did and we shouldn’t either. It is the difference between the sheep and the goats.
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This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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