Open Day 14 Radical Offering: Digging Deeper
Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
Matthew 25:42-46
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me. 44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Original Intent
1) Who is speaking and who is the audience in this passage?
The One speaking in these verses is Jesus. This passage is part of His teaching that began in the previous chapter of Matthew. “As Jesus left and was going out of the temple…” (Matthew 24:1) As He proceeded from the temple and made His way to the Mount of Olives, Jesus made a startling statement, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” Obviously curious, the disciples privately approached Him (Matthew 24:3) with questions. Commentator Ray Stedman explains: “It was well known that the Romans were lovers of temples. It was their boast that they preserved, if at all possible, the temples and monuments of any country they conquered. They had been in power in Palestine for many years and they had not destroyed the Temple. There seemed no good reason, therefore, why this Temple should ever be destroyed. But Jesus solemnly assures them that there would not be one stone left standing upon the other.”
Matthew 24-25, often referred to as the Olivet Discourse, contain the long answer to the disciples’ questions. Matthew 26:1 indicates it was only the disciples with Jesus as He spoke. (Matthew 26:1)
2) Who are “they” in verse 44?
Contained in Jesus’ long answer to the disciples was a warning communicated through a parable. In His explanation of future events, Jesus designated every person a sheep or a goat. He also assigned them a position on the right and the left. Although we have no scriptural evidence for why He chose to make the goats the evil ones and the sheep the virtuous ones, Bible commentator Adam Clarke compares them in a helpful way:
“Sheep, which have ever been considered as the emblems of mildness, simplicity, patience and usefulness, represent here the genuine disciples of Christ. Goats, which are naturally quarrelsome, lascivious, and excessively ill-scented, were considered the symbols of riotous, profane, and impure men.” In this chapter, it’s evident that the message of the parable is much less about the characteristics of sheep and goats, and much more about how behavior indicates what is truly in a person’s heart. Jesus began by describing the deeds of the righteous sheep (Matthew 25:35-40) positioned on the right. In verse 44, He’s referring to the unrighteous goats on the left, previously mentioned in Matthew 25:41. These are “they”. When Christ returns, “they” will join all the others mentioned in chapters 24-25 who will spend eternity separated from God.
3) Based on verse 46, in its context of the entire passage, how is true, genuine righteousness demonstrated?
Chapter 25 ends with a serious statement from Jesus, just as chapter 24 does. (Matthew 24:51) The disciples’ questions regarding Jesus’ coming again and the “end of the age” gave Him an opportunity to again teach them about true righteousness as opposed to the false righteousness of the religious leaders of the day. (Matthew 5:20)
The Scriptures, Old Testament and New Testament both, clearly state what God means when He calls His people to righteousness. It’s not a call to work for our salvation, but it is a call to work out our salvation through obedience. James explains that true religion is demonstrated by our deeds. (James 1:26-27) This is especially true of how we respond to those in need within the church. The good works mentioned in Jesus’ parable are not meant to communicate that salvation is achieved by our efforts. He is stressing that our salvation will produce effects, including a compassion for others that motivates us to love through serving. The disciples very likely did not understand all that Jesus was saying about His returning (Matthew 24:27, 36, 44 and Matthew 25:13). He hadn’t even left yet! But one thing is certain, as commentator Adam Clarke reminds us:
“… the punishment inflicted on [these] was not because of their personal crimes; but because they were not good and were not useful … Their lives do not appear to have been stained with crimes, but they were not adorned with virtues. They are sent to hell because they did no good. They were not renewed in the image of God; and hence did not bring forth fruit to His glory.”
Everyday Application
1) Who is speaking and who is the audience in this passage?
Jesus taught and lived out compassion in front of His disciples in everyday life. His very purpose for coming to earth was to love other through serving them. (Mark 10:45) The disciples may have been slow learners, but that didn’t stop Jesus from teaching deep truths and demonstrating his compassionate love over and over. More than once, the disciples asked Jesus a question and they received an answer that was deeper and broader than they probably expected. Had we been in earshot of the conversation on the Mount of Olives, would we have chosen to keep following Him? The calling on the life of every disciple is exactly the same. What Jesus spoke on this day has just as much relevance today as it did then. As His followers, may we remain close to Him through His word. May we read and study this parable and pray for wisdom to practice the hospitality Jesus was teaching His disciples to live out with bold love.
2) Who are “they” in verse 44?
It’s doubtful that anyone participating in this Bible study desires to be counted with the goats in the parable Jesus told. Yet, we may find ourselves feeling guilty we aren’t serving our brothers and sisters in Christ the way we should. Though we should not compare our service to others, we would be wise to study the Scriptures that teach us to serve others, to pray for God’s leading and strength to do exactly this, and to seek how we can reach out to those God wants us to love through service. For those who have no desire to serve others, this is a serious message from Jesus: examine your heart. It may take time to discover the practical ways to meet the needs of others, but His sheep recognize His voice and are willing to obey His command to love and serve those “least” among us. (John 10:27-28)
3) Based on verse 46, in its context of the entire passage, how is true, genuine righteousness demonstrated?
The righteous have eternal life, not because we do great works, but because Christ did the great work on the cross. (Galatians 1:3-4)The eternal life we have in Him has already begun for those who are in Christ. While on earth, we are to live like He did while He was here. It’s a life that is outward focused, because we know our future with Christ. Truly righteous people who have been made new in Christ see others’ needs and serve them as Jesus would. The true believer does this not out of duty, but from a heart of gratitude for salvation and the rich, fullness of knowing Christ. Rosaria Butterfield was the recipient of genuine hospitality and it changed her life:
“Counterfeit hospitality seeks to impress and entertain. Counterfeit hospitality separates host and guest in ways that allow no blending of the two roles. It separates people into noble givers and needy receivers, or hired givers and privileged receivers. Counterfeit hospitality comes with strings; Christian hospitality comes with strangers becoming neighbors as they become the family of God. Radically ordinary hospitality is never convenient. A good question to ask yourself: What is the difference between inconvenient and impossible?”
What we do for the stranger, the disadvantaged, and the disabled we do for the Lord Jesus.
It’s real love in action. And it’s a crucial element in the believer’s life.
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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