Whatsoever you do; Part two

Whatsoever you do; Part Two

To keep everything in context we need to look at Mathhew’s eschatalogical discourse since it deals with the coming of the new age in its fullness and the events that will precede it.  Perhaps this narrative is the most scathing prediction of the end times and the different needs of keeping our eyes open and listening to what Jesus is exhorting in a warning to be ready.

The destruction of the Temple is foretold and it is the beginning of calamities that all will see and many will live through.  It would be a time of great fear and the signs which precede all of these will refer back to Old Testament prophecies especially Daniel and Isaiah.  When reading the book of Revelation see the many similarities found in the book of Daniel.  

Jesus told the disciples saying; “See that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name saying, I am the Messiah, and they will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place.  All these are the beginning of labor pains.”  (Mt. 24: 4 - 8).  

Daniel also is warning King Nebuchadnezzar about the dream he interpreted for the king regarding a large bronze statue.  In the dream while you (the king) was looking on Daniel told him a large stone hewn from a mountain struck the statue and its tile feet breaking them into pieces.  After the destruction of the statue which represented the destruction of his kingdom, the wind blew it all away.  A warning to those who worship in idolatry and the end will come to many.

When Jesus gathered his disciples together he stated; the final judgment as in a king separating sheep from goats.  To those on the right  (the sheep) he said 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 see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And the king will say to them in reply, ``Amen, I say to you whatever you did for the least brothers of mine you did for me.”  (Mt. 25: 31 - 40).

A concluding acclamation of praise for those who follow Christ in spite of the signs and warnings of things that are coming.

Then he will say to those on his left (the goats) “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 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.”   (Mt. 25: 41 -46).  

King Nebuchadnezzar repented, but these whom Jesus was speaking about have an opportunity to also have a change of heart.  However, with the condition of the world in its complete rejection of God with idol worship; power, money, lack of concern for human life, there will be many heading down the wide road to perdition without turning around to see from where they came.

Are the words spoken by Jesus just a thought process that may or may not occur?  Those who have ears to hear listen!  The end is close and so is the truth that the reality of justice is absolute and those who fit the mode of goats in the parable should adhere to this reaching. 

Ralph B. Hathaway