Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

 

The Son of Man gathers together around Him the nations of the world. He separates people as the shepherd does with the sheep and the goats. The shepherd does not make a mistake. Jesus does not make a mistake. Jesus does not judge nor condemn. He does not separate alone. It is the person himself/herself who judges and condemns because of the way in which he/she behaves.

 

Those who are at the right hand of the judge are called Blessed! They accepted the Judge when he was hungry, thirsty, a foreigner, naked, sick and prisoner. Because of the way of speaking about my Father and the Son of Man, we can know that the Judge is precisely Jesus Himself. He identifies Himself with the little ones!

 

The justice of the Kingdom is not attained by observing norms and prescriptions, but rather by accepting those in need. It is strange that the just do not even know themselves when they accepted Jesus in need. Jesus responds: Every time that you have done this to one of my brothers. Jesus identifies Himself with them. In the broader context of the last parable, the expression “my smallest brothers” is extended and includes all those who have no place in society. 

 

Those who were on the other side of the Judge are called cursed and they are destined to go to the eternal fire: they did not accept or welcome Jesus as one who is hungry, thirsty, a foreigner, naked, sick and/or a prisoner. It is not that Jesus prevents them from entering into the Kingdom, rather it is our way of acting that is our blindness which prevents us from seeing Jesus in the little ones.

 

They were surprised when the Judge says that they did not accept Him, did not welcome Him. It is the omission! They did not do anything extra. They only missed practicing good towards the little ones and the excluded. 

 

In the saints and Church Fathers we have a lot to learn about virtues and vices. It is not enough to just avoid vice, or sin, but to also work toward attaining virtue and virtuous behavior. To do no harm is not the same as to help. This is what we are called to do: to not just avoid doing wrong or harm, but to go out of our way to do good as well.