Matthew 25:40

It is commonly supposed that the judgment spoken of in this chapter is the last judgment — the general judgment. This is a mistake. It is the judgment of the nations living on the earth, and not of the dead. There is no question of resurrection here. It is the judgment of the nations… People think it is the judgment of the dead because of this sentence: "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." But that only means the judgment of the living will be final, just as the judgment of the dead is final.

Almost everyone in the Christian world believes that "the sheep" stand for all God's people, from the beginning of time to the end. They believe "the goats" stand for all the wicked, from first to last. But if that is so, what are we to make of the third party referred to here, under the title of "these My brethren"? The King addresses both the sheep and the goats about this third class. Indeed, the very ground of judgment is the treatment of the King's brethren. It would be an obvious absurdity to say the sheep were themselves the people referred to. If that were so, the wording would be quite different. Instead of "as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers," we would hear the King say, "as you did it to one another."

The "brethren," I have no doubt, will be the remnant who will have preached the gospel of the kingdom among the Gentiles. The welcome given to those messengers decides the outcome for those who now appear in judgment. Just as surely, I believe they are Jews who will carry this testimony, and whom Jesus calls His brethren at that time.

The pressure against His messengers will be enormous. If any receive them well, it will be from faith. I grant that the measure of their faith is small. They do not yet know that honouring His brothers is honouring Him.

The true state of every heart is known to God quite apart from works. Yet public judgment always goes by works. Works show exactly what that state is. So everyone can see that God judges rightly… Those who had faith declared it by their works. Those who had no faith equally declared it by their works.

They were, up to that moment, ignorant that in showing acts of love and kindness toward Christ's messengers, so much was done toward Christ Himself. Their last lesson was the first one Paul learned on the road to Damascus. The words that shook him were these: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." The Lord taught Paul that to persecute His people on earth is to persecute Christ in heaven. They and Christ are one.

Those who would strike a blow at Christ today strike at His saints. Those who would serve Christ today care for and serve His saints. What is done to even the least of His brethren, He will accept as done to Himself… Real devotion to Christ shows itself in service to His cause and His people, far more than in warm words.

We know this verse applies to others, not to us, but the principle still holds for everyone. The act here is done in secret. Where the heart is moved by love for Christ to show even the smallest kindness, the Lord will not forget it.