SHEEP OR GOATS?

One passage that has troubled me in the area of Social Justice, (See:  WHO CARES FOR THE POOR? 4/21/2011) is Matthew 25:31-46 – the judgment of the nations.  Is it relevant at all to the question?  It seems so – but? 

“Whenever the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory and all the nations will be gathered together before Him and He will separate them from each other as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And He will stand the sheep on His right and the goats on His left” (31-33).

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, naked and you clothed Me, sick and you visited Me, in prison and you came to me” (34-36).

            “Then the righteous will answer Him saying, ‘Lord when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give you a drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  When did we see You sick or in prison and come to You?’” (37-39)

            “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I tell you, in that you did it to one of these, the least of My brothers, you did it to Me!’” (40)

            “Then He will say to those on the left, ‘Go away from Me, cursed ones into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you didn’t give Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you didn’t give Me a drink, I was a stranger and you didn’t take Me in, naked and you didn’t  clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn’t visit Me’” (41-43).

            “Then they also will answer saying, ‘Lord when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or in prison and we didn’t serve You?’” (44)

            “Then He will answer them saying, ‘Truly I tell you, in that you didn’t do it to one of these, the least ones, you didn’t do it to Me!’  And these will go away to eternal torment, but the righteous to eternal life” (45, 46).

I’ve checked out many commentaries on this passage and find that it is always interpreted within the theological framework of the interpreter.

I must admit that for years I have done the same, buying the standard dispensational line, which essentially relieves me of any personal responsibility.  (We dispensationalists like interpretations like that.  8^)  )  This line says that Jesus is speaking of His return at the end of the great tribulation and that this is His judgment of individuals and how they treated the saved of the tribulation, especially Israel and the 144,000.  It has nothing to do with me (of course, I’ll have been raptured) or with the “nation” of America.

Another common interpretation is that this is the general judgment (or “judgment day” in popular usage).  In this view, all judgments spoken of throughout the New Testament are the same.  So this is the same judgment that is spoken of in Romans 2:1-16, (see especially verses 5 and 6).  It is the same as the judgment at the Great White Throne in Revelation 20:11-15.  This is a universal judgment at which all people are going to be gathered and the saved and lost are to be separated, some to eternal life and some to eternal destruction.  The criteria given in these and other passages, though they seem to be pointing to a salvation by works, are not what they seem.  They are simply works as pointing to faith.  Only those of faith will do these works and only those who do these works have genuine faith, a sort of James 2:18 situation.  Seeing as how I have placed my faith in Christ for my salvation, I shouldn’t worry – right?  But somehow this passage can throw doubt on my position and that of most of us (Mother Theresa and a few others excepted).

There are, of course, other interpretations, but most seem to be variations of the above two.

However, I have for a long time felt uncomfortable with all the interpretations and so have been pondering a possible alternative understanding.

I’ll start by looking at the Greek word ETHNE in verse 32.  Every translation I have consulted translates it “nations” in this passage, even though every commentary I’ve consulted tells me it speaks of individuals.  I think we have a problem here.

ETHNOS (plural ETHNE) can have two different meanings.  One meaning and translation, whether used in the singular or plural, is “nation” or “people” (Acts 8:9; 10:21; 13:19).  The second meaning (plural only) is of non-Jews, and is usually translated “gentiles” or “heathen,” or sometimes, “pagan.”

So what meaning does Jesus have in mind in verse 22?  Is He speaking of His judgment of individual persons – gentiles, or is He speaking of nations as nations?

Whenever we read eschatological passages (those having to do with future end time events) we are drawn back to the Hebrew prophets.  Jesus was, among other things, a prophet and He used the language of His predecessors.  At least two ancient passages are alluded to here by Jesus.

The first is in Daniel chapter 7, where Jesus’ title for Himself – the Son of Man – is found.

“I kept looking in the night visions,

And look, with clouds of heaven, One like a Son of Man was coming.

And He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented to Him.

And to Him was given dominion, glory and kingship,

that all peoples, nations and tongues should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away,

and His kingship one that will not be destroyed.”

Daniel 7:13, 14

It seems that Jesus is speaking in Matthew 25:31 of that same future event, when He will return to reign.  The whole context of Daniel 7 is that of a vision of future kingdoms of the world, portrayed as rapacious beasts, each crushing the previous one, to be finally overcome by the Son of Man and the “People of the Most High,” and His and their rule established for eternity.

A second passage is in Joel chapter 3 (chapter 4 in Hebrew):

“For look, in those days and in that time,

When I return the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,

I will gather all the nations,

And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat

And I will enter into judgment with them there

On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel

Whom they scattered among the nations

And they divided My land

And they cast lots for My people

And they traded a boy for a whore

And sold a girl for wine – and they drank” (Joel 3:1-3).

 In the Septuagint, the expression “all the nations” (PANTA TA ETHNE) is the same as that in Matthew 25:32.  The word “gather” is the same except for a different form.

It seems clear that both of these passages relate to the same future event that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 25:31ff.  And if in these two passages, it is not individual persons who are being spoken of, but nations as nations – politically organized units of people – can’t we deduce that Jesus is also speaking of the same?

In the Old Testament context, they are being judged at a particular moment of time for their treatment of God’s people.  In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is expanding on this theme, giving greater detail as to the particular criteria for judgment and placing this judgment clearly at His return in glory and the beginning of His eternal earthly reign.  Of course, God’s people in the Old Testament is the Covenant nation of Israel, while in Matthew, Jesus speaks of the nations’ treatment of His “brothers” (Matthew 25:40).  Are they the same group?

The Greek word ADELPHOS is usually translated “brother” or plural, “brothers” throughout the New Testament, though we should note that the plural form can include the sisters as well.  However, when it is not used of physical siblings it can refer to fellow Israelites, or fellow believers in Christ.  Context, of course, determines, though the distinction is not always clear, especially in the Gospels.  Jesus’ disciples and other listeners are often instructed as to their behavior toward their “brothers” (Matthew 5:22-24, 47; 7:3-5; etc.) without it being clear as to who these people are.

Besides the reference in Matthew 25:40, there are only two other places where Jesus speaks of His “brothers.”  The first is, “’Who is my mother and who are my brothers?’  And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘See My mother and My brothers.  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, this one is My brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:48-50; Mark 3:33-35; Luke 8:21).  The second time is when He tells the women and Mary to give His “brothers” instructions after the resurrection (Matthew 28:10; John 20:17).  This is clearly a reference to His disciples as the contexts show.  Nowhere do we read of His referring to His fellow Israelites as His brothers.

So we are left to conjecture.  Are they Israelites?  Disciples?  Some other group?

So here are some thoughts, for what they’re worth.

It is difficult to imagine that this same Jesus, the One who was a Friend of sinners, who taught us to love our neighbors and even our enemies, would be concerned only about the treatment of a particular group, whether Jews or Christians.  Would the One whose Father cares for birds not also be concerned about all mankind?  Would He not hold the nations accountable for their treatment of the “least” among them?

So I’ll assume that by “these, the least of My brothers,” Jesus is referring to all those in need of care.

And if my interpretation of “nations” is correct, then He is going to judge the nations of the world as nations, not individuals, when He returns.  This has to do with whether they will enter His eternal Kingdom – to continue to exist on earth during the Millennium and beyond – or to suffer eternal destruction.

This would also include a judgment of the rulers of these nations.  And it should be noticed, it is not simply the great evil despots and their nations that will be condemned – not just those like Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin and Pol Pot.  The nations are not to be judged only for their oppression and despotism, not just their sins of commission, but for their sins of omission.  They will be judged for their care for those in need, or for their failure to care.

In this passage, it is not what the nations have done for which they are to be condemned, but for what they have failed to do.

And I believe we as Americans must ask whether our nation is going to be placed on Jesus’ right or left hand (verse 33) at this judgment.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on these matters.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, 18

Dogs and Pigs

Matthew 7:6

Another of Jesus’ frequently quoted sayings is Matthew 7:6 as rendered in the KJV:  “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”

Most of us probably have some idea of what Jesus means but aren’t quite sure about who these dogs and pigs are or why He says it, or why He says it here, or how we carry out these instructions.

This verse follows immediately after a warning about judging which also includes instructions about how to deal with an (apparently) erring brother.  Many translations, as well as my Greek text, put it in a separate paragraph from the preceding, though there seems to be some connection implied.  I’m going to assume, from the context, that Jesus is still on the topic of judging.

It seems apparent that the unflattering words, “dogs” and “pigs” are metaphors for persons; but who are these persons?

Dogs in the Old Testament times were not cute cuddly house pets.  They were half-wild scavengers, the garbage and sewage disposal systems of their day (Exodus 22:31), even at times consuming human corpse (1 Kings 14:11; 16:4).  To call a person a dog seems to be the ultimate of deprecations (2 Samuel 16:9).  In one passage the word “dog” appears to be a euphemism for a male prostitute (Deuteronomy 23:18).

By Jesus’ day, the idea hadn’t changed much although it had also become a derogatory term for gentiles or non-Jews.  This is seen in the dialog between Jesus and the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28 (the word used there is a word for “little dogs”).

Later, Paul uses the word to describe the Judaizers, those who attempted to bring his new converts under the Jewish law (Philippians 3:3).  In Revelation 22:15, dogs are named along with sorcerers, fornicators, murderers, idolaters and liars as those who are banished outside of the future Holy City.

Pigs or swine, of course, are seen as the ultimate in unclean animals (Leviticus 11:1, 2, 7; Deuteronomy 14:8).

Pearls aren’t clearly mentioned in the Old Testament.  It is not always clear what gems or precious stones are meant by the various Hebrew words.  The NASB translates the Hebrew PENINIM as pearls in Job 28:18.  Job 28 is an interlude in the book of Job extolling God’s wisdom and comparing it here to precious stones.

So Jesus here is telling His hearers that their wisdom is not to be wasted on people who would be unclean, vile, false teachers.  And in the context this requires judgment in the sense of discernment.  How do we ascertain who these persons are who apparently are not worth wasting our time on and who might do us harm?

Jesus Himself seems to make this distinction a number of times.  In Matthew 13, He gives what we might call His philosophy of parables.

“For this reason I speak to them in parables, because while seeing they don’t see and while hearing they don’t hear nor understand” (verse 13).

“But your eyes are blessed (lucky?) because they see and your ears because they hear” (verse 16).

In fact, this seems to be a common practice and teaching of Jesus.  We see it in His instruction to “shake off the dust of your feet” (10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5) when rejected by any.

We see it in His refusal to answer Herod’s question at His trial (Luke 23:8, 9).

So Jesus is here warning us of the need for discernment.  There are those on whom we have to, in a sense, pass judgment – the judgment to not waste God’s wisdom on them.  The very act of communicating God’s truth to them may endanger us.

I believe that the persons referred to are those who have hardened themselves to the truth to the point where further attempts at persuasion can be dangerous.  Some Bible teachers have even referred to this as “judicial hardening.”  Because they have become so calloused and hardened against the truth, God allows them to go on in that hardened state.  In Romans, chapter 1, Paul even uses the phrase, “God handed them over” (verses 24, 26, 28) to further hardening and the consequences of that hardening.

But how do we discern, how do we decide who these persons are?  Jesus doesn’t say clearly in this passage.  And we can easily see how this teaching, if misapplied, could lead to a judgmental attitude.  We could easily find ourselves carrying placards with the words:  “GOD HATES DOGS” or “GOD HATES PIGS” or “GOD HATES ______” (whomever we have designated as dogs or pigs).

Some thoughts on carrying out these instructions:

·        They are to be carried out in love, with the best interests of these persons in mind.  They need the truth.
·        We cannot determine their hardened state without attempting to throw them a few “pearls”.  It is best to be careful, but not overly cautious.
·        Their hardened state may be temporary.  We should not give up on them permanently.
·        We should be careful of being drawn into senseless arguments.  As Paul warned Titus “… but avoid foolish disputes and … strafes and fights about law, because they are unprofitable and vain” (Titus 3:9).
·        “God our Savior … wants all persons to be saved and come into knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3, 4).

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, 17

Judging

Matthew 7:1-5

This past Sunday on CBS Sunday Morning, Charles Osgood gave a brief history of the making of the King James Bible.  Throughout his narrative he wove familiar quotes from that version, demonstrating how many of our little sayings, quotes and clichés are derived from that source.  Altogether I counted a dozen and I’m sure he could have gone on and on had he chosen to:  “drop in a bucket,” “twinkling of an eye,” “fight the good fight,” “the powers that be,” etc., etc.  I suppose the origin of these sayings was quite a surprise to many of the present generation – if they’d been watching.

Two passages that weren’t mentioned, but which we often hear are:  “Judge not that ye be not judged” and “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone …” Often these sayings are paraphrased (Lincoln paraphrased the first in his Second Inaugural Address) and frequently they are used by the person who feels he is being judged or accused.

But did Jesus just give us this teaching to use as a defense for our behavior, good or bad?  Or is He instructing us to simply be tolerant toward others, no matter what their behavior?  Is He demanding moral neutrality on every issue?

There’s much more to His command to “judge not,” if we examine it in its immediate context as well as other passages having to do with judgment.

“Do not judge, in order that you may not be judged.  For you will be judged by the judgment you judge and you will be measured by the measure you measure with.” (Matthew 7:1, 2)

“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look – there’s a beam in your own eye?’” (7:3, 4)

“Hypocrite!  First take the beam out of your eye and then you’ll see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (7:5)

One thing that we immediately notice is that Jesus Himself appears to be judging in this passage.  He apparently has noticed the beams in His hearers’ eyes.  “Hypocrite” (verse 5) sounds like a judgmental word.  He clearly is referring to people in verse 6, whom He refers to as “dogs” and “pigs.”  A bit farther on He speaks of certain people as headed for destruction (verse 13), of false prophets – wolves in sheep’s clothing (verse 15).  He compares people to trees, bearing good or bad fruit and says we will “know them by their fruits” (verse 16ff).  In fact, Jesus seems to be doing exactly what He warns His hearers against doing!  Is He telling us, “Do as I say, not as I do?”

Well I suppose we might say that, if we take verse 1 as it is interpreted in popular usage.  But if we make the reasonable assumption that Jesus does not violate His own moral standards, then we have to ask, exactly what is He warning against?

The Greek word translated “judge” here is KRINO, which very much like our English word, has a broad range of meaning.   Some of the possible meanings are:  administer justice; criticize; find fault with; condemn; hand over for punishment; but it can also have the meaning of decide, discern or distinguish.

In the preceding context (chapter 6), He has been warning His hearers against hypocrisy, greed and worry.  If we go farther back (5:17-48), He has warned His hearers of thinking that God’s Law is merely external.  He has demanded moral perfection (5:20, 48).

So it’s possible for one to take all these moral requirements and use them as a standard for evaluating others, to look around and comfort myself by noting that the others around me are no more living up to Jesus’ standards then I am.  I believe that this is one danger that Jesus is warning against here:  finding fault, criticizing, even condemning my brother.

There are two possible ways of understanding the warnings in verses 1 and 2.  They may mean that the standards we use on others will be the standards they use on us.  This would serve as a lead-in to verse 12, “the golden rule.”  “Whatever you want people to do to you, so you do to them.”

But it could also be saying that the moral standards we use in judging others will be the standards to which God holds us accountable in His judging us.  This is what Paul clearly says in Romans 2:1:  “Therefore, you are inexcusable O man, everyone who judges, for in that you judge the other, you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same thing.”

I hope we can all see Jesus’ sense of humor in His illustration (verses 3, 4):  a guy with a 2x4 sticking out of his eye, groping at the eye of the second person, trying to clean out his eye while banging him and anyone else around.  I can imagine that it would be impossible to help the brother without bruising him or even breaking his bones with the wildly swinging 2x4.  Definitely doing more harm than good, if any good could be accomplished.  Perhaps the illustration is implying that sometimes our good intention – to help our brother – can actually do him (and others) more serious damage than his original problem.
 

It is easy and dangerous to stop at verse 4, because it is the next verse (5) that tells us what we should be doing.  We should be helping our brother deal with his fault.  The warning is against attempting to deal with our brother before dealing with my own sins and faults.  I am to make sure my sins have been dealt with through repentance and confession.  Paul again:  “Brothers, if a person is caught in some trespass, you the spiritual, restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness (see Matthew 5:5), looking at yourself lest you also should be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

Notice that in neither situation are we to just ignore our brother’s fault or sin.  We aren’t to use these passages as an excuse.  “Well, I can’t help him; I’ve got faults of my own to deal with!”  What Jesus (and Paul) is saying is something like, “Deal with your sin.  Then help your brother with his!”  In fact, it is only when we have done so that we will be able to help our brother.

WHO CARES ABOUT THE POOR?

I have often heard (or read) mantras similar to the following spoken by Christians – often by those who themselves are giving people, who take seriously the passages about caring for the poor:

·        “It’s not the government’s responsibility to feed the poor.”

·        “If the church was taking care of its responsibility of feeding the poor, the government wouldn’t have to.” 

But are these sayings true?  Is it even the church’s responsibility to feed all the poor?  And if it is, do we even have the resources to do so?  It would seem to me that with the number of poor increasing, the mathematics would demonstrate that it is an impossible task for the church alone to fulfill.  So then whose responsibility are the poor? 

The New Testament seems clear that we believers have a responsibility to provide for the material needs of our families and of our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as others.  (See:  POOR PEOPLE.) 

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). 

“If a brother or sister is naked and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you don’t give them their daily bodily needs, what use is that?’” (James 2:15, 16). 

And Jesus spoke also of giving to the poor – the poor in general, without a qualifier.  In fact, He seems to make that a requirement for discipleship (Matthew 19:21).  An examination of both the Old and New Testaments show that God is concerned about the poor. 

In the Torah – the Old Testament books of the Law, God made numerous provisions for the care of the poor and needy:

·        The release of debt every seventh (sabbath) year as well as the 50^th (Jubilee) year (Deuteronomy 15:1-11; Leviticus 25:1-55).

·        During the seventh year the land was to “rest and lie fallow” and be left for the needy to eat (Exodus 23:10, 11).

·        The ‘gleaning’ laws.  The Israelites were not to harvest their fields or vineyards clean, but were to leave some for “the poor and the alien” ((Leviticus 19:9, 10; Deuteronomy 25:19-22).

·        Fair lending practices (Exodus 22:24-26; Deuteronomy 24:10-13).

·        Fair wages, paid every day (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14, 15).

·        A full tithe (10%) of their produce was to be set aside every third year for the Levite … the alien, the orphan and the widow” (Deuteronomy 14:28, 29; 26:12, 13).  This was considered a “second tithe,” apparently over and above the regular tithe.  We should also remember that the tithe was a requirement, more like a tax.  It was not a freewill offering.

Solomon’s prayer for himself and his kingdom in Psalm 72, while it contains many requests for prosperity and expansion, also contains requests for himself as a benefactor of the poor and an administrator of social justice.  Many scholars regard this as a Messianic Psalm, in which Solomon’s reign prefigures that of the coming Messiah.  Nevertheless it gives us a picture of what God expects of the king over His people. 

Psalm 72:

“Of Solomon

O God, give Your judgments to the king,

And Your righteousness to the King’s son. (1)

May he judge Your people with righteousness,

And Your lowly ones with justice. (2)

May he give justice to the lowly of the people,

Save the children of the needy,

And crush their oppressors. (4)

For he rescues the needy who cries out,

And the lowly and the one who has no helper. (12)

He has compassion on the poor and needy

And saves the lives of the needy. (13)

He redeems them from fraud and violence,

And their blood is precious in his eyes.” (14) 

It would seem that, while God had given laws to His people regarding social justice, it was the king’s responsibility to see that these laws were carried out. 

The situation is different today.  In Moses’ and even in Solomon’s day, the government was a theocracy.  We might say that “church” and “state” were one.  We – God’s people, the church – live under a different dispensation.  The government under which we live is a secular government.  So we might ask if God’s requirements of care for the poor have changed.  In other words, does the government of the United States of America have any responsibility toward the poor?  Or are the statements in the first lines of this post correct? 

I contend that God holds human governments accountable for what is known as “social justice.”  Our government is responsible for the poor and needy, for their provision and protection.

According to Romans 13:1-5 and 1 Peter 2:14, God has established human government to punish evil and reward good, or in other words, to promote justice.  (See:  WHAT ABOUT ROMANS 13? and THE TWO KINGDOMS.)  Because the New Testament gives little detail as to the various aspects of justice, I believe we can legitimately infer that social justice is one very important aspect.

If this is so, then we who are citizens of a representative democracy are members of that government and are responsible to cast our votes and make our thoughts known as to our government’s care for the poor and underprivileged.

More later.