When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:31-32
“The entire human race will be there. Think only of those who have lived down the centuries from Adam till today: an immense crowd. Besides them, the angels will be there too. It is impossible not to feel awestruck. And aside from the punishment to which we may be condemned, the idea that God will judge us in front of so many witnesses is frightening… How will He set about separating them? Will He leaf through some sort of register? No. He will judge on the basis of what He sees. Wool characterizes sheep: a shaggy, wrinkled skin marks goats by contrast. You, if you have been cleansed from your sins, will put on clothing woven from your holy deeds, and that clothing will be pure wool.”
Cyril of Jerusalem in Catecheses 15, 24ff (PG33, 904) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 404-405.
For Jesus, our actions reveal our beliefs. While we often proclaim our faith with words, Jesus wants us to demonstrate our faith with our works, or holy deeds. What holy deeds is He looking for? Read Matthew 25:34-36.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
While I am not making an eschatological predictions, the challenging times lead me to think that the end of all things could be near. If that’s true, this should be our greatest moment for rich generosity.
Might God be using the lockdown to give the whole world one last chance to humble themselves, confess their sins, and acknowledge His reign. It’s entirely possible, so let us live today in preparation for reward on judgment day.
But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 1 Corinthians 3:13-14
Whether our Lord Jesus Christ will tarry His return for weeks, months, or years, or whether He is coming soon, let’s be found serving others generously following His example. Does He see a sheep or a goat when He look at you?