THE PASTURE

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 25

THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels, with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations, will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 “ ‘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 took me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’

40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’

44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

TELL THE LOTTERY TICKET STORY

PASTURE IMAGERY

Close your eyes and imagine a green pasture.

Rolling Hills.

Soft, gentle breezes with an endless sea of green grass.

Maybe some wildflowers mixed in.

At the edge, majestic ancient trees stand tall and proud.

A babbling stream with crystal-clear water, like liquid diamonds in the sunlight, invites you to sit and take in the beauty.

Butterflies, with delicate wings shimmering in the golden sunlight, dance around.

Birds chirping and filling the air with joyful songs.

A majestic blue sky with beautiful puffy white clouds.

A sense of peace envelops everything.

This pasture is a sanctuary of serenity, a testament to the beauty and wonder that can be found in the heart of nature.

This place is where the soul finds solace, and the spirit soars with delight.

Setting the Scene

Jesus paints a vivid picture of the final judgment.

He speaks of the Son of Man, seated on His throne in Heaven.

He is the GOOD SHEPHERD.

Separating people as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

The sheep represent the righteous, those who have embraced God’s love and mercy.

The goats symbolize the unrighteous, those who have turned away from God’s grace.

Why Sheep and Goats?

Because of their distinct behavioral traits.

Sheep are often seen as gentle, docile, and obedient animals.

They follow the shepherd and rely on his guidance.

They are so obedient that they will watch the sheep in front of them get slaughtered and will still come forward.

Some say it is because they are stupid, but others say it is because they are obedient and not afraid to die.

This is why the righteous are symbolized by the sheep.

Goats, on the other hand, are independent, stubborn, and prone to wandering.

They are all over the place, not listening to anything you say.

They destroy anything they can get their mouths on.

They headbutt anything that gets in their way.

They cry when they get in trouble and need you but run off to do more damage.

This is why the goat symbolizes the unrighteous.

The Shepherd’s Care

The Good Shepherd knows His sheep intimately.

He provides for them.

Protects them.

Leads them to green pastures.

These pastures represent the season of peace, comfort, and abundance that God grants us.

He commends the sheep (the righteous) in verse 34.

Why are the Sheep, Sheep?

They served Him without even realizing it.

For I was hungry, and you fed me.

I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.

I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.

I was naked, and you clothed me.

I was sick, and you visited me.I was in prison, and you came to me.

The righteous did these acts of compassion without expecting recognition or reward.

They were moved by love and empathy and recognized the presence of God in the faces of the needy.

They asked, "When did we see all of this?" and He said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters, you did for me.”

Why the unrighteous (goats) were confused?

I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat.

I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink.

I was a stranger, and you didn’t welcome me in.

I was naked, and you didn’t clothe me.

Sick and in prison, and you didn’t take care of me.

They asked, "When did we see all of this and not help you?"

"Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

They will go to eternal punishment.

The Pasture

The righteous will go to the beautiful, majestic pasture.

What lessons can we take away from this story?

It reminds us that the Christian life is not solely about personal salvation.

It is about extending the love and grace we have received to others.

It is about recognizing Christ in our neighbors, especially those who are suffering and in need.

We often forget our actions toward others.

We forget our response to Jesus’ call.

When we feed the hungry, we feed Jesus.

When we clothe the naked, we clothe Jesus.

When we visit the sick, we visit Jesus.

Challenge for this week

Our Shepherd’s love goes beyond Sunday worship.

Beyond personal devotion.

It's revealed in our daily interactions with those around us.

Our Shepherd knows us intimately.

He calls us to love one another as He has loved us.

Let's embrace the role of loving caretakers in the Shepherd’s pasture.

Let us be vigilant, for opportunities to serve our Lord are all around us.

May we serve Him faithfully by extending compassion and grace to our neighbors.

Knowing that in doing so, we are tending to the flock of the Good Shepherd Himself.

As we enter into prayer, may the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:40 resonate in our hearts:

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."