Sheep and Goats

Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Matthew 25:31-46 

I am partial to both sheep and goats. Although sheep provide incredible varieties of soft wools, they aren't terribly bright. Goats, on the other hand, are feisty and inquisitive, always pushing the limits. It seems to me we need both in our world. I always struggled with this analogy since it seems as if the sheep are favored over the goats. I don't want God to separate out those who are lively, those who push the limits, those who live on the margins. And being left handed doesn't help things much either. I don't think of those things which go to the left side as being evil, but as comfortable and familiar. I think sheep and goats, as well as right and left, meant something very different to his first century audience than they so to me. But what is clear is the call to serving the least.

Jesus is teaching the people that to serve God, is to serve the people on the margins, the poor, the prisoners and those without homes or families. We are being called to care for the alien, the immigrant, the children who are strangers in our midst. Jesus is talking to the people then, and to us in this present age. As Indigenous people, we have always welcomed strangers and fed those who come to our communities. Sometimes that has led to our destruction. And yet, hospitality and care are a critical part of our societies. Jesus invites us today to examine our hearts, and to chose welcome and service over isolation and exclusion.

Today, I ask God to open my heart more and more. May we not judge and separate others, but rather see the face of Christ in each and every one. May this be the day where we welcome sheep and goats alike, understanding that God loves each and every one of us.