On the final day, the Messiah will come to earth with all
the authority and power of the spirit world. On that day, he will establish his
kingdom. Every person on earth will be
gathered and all will stand in line like immigrants. Those whose paperwork checks out will be on
the right, and those whose paperwork is inadequate will stand on the left.
The king will say to those on his right, “I am overjoyed to
have you in my kingdom, which God has been preparing for you from the creation
of the world. I was hungry and you gave
me food. I was homeless and you gave me
a place to stay. I lacked clothing and
you clothed me. I was in need of companionship and you listened to me. I was
desperate for justice and you marched with me.
I was arrested and you picked me up from jail.”
These merciful looked confused and replied, “When did we do
this? When did we house you or help you or listen to you?”
The King responds, “I sent my people to you. When you acted
mercifully to them, you did the same to me.”
Then he turned to those on his left and said, “Leave me. Get out of my kingdom. Go and be punished with the devil, as you acted like him. For I was hungry and you ignored me. I was an immigrant and you pushed me away. I was freezing and you told me to get a job. I was lonely and you told me to shut up. I needed justice and you said my suffering was my own fault. I was arrested and you said I deserved it.”
They answered, “But when did we ignore you or say any of
these things to you? We honored you, Lord, our whole lives.”
The King replied, “When I sent my people in the garb of
poverty and need to you, this is how you treated them. Even so, this is how you treated me. I will have nothing to do with you.”
And these will go to punishment, but the merciful has a
place in the nation of the merciful.
-Matthew 25:31-46, SKV
