Matthew 25:40
Bible verses · Also called: Matt. 25:40, Mt 25:40, Unto one of the least of these, The least of these my brethren, Parable of the sheep and the goats, Ye have done it unto me
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And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
The verse in the parable of the sheep and the goats in which the King says, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." It is the passage most often cited as a basis for serving the poor, and interpreters differ over who "the least of these" are.
Context
This verse belongs to the final section of the Olivet Discourse. Following the parables of the ten virgins and the talents, the passage depicts the Son of man coming in his glory and judging all nations, separating them as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. The King tells those on his right hand that when he was hungry they gave him food, when he was a stranger they took him in, and when he was sick and in prison they cared for him. When they ask when they did these things, he answers with verse 40. To those on his left, by contrast, he says, "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me" (25:45).
Interpretations
- All the needy: This view takes "the least of these" to mean everyone who is hungry, sick, or imprisoned, and reads the passage as Christ identifying himself with those who suffer. Catholic social teaching, many Protestant traditions of social ministry, and liberation theology emphasize this reading.
- The disciples: In Matthew, "my brethren" usually refers to Jesus' disciples (12:49-50; 28:10). Connecting the passage with 10:40-42, which speaks of the reward for receiving disciples, some interpreters understand it to mean that the nations of the world will be judged by how they treated the disciples who brought them the gospel. Some evangelical scholars support this reading.
Controversies and Issues
Because the parable appears to present judgment as rendered according to works, it raises the question of how it relates to the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith. Protestants generally regard these deeds as the fruit of genuine faith, and they point out that the righteous did not even know what they had done (25:37-39), indicating that these were not good works performed with an eye to merit. Catholic teaching places greater emphasis on works of love as genuinely participating in salvation.
In the Korean Church
The verse is widely used as a foundational text for church charity and social service, for ministries to the homeless, migrants, and prisoners, and for medical missions.
Related Passages
- Matthew 10:40-42
- Proverbs 19:17
- James 2:15-17
- 1 John 3:17-18
See also 6
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