Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 25:31-45

"But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me." — Matthew 25:31-45 (ASV)

Rabanus Maurus: After the parables about the end of the world, the Lord proceeds to describe the manner of the judgment to come.

St. John Chrysostom: Let us now listen with all attention and compunction of spirit to this most sweet section of Scripture, which we continually ponder, for Christ truly clothes this discourse with more terror and vividness. Accordingly, He does not say of this as of the others, "The kingdom of heaven is like," but reveals Himself directly, saying, "When the Son of man shall come in his majesty."¹

St. Jerome: He who was two days away from celebrating the Passover, to be delivered to the cross and mocked by men, fittingly now holds out the glory of His triumph, so that He may counterbalance the offenses that were to follow with the promise of reward. And it should be noted that He who will be seen in majesty is the Son of Man.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The wicked, and also those who will be set on His right hand, will see Him in human form, for He will appear at the judgment in that form which He took upon Himself from us. But it will be afterward that He will be seen in the form of God, for which all believers long.²

Remigius of Auxerre: These words overthrow the error of those who said that the Lord would not continue in the same form of a servant. By "His majesty," He means His divinity, in which He is equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, He will come again with glory, so that His body may be like it was when He was transfigured on the mountain. "His throne" is either certain of the more perfect saints, about whom it is written, For there are set thrones in judgment (Psalm 122:5); or it refers to certain angelic powers of whom it is said, Thrones or dominions (Colossians 1:16).

St. Augustine of Hippo: He will come down with the angels whom He will call from the heavenly places to hold judgment.³

St. John Chrysostom: "For all his Angels shall be with him" to bear witness to the ways they have administered to humanity's salvation at His command.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, by "angels" here He means men who will judge with Christ. For "angels" are messengers, and we rightly understand this to include all who have brought news of heavenly salvation to humanity.⁴

Remigius of Auxerre: "And all nations shall be gathered before Him." These words prove that the resurrection of humanity will be real.

St. Augustine of Hippo: This gathering will be carried out by the ministry of angels, as it is said in the Psalm, Gather to him his saints (Psalm 50:5).⁵

Origen of Alexandria: Or, we need not understand this as a local gathering, but that the nations will no longer be dispersed among diverse and false doctrines concerning Him. For Christ's divinity will be manifested so that not even sinners will any longer be ignorant of Him. He will not then show Himself as Son of God in one place and not in another, as He sought to express to us by the comparison of the lightning.

As long as the wicked know neither themselves nor Christ, and the righteous see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12), the good are not separated from the evil. But when the manifestation of the Son of God brings all people to the knowledge of Him, then the Savior will separate the good from the evil. For then sinners will see their sins, and the righteous will see clearly to what end the seeds of righteousness in them have led.

Those who are saved are called sheep because of the gentleness they have learned from Him who said, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly (Matthew 11:29), and because they are ready to go even to death in imitation of Christ, who was led as a sheep to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7).

The wicked are called goats, because they climb rough and rugged rocks, and walk in dangerous places.

St. John Chrysostom: Or, He calls the one sheep and the other goats to denote the unprofitableness of the latter and the fruitfulness of the former, for sheep are very productive in fleece, milk, and lambs.

Glossa Ordinaria: Under the figure of a sheep in Scripture is signified simplicity and innocence. Beautifully, then, the elect are denoted by sheep in this place.⁶

St. Jerome: Also, the goat is a lustful animal and was the offering for sins in the Law; and He does not say "she-goats," which can produce young and come up shorn from the washing (Song of Solomon 4:2).

St. John Chrysostom: Then He separates them in place.

Origen of Alexandria: For the saints who have done righteous works will receive, as a reward for their right works, the King's right hand, at which there is rest and glory. But the wicked, for their evil and sinister deeds, have fallen to the left hand—that is, into the misery of torments. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come," so that in whatever they are lacking, they may make it up when they are more perfectly united to Christ. He adds, "you blessed of my Father," to show how eminently blessed they were, being of old blessed of the LORD, which made heaven and earth (Psalm 115:15).

Rabanus Maurus: Or, they are called "blessed" to whom an eternal blessing is due for their good merits. He calls it the kingdom of His Father, ascribing the dominion of the kingdom to Him by whom He, the King, was begotten. For by His royal power, with which He will be exalted alone on that day, He will pronounce the sentence of judgment, "Then shall the King say."

St. John Chrysostom: Observe that He says not "Receive," but "possess," or "inherit," as due to you from of old.

St. Jerome: This phrase, "prepared for you from the foundation of the world," should be understood as referring to the foreknowledge of God, with whom things to come are as if they are already done.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Besides that kingdom of which He will say in the end, "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you," the present Church is also called His kingdom, though in a very inferior manner. In it, we are still in conflict with the enemy until we come to that kingdom of peace, where we will reign without an enemy.⁷

But someone will say, "I do not desire to reign; it is enough for me to be saved." In this they are deceived, first, because there is no salvation for those whose iniquity abounds; and, secondly, because if there is any difference between those who reign and those who do not, all must still be within the same kingdom, lest they be considered foes or aliens and perish while the others reign. Thus, all Romans inherit the kingdom of Rome, though not all reign in it.⁸

St. John Chrysostom: He shows for what reason the saints obtain the gift of this heavenly kingdom when He adds, "I was hungry, and you gave me to eat."

Remigius of Auxerre: And it should be noted that the Lord here enumerates six works of mercy, and whoever strives to accomplish them will be entitled to the kingdom prepared for the chosen from the foundation of the world.

Rabanus Maurus: Mystically, the one who refreshes the soul hungering and thirsting for righteousness with the bread of the word and the drink of wisdom, or who admits into the home of our mother the Church someone wandering in heresy or sin, or who strengthens the weak in faith—such a person discharges the obligations of true love.

St. Gregory the Great: Those to whom the Judge, at His coming, will say as they stand on His right hand, "I was hungry, etc." are the ones who are judged on the side of the elect and who reign. They are those who wash away the stains of their life with tears, who redeem former sins with subsequent good deeds, and who, whatever unlawful thing they have at any time done, have covered it from the Judge's eyes with a cloak of almsgiving. Others indeed there are who are not judged, yet reign, who have gone even beyond the precepts of the Law in the perfection of their virtue.⁹

Origen of Alexandria: It is from humility that they declare themselves unworthy of any praise for their good deeds, not that they are forgetful of what they have done. But He shows them His close sympathy with His own.

Rabanus Maurus: "Lord, when did we see you, etc." They say this not because they distrust the Lord's words, but because they are amazed at such great exaltation and at the greatness of their own glory. Or, they say it because the good they have done will seem so small to them, according to the Apostle: For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

St. Jerome: Indeed, we would be free to understand that it is Christ in every poor person whom we feed when he is hungry or give drink to when he is thirsty, and so on for other things. But when He says, "In that you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren," He seems to me not to speak of the poor generally, but of the poor in spirit—those to whom He pointed and said, Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother (Matthew 12:50).

St. John Chrysostom: But if they are His brethren, why does He call them "the least"? Because they are lowly, poor, and outcast. By these He means not only the monks who have retired to the mountains, but every believer, even if he is a layman. Though hungry or the like, He would have him receive merciful help, for baptism and communion in the divine mysteries make him a brother.

Origen of Alexandria: As He had said to the righteous, "Come, you blessed," so He says to the wicked, "Depart from me," for those who keep God's commandment are near to the Word and are called so that they may be brought nearer. But those who do not do His commands are far from it, though they may seem to stand close by. Therefore, it is said to them, "Depart," so that those who seemed to be living before Him might be seen no more.

It should be remarked that although He had said to the saints, "You blessed of my Father," He does not now say, "You cursed of my Father." This is because the Father is the author of all blessing, but each person is the origin of their own curse when they do things that deserve the curse. Those who depart from Jesus fall into eternal fire, which is of a very different kind from the fire we use, for no fire we have is eternal or even of any long duration.

And note that He does not say, "the kingdom prepared for the angels," as He does say, "everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels." This is because He did not, as far as it was in His power, create people for perdition. Rather, sinners yoke themselves to the Devil, so that just as those who are saved are made equal to the holy angels, those who perish are made equal to the Devil's angels.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It is clear from this that the same fire will be used for the punishment of humans and of demons. If, then, it inflicts pain by bodily touch so as to produce physical torment, how will there be any punishment in it for the evil spirits, unless the demons have, as some have thought, bodies composed of coarse and fluid air? But if anyone asserts that demons have no bodies, we would not stubbornly contend the point. For why may we not say that, truly, though wonderfully, even an incorporeal spirit can feel the pain of a corporeal fire? If the spirits of humans, though themselves incorporeal, can now be enclosed in bodily limbs, they can then be inseparably attached to the bonds of the body. The demons, then, will be united to a body of material fire—though they themselves are immaterial—drawing punishment from that body, not giving life to it. And that material fire will torture bodies such as ours along with their spirits; but the demons are spirits without bodies.¹⁰

Origen of Alexandria: Or it may be that this fire is of such a nature that it can burn invisible substances, being itself invisible, as the Apostle speaks, The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). Do not wonder when you hear that there is a fire which, though unseen, has power to torture, when you see that there is an internal fever that comes upon people and pains them grievously.

It follows, "I was hungry, and you gave me no meat." It is written to the believers, You are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). As the soul dwelling in the body, though it does not hunger in respect of its spiritual substance, yet hungers for the food of the body because it is yoked to the body, so the Savior suffers whatever His body, the Church, suffers, though He Himself is impassible.

And observe how in speaking to the righteous He lists their good deeds under their several kinds, but to the unrighteous He shortens the description under the one head, "I was sick and in prison, and you visited me not." This is because it was the part of a merciful Judge to enlarge and dwell upon people's good deeds, but to pass lightly and cursorily over their evil deeds.

St. John Chrysostom: Observe how they had failed in mercifulness, not in one or two respects only, but in all. Not only did they not feed Him when He was hungry, but they did not even visit Him when He was sick, which was easier. Notice also how light His commands are; He did not say, "I was in prison, and you did not set me free," but, "and you visited me not." Also, His hunger required no costly dainties, but only necessary food.

Each of these counts, then, is enough for their punishment. First, the simplicity of His request, namely, for bread. Second, the destitution of Him who sought it, for He was poor. Third, the natural feelings of compassion, for He was a man. Fourth, the expectation of His promise, for He promised a kingdom. Fifth, the greatness of Him who received, for it is God who receives in the poor. Sixth, the preeminent honor, in that He condescended to receive from humans. And, seventh, the righteousness of so bestowing it, for what He takes from us is our own. But avarice blinds people to all these considerations.

St. Gregory the Great: Those to whom this is said are the wicked believers, who are judged and perish. Others, being unbelievers, are not judged and yet perish, for there is no examination of the condition of those who appear before the face of an impartial Judge already condemned by their unbelief. But those who hold the profession of the faith, but do not have the works of their profession, are convicted so that they may be condemned. These at least hear the words of their Judge, because they have at least kept the words of His faith. The others hear no words from their Judge pronouncing a sentence of condemnation, because they have not paid Him honor even in word. For a prince who governs an earthly kingdom punishes the rebellion of a subject and the hostile attempts of an enemy in different ways. In the former case, he relies on his prerogative; against an enemy, he takes up arms and does not ask what penalty the law attaches to the crime.

St. John Chrysostom: Thus convicted by the words of the Judge, they answer submissively, "Lord, when did we see you, etc."

Origen of Alexandria: Mark how the righteous dwell upon each word, while the unrighteous answer summarily and do not go through the particular instances. For it is fitting for the righteous, out of humility, to disclaim each individual generous action when it is imputed to them publicly, whereas bad people excuse their sins and endeavor to prove them few and venial.

And Christ's answer conveys this. To the righteous He says, "In that you did it to my brethren," to show the greatness of their good deeds. To the sinners He says only, "to one of the least of these," not aggravating their sin. For they are truly His brethren who are perfect, and a deed of mercy shown to the more holy is more acceptable to God than one shown to the less holy; and the sin of overlooking the less holy is less than that of overlooking the more holy.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He is now discussing the last judgment, when Christ will come from heaven to judge the living and the dead. This day of divine judgment we call the Last Day—that is, the end of time. For we cannot tell through how many days that judgment will be prolonged, but "day," as is the custom in Holy Scripture, is used for "time." And we therefore call it the last or latest judgment because He both judges now and has judged from the beginning of the human race, when He cast out the first man from the tree of life and did not spare the angels that sinned. But in that final judgment, both humans and angels will be judged together. The divine power will bring each person's good and evil deeds into review before their memory, and one intuitive glance will present them to their perception, so that we will at once be condemned or acquitted in our consciences.¹¹

1. Hom. lxxix
2. in Joan Tr., 21
3. City of God, book xx, ch. 24
4. Serm. 351, 8
5. City of God, book xx, ch 24
6. non occ.
7. City of God, book xx, ch. 9
8. Serm. 351, 8
9. Mor. xxvi, 27
10. City of God, xxi, 10
11. City of God, book xx, ch. 1