31 "But 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 from one another , as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats ; 33 and 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 of 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 invited Me in; 36 naked , and you clothed Me; I was sick , and you visited Me; I was in prison , and you came to 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 'And when did we see You a stranger , and invite You in, or naked , and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick , or in prison , and come to You?' 40 " The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent e that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine , even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left , ' Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been 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 did not invite Me in; naked , and you did not clothe Me; sick , and in prison , and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves also will answer , 'Lord , when did we see You hungry , or thirsty , or a stranger , or naked , or sick , or in prison , and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent e that you did not do it to one of the least of these , you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment , but the righteous into eternal life ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 25:31-46
Commentary on Matthew 25:31-46
(Read Matthew 25:31-46)
This is a description of the last judgment. It is as an explanation of the former parables. There is a judgment to come, in which every man shall be sentenced to a state of everlasting happiness, or misery. Christ shall come, not only in the glory of his Father, but in his own glory, as Mediator. The wicked and godly here dwell together, in the same cities, churches, families, and are not always to be known the one from the other; such are the weaknesses of saints, such the hypocrisies of sinners; and death takes both: but in that day they will be parted for ever. Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd; he will shortly distinguish between those that are his, and those that are not. All other distinctions will be done away; but the great one between saints and sinners, holy and unholy, will remain for ever. The happiness the saints shall possess is very great. It is a kingdom; the most valuable possession on earth; yet this is but a faint resemblance of the blessed state of the saints in heaven. It is a kingdom prepared. The Father provided it for them in the greatness of his wisdom and power; the Son purchased it for them; and the blessed Spirit, in preparing them for the kingdom, is preparing it for them. It is prepared for them: it is in all points adapted to the new nature of a sanctified soul. It is prepared from the foundation of the world. This happiness was for the saints, and they for it, from all eternity. They shall come and inherit it. What we inherit is not got by ourselves. It is God that makes heirs of heaven. We are not to suppose that acts of bounty will entitle to eternal happiness. Good works done for God's sake, through Jesus Christ, are here noticed as marking the character of believers made holy by the Spirit of Christ, and as the effects of grace bestowed on those who do them. The wicked in this world were often called to come to Christ for life and rest, but they turned from his calls; and justly are those bid to depart from Christ, that would not come to him. Condemned sinners will in vain offer excuses. The punishment of the wicked will be an everlasting punishment; their state cannot be altered. Thus life and death, good and evil, the blessing and the curse, are set before us, that we may choose our way, and as our way so shall our end be.