Every generation of Christians faces the temptation to domesticate Jesus—to trim his words until they fit neatly inside our existing politics, preferences, and comfort. The current debate erupting in Washington over Matthew 25 is simply the latest, most public version of that ancient struggle. Read the source article for the full account of how a single chapter of Scripture has become a flashpoint between lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. But before we weigh in on the political argument, we must ask the more urgent question: What did Jesus actually mean, and what does his answer demand of us?
The Passage at the Center
In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus describes the final judgment in vivid, unsettling terms. The Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, and before him are gathered all the nations. He separates them as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. To those on his right he says,