Bishop Stacy F. Sauls reflects on the parable of the sheep and the goats, and the teaching that the Son of Man and the poor are one in God's eyes.
As you well know by now, this week’s gospel reading (Mt. 25:31-46), the parable of the sheep and goats, is particularly important to me. It forms the basis of a lot of my theological thinking, and it is the lens through which I see the church, the world, and the interaction between the two. In truth, it is the passage that forms the basis of how I understand the basic interaction between God and humanity, Christian or not. It has everything to do with how I understand mission.
You remember the story. The Son of Man gathers all of humanity together and separates them as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. The sheep, gathered at the right hand, are blessed; the goats, gathered at the left, are condemned. The basis of the judgment has to do with how one has responded to the needs of the poor, giving them food when hungry, drink when thirsty, welcome when lonely, clothing when needed, and whether one has visited them when sick or in prison. “Truly I tell you,” says the Son of Man, “ just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” The Son of Man and the poor are one. It is a radical teaching.