Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’”     (Matthew 25:32-34)

I had always interpreted this passage of Scripture to be the categorical singling out of some as sheep and others as goats: I’m good; you’re bad. I’m right; you’re wrong. I’m a sheep; you’re a goat.

But this is a passage where I submit a different thought for your consideration. These words of Christ were heard that day by Eastern-trained minds accustomed to Him speaking in allegorical terms in light of their culture. They weren’t just hearing words read as black ink on white paper.

But I think I have come to understand that in their minds, Jesus was talking about the sheep and the goat that coexist in all of us. At the same time, which one will win?
It’s that “new man” and “old man” nature, that good and evil thing that’s going on in all of us, and yet only one of us survives!

My prayer is that God will continue to give us the desire and hunger to search out the Scriptures in light of what He was saying versus what we think He was saying.