Contents
Introduction
According to the ecclesiastical arrangement, the liturgical year ends with this Sunday, the solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, king of the universe. After the teachings on wisdom and foolishness (Matt 25:1–13), and on the adequate use of talents (Matt 25:14–30), Matthew 25:31–46 is the conclusion of the discourse that will accompany the Parousia, the judgment day when the entire nations will gather before the Author of life. According to Matthew, on that day, all nations, which implies all peoples, will assemble before the Creator and they will be divided into two groups: The group of the Sheep who will be kept on the right side of the King, and the group of the Goat who will occupy the left side, then follows the hearing, the verdict and the consequence – salvation or damnation; joy or suffering; feasting or weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The great separation
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left” (Matt 25:31–33). Every teaching bout the kingdom is oriented towards the eschatological separation. It is the separation of the evil/wicked and the lazy (ponēros kai okunēros); the good and the faithful (agathos kai pistos); the good and the evil/wicked (agathos kai ponēros); the separation of the wise and the foolish; the discrimination of the faithful and the unfaithful; the obedient and the disobedient; the righteous and the unrighteous; the just and the unjust; the godly and the ungodly; the saved and the damned.
Conclusion
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1039), “in the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man’s relationship with God will be laid bare. The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life.” By separating the sheep from the goats, Jesus actualizes his words in Matthew 7:21–23 and 13:40–4343. While those who did the will of the Father will be gathered on the right side of the king, those who limited themselves only to mere profession of faith will be gathered on the left hand. As Paul rightly noted.….
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