Parables #11 – Study Questions
The Sheep & Goats
Matt. 25:31-46
INTRODUCTION: This passage is often described as a parable, but Jesus does not use this term for it. This, of course, is not decisive (he does not describe the story of the talents as a parable either, but most of us are happy to refer to it in this way). But this concluding part of the discourse reads like a description of what will happen on Judgment Day rather than like another parable. It puts strong emphasis on the truth that ultimately every person on earth will be called upon to account for his or her use of the opportunities of service experienced through life.50 Uniquely, this teaching comes at the end of Jesus’ life and ministry and during the events of the passion week. Jesus is giving his disciples final preparation for post-resurrection life. Of course, we know that they don’t know that yet, and won’t fully understand until Pentecost (Acts 2). Like many of the parables we’ve studied, it can be easy to get lost in the details of this parable… sheep, goats, Jesus’ return, etc. As before, we want to resist the temptation to get distracted by those details and miss the critical point Jesus is trying to make. This parable is all about the importance of obedience and what it reflects about our relationship with God. When we know him and are known by him, we will be about his business. When we only have an intellectual relationship with God, we don’t truly know him, aren’t known by him, and thus our lives show that because we aren’t about his business. Jesus is giving a stark warning to a highly religious society that you can find religion and miss God altogether. Yes, Jesus sounds firm, but reality is firm. And he loves us so much that he doesn’t want us to miss out on the with-God life. We can have confidence that we know God and are known by God when we are about his business. Simply, changed people live changed lives.
GETTING STARTED – Growing up, we used the phrase, “walk the walk… don’t just talk the talk” to remind ourselves to be genuine, real, and authentic. As you begin your group time, talk about a time in your life when you became aware of a time when you were just talking the talk and how you became aware of that reality. Or, when you watched someone who really walked the walk, and what stood out to you about them? What did you learn from those experiences?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?