←
Explanation for:
Matthew
25
:
37
Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink?
9
more explanations
& daily audio-books
spoken by
– enjoy in Theosis App –
Start your
Bible-journey
with explanations
& daily audio-books
only 4$* per month
{"arr":[{"author-name":"Epiphanius of Pavia","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":6,"exegesis-text":"For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you provided me with drink (Matthew 25:35). We have read similar passages. Upon receiving salvation, the righteous will inquire, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we encounter you as a stranger and welcome you? or naked and clothe you? (Matthew 25:37-38). What does this mean, dear friends? Is our Lord truly hungry and thirsty? Is He not the One who created all that exists in heaven and on earth, who nourishes the angels above and every nation below, who requires nothing from the material world, as His essence is unfaltering? This notion may seem astonishing. Yet, it aligns with what He Himself reveals. The Lord does not hunger for Himself, but rather for His faithful followers; He does not thirst for His own well-being, but for the needs of the impoverished. The Lord is not naked in Himself—He is the one who provides clothing for all—but in relation to His servants. He is not afflicted in Himself, for He is capable of healing all ailments and conquering death, but in connection with His followers. He is not a stranger in Himself—He possesses both heaven and earth—but rather among His servants. And while He is not imprisoned in His own being—He has the authority to liberate anyone from suffering—He identifies with His saints in their trials. Thus, you can see, beloved, that the saints do not exist solely for themselves: as they endure hardships for the Lord's glory, so too does the Lord participate in these sufferings alongside His saints."},{"author-name":"Nicephoros (Theotokis)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8958407451968d9c204fb_Nicephoros%20(Theotokis).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":18,"exegesis-text":"The quality of humility remains present even beyond death. Just as the virtuous concealed their goodness from humanity, they submitted themselves to God, not seeking the title of merciful. Although they understood that acts of charity towards the needy are acknowledged by God, they still chose to declare, \\"We have never fed you, nor given you drink, nor shown you any other favour, O King of glory and Lord.\\""},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In the awareness of their own unworthiness, captivated by the astonishing magnitude of the Lord's kindness, they will find themselves unable to hold back their joy and awe. The faithful will respond to Him, saying, ‘LORD! Why do You bestow upon us such immeasurable blessings? What have we done to earn this? When and where did we encounter You in need, hungry and fed, or thirsty and given drink?"},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The righteous will inquire, indicating their humility and awareness of their inadequacies. They acknowledge with modesty their unworthiness of the accolades and blessings they receive, recognizing that their efforts pale in comparison to what they believe they should have accomplished based on their own conscience. This reflects the general principle of moral growth: as a person progresses, they come to perceive the smallness of their virtues and continually seek to attain greater heights."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Then He will address the righteous, saying, “Come, beloved children of My Father, into the kingdom that has been prepared for you! For you provided nourishment when I was hungry, offered drink when I was thirsty, welcomed me as a stranger, clothed me when I was without clothes, visited me when I was ill, and came to me when I was imprisoned.” The true righteous, who perform good works with such humility that their left hand is unaware of what their right hand does, are marked by a distinctive modesty. They do not only refrain from boasting about their acts of kindness, but they are also uncomfortable when others notice these acts; they recognize the triviality of their deeds in light of what they ought to have done and fervently desired; referring to themselves as unworthy servants who have achieved nothing (Luke 17:10), they express surprise when their good actions are regarded as remarkable. With the same humility and sincere astonishment, they will respond to Christ at the Last Judgment, saying, “Lord, when did we ever see You? When did we see You hungry and provide for You? Thirsty, and give You drink? When did You come to us as a stranger, and we welcomed You? When did we clothe You when You were naked? When have we encountered You sick or in prison, and offered You comfort?” And the King will respond to them (Matthew 25:40): “Indeed, you did not do any of these things directly to Me; but did I not say that whoever welcomes one of these little ones welcomes Me? And truly, you did not turn away anyone who sought your assistance in My name; you fed the hungry, quenched the thirst of those in need, clothed the naked, offered hospitality to the stranger, and comforted the sick as well as the imprisoned. All the acts of kindness you extended to the needy, the suffering, and those who required your support were done unto Me. Go forth and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven!”"},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The righteous, aware of their own unworthiness in the presence of both heaven and earth, humbly affirm that they are not deserving of the rewards promised to them. Then the righteous women responded to Him, asking, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or imprisoned, and come to You?” He who shows compassion to the needy lends to the Lord (Proverbs 19:17), who will not leave his debt unpaid. The King replied, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” The least of the Lord's brethren are the poor, the broken, the lame, the blind, the unfortunate, the suffering, and the oppressed, who are unable to repay the kindness shown to them (Luke 14:13, 14). The bond between Jesus Christ and His faithful disciples is the most intimate (Eph. 5:30), which is why He instructed His followers that receiving them is equivalent to receiving Him (Matt. 10:40). The Lord associates the good deeds done for them with Himself, \\"humbling Himself to the likeness of one in need to lead us towards generosity and, through generosity, to joy\\" (St. Philaret of Moscow). St. Philaret also stated that the actions of humanity are truly pure and worthy before the Lord only when performed in the person of another for the Lord Jesus: “Pure faith sees the Lord in all things and through all things, recognizing Him as the center of every intention and act, acting for His sake and seeing Him in those who are benefited, as His brothers.”"},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In this portrayal of God's ultimate and universal judgment, Christ reveals, on one side, the virtues that Christians should earnestly seek to develop, and on the other side, the destiny awaiting both the righteous and the wicked following the profound judgment. Foremost, Christians are called to embody love and mercy towards their neighbors, as love forms the essence of all virtues; without love, virtue cannot exist (Matt. 22:37-40; 1 Cor. 13). Acts of love and mercy rendered to others will be esteemed tremendously in God's judgment, so that those who demonstrate mercy to even the least of their brethren will be acknowledged by Christ as having shown kindness to Him. Conversely, those who fail to show mercy to their neighbors shall be deemed merciless towards Christ Himself in the divine judgment. This fearsome global judgment will serve as the final reckoning, determining the eternal fate of every individual. The initial act of this judgment, following the appearance of the Son of Man in divine splendor alongside His holy angels, will involve the separation of the righteous from the unrighteous, placing the former on His right and the latter on His left. Subsequently, the Lord will invite the righteous to partake in the eternal joy that God has prepared for them from ages past, while the unrighteous will be irrevocably separated from Him and cast into everlasting fire, enduring eternal suffering, a fate designed for all of God's foes, particularly for the devil and his angels."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In summary, the Lord declared that upon His return in glory, no act of kindness performed in His name would go unrewarded, regardless of the perceived insignificance of those who are served. He graciously embraces every good deed on their behalf, while those filled with pride and stubbornness, who ignore human needs in favor of their own desires, will not escape His judgment. For the former, there awaits everlasting joy, while the latter face eternal punishment alongside the adversary in the fiery abyss of Gehenna."},{"author-name":"Philaret of Moscow (Drosdow)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c896ffb7a2ebaf99e46539_Philaret%20of%20Moscow%20(Drosdow).png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The nature of the righteous, referring to those who have been justified and are destined for the blessedness of Christ's judgement, is illustrated in the Gospel by the term 'the righteous.' Those whom the Judge designates as the blessed of His Father are subsequently identified as righteous: 'the righteous shall answer Him, and the righteous shall go to everlasting life,' and no one else. The concept of righteousness encompasses all virtues while excluding all forms of unrighteousness, vice, and sin; it embodies a moral perfection so profound that only a complacent Pharisee would dare to consider himself truly righteous. Thus, who can expect to be justified in Christ's judgement, where solely the righteous will be found justified? It is the one who, like the Apostle, 'considers everything to be a loss in order to gain Christ, and to be found in Him not having a righteousness of his own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith' (Philippians 3:8-9). Another Apostle writes, 'If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1 John 1:9). The active pursuit of purification through repentance, the sincere quest of faith for the grace of Christ, and the diligent practice of every virtue with grace's assistance—this is the path of righteousness in which the humble Christian continuously recognizes his own lack of righteousness, and at its conclusion, grace reveals him as a perfectly righteous person. It may not be feasible or even wise to insist that you, dear brethren, be completely confident that you are on this path; however, it is essential to urge you to carefully examine yourselves to determine if your typical paths in life diverge from this sole path to salvation. One who has not sincerely and deeply repented has yet to take the first step toward the truth. One who does not seek their righteousness in Christ will not discover it elsewhere. Whoever fails to practice truth, meaning the virtues available to them, indeed does not traverse the road that elevates believers to the status of the righteous."}]}
Support this project and get full access for only 4$/month
Commentarie text can’t be scrolled on PC at the moment. Please use your phone. We’re working on a fix.
