That Moment When You Realize that the Least of These Really do Matter!

"The Gospels generally present sinners as wealthy people who have not attended to the poor."

--Amy-Jill  Levine

It is truly amazing—and alarming—what the Gospels really teach about the final judgment—at least in Matthew’s version of it.

In fact, it differs considerably with the popular version that so many uncritically accept today. According to this pop version of the final judgment those who have rejected Jesus will be cast into the lake of fire and will consciously burn forever and ever, all because one didn't “receive Jesus as Lord and Savior” (which is not Biblical by the way).

Forever and ever is a long time my friends. There will be no let up to one’s torment. Forever-and-ever-torture will be the ultimate end for all Christ rejectors. Folks who are driven by revenge motives (Christian or otherwise) are attracted to  this version of the final judgment and may contribute to so much Christian anger today.

I cut my teeth on this version of judgment. Sadly, it all made sense to me back in the day. Admittedly I even delighted in knowing that those who refused God’s offer of salvation would get their just due. The belief in an eternal hell gave me the opportunity to lust for revenge.

But as I grew older (and I hope wiser) I became skeptical of this harsh version of the final judgment. My vision of who God is and the God Jesus revealed in the Gospels did not match up with this incendiary version of final judgment.

I came to believe that any god who would punish someone in conscious torment for eternity is not the God Jesus revealed in the Gospels.

So I finally asked myself: “Who needs hell anyway?”

Well we none do!

I don’t need hell to believe in the just and righteous fairness of God’s judgment. I don't need an eschatology (doctrine of last things) that includes a place of everlasting torment of those who are not members of the exclusive Christian tribe.

Believing that God would get his revenge on his enemies in spite of the fact that Jesus told us to “love” our enemies no longer made sense to me.

Yes, Jesus had a different version of the final judgment. It is recorded in Matthew 25. You will notice that in the final day of judgment all the nations of the earth shall be judged—and for what will they be judged?

Whether they were truly a “Christian nation”? No!

Whether their citizens prayed the so-called “sinner’s prayer” for salvation? No!

This is not individual judgment but the judgment of all the nations of earth—including the USA!

They will be judged by the way they treated the marginalized, the hurting, the hungry, the thirsty, the oppressed, the poor, the unfavorables among them--and those without access to health care.

Some Christians like to tell us that the final judgment is all about who is saved and who isn’t. Funny, that’s not mentioned once in this version of the final judgment. Read it again (Matthew 25:31-46).

We will be judged by how we treat the lowly ones among us, the underprivileged, those on the bottom rung of the social ladder—yes, even the so-called lazy ones.

Jesus once told his disciples that the poor will always be with us. Now this isn't the way God designed the world, but rather it is the result of the evil structures and systems of this world.

Though we Christians will never be able to eliminate the powerful and evil (political) systems of this world, we are instructed to care for those who become the victims of such evil systems. This is what Jesus meant by always having the poor among us. Jesus recognized the evil structures that contribute to so much human suffering in our world and yes, they will be judged.

There will not be a House vote to neutralize this coming judgment--there will be no filibuster to delay the judgment.

So here’s the deal:

There is no political system in existence today that is going to eliminate all human suffering. In fact, it is these very political systems for the most part that help create the conditions whereby humans suffer as victims—it is these very political systems that grind good people up and perpetuate their suffering.

So when all the nations are gathered in judgment there is going to be a reckoning. Know this: Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike will stand before the risen Christ and give a final account of all the suffering they have helped create by their policies of greed and deceit.

And we will be right alongside of them and will be judged for our own complicity.

I would hope that Christ’s Church, the Body of Christ, will be able to stand before their Savior and be counted among the sheep but I am afraid this may not be the case.

Perhaps this understanding of the final judgment will give us who love Christ pause before we blindly support any political system or person.


We will only be able to show him our works of compassion and grace towards the lowly of this world.