Matthew 25:40 and 'The Least of These'

Interpretive Implications for a Missional Ecclesiology

Abstract

Two approaches dominate the church’s interpretation of Matthew 25:31-46 as it concerns the identity of “the least of these my brothers”: a universal approach that considers Jesus’ statement as establishing the way one treats the poor and needy as a (or even ‘the’) primary condition for salvation, in contrast to a particularist or narrow approach that rather understands Jesus as referring to how one receives the disciples sent in His name. In this study the various exegetical bases for these two dominant arguments will be examined in light of Matthew’s thematic interests. That is, what are the dominant theological threads that run throughout Matthew’s gospel, how does Matthew 25:40 cohere with other themes and emphases, and how does either interpretation fit with what the rest of the New Testament (NT) says about this subject. These are the questions this study will examine. In the end, I will propose that a narrow interpretation is most consistent with Matthew’s theology and with that of the NT as a whole, where “the least of these my brothers” refers explicitly to cross-cultural missionaries. I will then draw out some general conclusions for a missional ecclesiology.