On Faith and Feeding the Hungry: Jesus' "Brothers and Sisters" are Economically Vulnerable Human Beings, Matthew 25:31-46

God’s Concern for the Whole Person: Body and Soul or Spirit

Jesus, the Founder of the Christianity, while establishing an other-worldly religion of salvation, of eternal life with God in heaven, emphasizing the spiritual values of the kingdom of heaven, was also deeply concerned about moral issues pertaining to the earth, to the world humans now inhabit. In particular, Jesus was concerned about meeting the material or bodily needs of human beings.

Pure Spirit, namely, God, is the Creator of matter, the material or physical world, including material human bodies. Accordingly, while God is concerned about a person’s soul or spirit, God is also concerned about the material world, especially about what happens to the bodies of human beings. For instance, after Jesus heals a man, Jesus asks the religious leaders, “why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?” (John 7:23b, NIV). In other words, Jesus is concerned about the totus homo, the whole or entire person, spirit or soul and body. The reason is that body and soul form one human being, a whole person. That is why Jesus has compassion on people who have “nothing to eat,” feeding them (cf. Mark 8:1-9a, NIV). In feeding them, Jesus is doing God’s work, ministering to the needs of the human body.

The Parable of the Sheep and Goats (cf. Matthew 25:31-46)1

Corporal Works of Mercy

Jesus’ Parable of the Sheep and Goats is “situated” within the context of the Last Judgment (cf. Matthew 25:31-46). In the end, the righteous will be separated from the unrighteous, forever. Jesus teaches that believers will be judged by how they treated others who are in need. To come to the aid of another human being who has bodily needs is a corporal work of mercy, which is from the Latin word corpus, meaning “body.” In moral theology, the?corporal works of mercy are “feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.”2 Hence, corporal works of mercy involve meeting the basic bodily and mental needs of economically vulnerable human beings (cf. Matthew 25:35-36, 42-43).

The “Least of These” (cf. Matthew 25:40, 45)

What does the phrase "least of these" mean? It does not mean that some humans are less valuable than others, as if there were a hierarchy of worth in being human; with some, such as the wealthy and self-sufficient, at the top, while others, such as poor or the materially and financially dependent, at the bottom. On the contrary, all human beings have, ontologically “speaking,” the same inherent worth or value, because they all have the same nature, namely, a human nature. In other words, all humans are made in "the image of God" (cf. Genesis 1:26-27). In that sense, all humans are equal in being.

What, then, does the phrase "least of these" mean? Perhaps a better translation than "least of these" is "however humble" (NEB).3 The least of the brothers and sisters of Jesus are those persons who are most vulnerable to acts of injustice: the sick, the poor, the mentally and physically disabled; those who are in any way incapacitated. Christ identifies with such persons. For example, in the incarnation, God the Son, Jesus Christ, becomes poor, assuming a human nature, which was subject to weakness and suffering, like all other human beings, with the exception of sin (cf. II Corinthians 8:9; Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus is also born into a poor family and, during his three years of public ministry, he was voluntarily homeless (cf. Matthew 8:20).

“Brothers and Sisters” of Jesus (Matthew 25:40, 45)

Three Interpretations

First Interpretation

Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine [Jesus], you did for me” (Matthew 25:40b, NIV; cf. v. 45). ). What does the phrase “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine” mean? Biblical commentators, coming from different Christian denominations and theological persuasions, are not in agreement on the meaning of the phrase. There are, though, at least three interpretations, which can be supported by the context of Matthew 25:31-46. The first is that they are the Jewish people, for Jesus himself was a Jew. That makes sense. After all, he is addressing, primarily, a Jewish audience. But what about the needs of Jesus’ followers or disciples, Christians? Are their needs to be excluded, neglected? That would not “square” with Jesus being the Founder of Christianity, and calling his followers “‘my brothers and sisters’” (Hebrews 2:12b, NIV).

Second Interpretation

Second, the phrase refers to needy Christians. Jesus is, in particular, concerned about the bodily needs of his people, namely, Christians.4 That interpretation also makes sense, because Jesus had many disciples and they were later called "Christians" (cf. Acts 11:26). However, does that mean Jesus is only concerned with the needs of poor Christians to the exclusion of everyone else, such as Jews, Gentiles and all other kinds of needy human beings? That is doubtful, for Holy Scripture says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10, NIV).

Third Interpretation

However, third, John L. McKenzie, the eminent biblical scholar, explains the meaning of Jesus’ “brothers and sisters:”

“Jesus identifies himself with those to whom service is given or refused, and their behavior toward men [human beings] is their behavior toward God.”5

Jesus is not only concerned about needy Christians, but also Jews, Gentiles and anyone suffering from bodily needs. They, too, in general, are the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters.

The General Fatherhood of God?and Brotherhood and Sisterhood of All Human Beings

There is, in the words of Holy Scripture, “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6, NIV). It is God “the Father” (Ephesians 3:14b, NIV) “from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name” (Ephesians 3:15, NIV). Paul presents a “play on words,” because patria, the Greek word translated “family,” in verse 15, is derived from the Greek word pater, which is translated “Father” in verse 14.6 God the Father, then, is the Creator, that is, the ultimate source of the human race or humankind (cf. Genesis 1:26-27). Thus, human beings are naturally related to each other in that they share in a common human nature, being made in God’s image. That is the theological origin of human rights. In other words, there is something “due to” every human person by virtue of his or her being, the general, natural sanctity or sacredness of his or her life as the imago Dei, the “image of God.” Therefore, while all human beings are certainly not Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ by virtue of redemption, his atoning death on the cross, giving believers in him eternal life; nevertheless, all humans are brothers and sisters by virtue of creation.?

Serving Jesus in Caring for the Hungry or Needy

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus teaches that, somehow, his spiritual presence is in the lives of men, women and children that are poor, hungry, needing clothing and shelter. In other words, Christ’s presence is in people who suffer and are persecuted. Jesus teaches that such people are his “brothers and sisters.” To serve the poor and the sick, then, is to serve Jesus Christ. That interpretation has support from the context of Matthew 25:31-46 itself, where Jesus twice says, “I was sick, and you visited me” (Matthew 25:36; cf. verse 43). The Greek verb translated “visited“ (NASB) may also be rendered “looked after” (NAB), “cared for” (Knox) or “came to my help” (NEB). It is better translated “nurse.”7

St. Basil the Great or Basil of Caesarea (circa 330 — 379), referring to the Parable of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46, says, “[T]hose who are under accusation in this passage are … those who … have not shared with others.”8 That is also the interpretation of St. John Chrysostom (ca. 349 – 407). He writes,

“Do you wish to honor Christ’s body? Do not ignore him when he is naked. Do not honor him on the inside [of the “church” building] with silk garments and neglect him outside, where he is perishing from being cold and naked. For he who said, ‘This is my body’ (Matthew 26:28) … also said, ‘I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat’ (Matthew 25:42) and ‘Whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40). … What good is it if the [Eucharistic] table is overloaded with golden chalices, when your brother is dying of hunger? … Start by satisfying his hunger and then with what is left, you may adorn the altar as well.”9

Accordingly, the editors of The Orthodox Study Bible note: “The least (v. 40) refers to all the poor and needy.”10

Faith’s Bearing on Human Concerns

Faith, expressing itself in good works, is called fides viva, a “living faith.” That kind of faith is about living in a world in which human beings suffer, die and are in want of the basic necessities of life. A living faith is active in the world, doing good works; one of which is meeting the bodily needs of other human beings, such as feeding the hungry. In the words of Scripture,

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:15-17, NIV).

In the case of necessity, the needs of the human body take precedence over the needs of the human spirit (cf. I John 3:17).

Summary and Conclusion

Feeding the Hungry: A Christian and Human Issue

Like Jesus, Christians are to be concerned about truly human values, such as compassion or sympathy, empathy, kindness to others, concern for them, helping them and even service to the community. Such values are expressions of human love. Jesus never rejects truly human values! Rather, Jesus builds on truly human acts, elevating them, commending and ennobling them as acts worthy of the people of God. Therefore, it is truly human, worthy of God’s people, to care about the bodily needs of human beings.

Feeding the Hungry: A Biblical, Not Merely a Political, Issue

For believers, then, feeding the hungry is neither a liberal nor conservative issue; it is neither a Democrat nor Republican issue; nor is it socialism. Rather, feeding the hungry is a human issue and it is sanctioned by God in Sacred Scripture, especially by Jesus himself. That is why people of faith should care about feeding the hungry and so many other human issues, concerns pertaining to this world, including all the “corporal [bodily] works of mercy,“ keeping in mind the words of St. John of the Cross (1542 – 1591), “In the evening of our life, we will be judged on our love.”

Endnotes

1. “Strictly speaking,” Matthew 25:31-46 is not a parable, but it contains parabolic elements to it. Cf. D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositors’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 8: Matthew, Mark and Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 1984), p. 518.
2. Catechism of the Catholic Church (Liguori, MO.: Liguori Publications, 1994), no. 2447.
3. The New English Bible with the Apocrypha (NEB), copyright 1961, 1970, 1976 by the Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press.
4. D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositors’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 8, op. cit., pp. 520, 522.
5. John L. McKenzie, “The Gospel According to Matthew,” in The Jerome Biblical Commentary, eds. Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, et al. (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968).?The edition from which I am quoting is the one book in two volumes, Vol. 2, p. 107. In supra, Carson disagrees with the third interpretation, noting that it goes “too far,” applying, “without distinction,” the brothers and sisters of Jesus to the “poor and needy,” p. 519.
6. Cf. The footnote in The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), ? 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, by Biblica, Inc.??
7. Benedict T. Viviano, “The Gospel According to Matthew,” in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, eds. Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer and Roland E. Murphy (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1990), p. 669.
8. St. Basil the Great, Popular Patristics Series, Vol. 38: On Social Justice, trans. C. Paul Schroeder; ed. John Behr (Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2009), p. 70. But, comments Basil on p. 85, the righteous, “the one who shares[,] will occupy the first rank. The one who feeds others will be foremost among those honored; the one who … gives generously will enter into eternal life.”
9. St. John Chrysostom. 2021. Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 50. Translated by George Prevost and revised by M.B. Riddle. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Edited by Philip Schaff (Buffalo, N.Y.: Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1888). Edited and revised by Kevin Knight. New Advent. [Web:] https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200150.htm [Date of access: 1 July 2022].?
10. The Orthodox Study Bible, eds. Joseph Allen, Jack Norman Sparks, et al. (Nashville, TN.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008), p. 1319.