God is merciful and wants all to enjoy eternity

Why did Jesus use sheep and goats as symbols for the saints and for the damned?

What you need to know:

  • The damned are those who were too selfish to think about anything but food and drink for themselves no matter how many others were hungry and thirsty.
  • What will he do to those who cause hunger by hording food in order to drive up the price?
  • What will he do to those who cause thirst by stealing tax money meant to build dams and boreholes?

To describe the way he will judge the world at the end of time, Jesus compares himself to a shepherd who is separating sheep from goats.

Sheep are a symbol for those destined to enter into heaven. Goats symbolise those condemned to spend eternity in the “fire prepared for the devil and his angels”.

Why did Jesus use sheep and goats as symbols for the saints and for the damned? Our Lord did not explain. There could be several reasons.

If nothing else, sheep can be useful for their wool. Sheep provide the master with lots of wool, but only as long as they’re alive. The longer they live, the better.

I’m not sure this was the reason Jesus chose sheep as a symbol for the saints. We do know that Jesus left no room for doubt about their fate. The saints will be happy forever and the damned will be miserable forever. He also explained why.

The saints are those who feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty. The damned are those who were too selfish to think about anything but food and drink for themselves no matter how many others were hungry and thirsty.

When Jesus described those who are destined for the eternal fire, he noted that, on Judgement day, the damned will ask: “When did we ever see you hungry and did not feed you, or thirsty and did not give you something to drink?”

The king will answer: “I tell you solemnly, as long as you failed to do this for one of the least of my brethren, you failed to do it for me.” We can take this a step further.

If those who make no effort to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty will be punished, what will God do to those who deliberately cause hunger? What will he do to those who deliberately cause thirst?

What will he do to those who cause hunger by hording food in order to drive up the price? What will he do to those who cause thirst by stealing tax money meant to build dams and boreholes?

God does not want to condemn anyone. St Paul wrote: “He wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth.” Knowledge of the truth means knowing the difference between good and evil. It means knowing that I will not be saved if I cause harm and refuse to repent.

God wants us to know this. God is merciful. But he shows mercy only to those who love mercy. How can he show mercy to someone who is not sorry for making other people suffer?

Jesus said: “Repent and believe the Gospel!” Repent and believe God will forgive you. Repent by feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty.