I’ve been given the opportunity to teach this summer in our church’s “Sunday School summer smorgasbord” (a title given by a class member). Various teachers will be doing lessons throughout the summer on subjects they enjoy.

I've chosen to do three lessons in a mini-series called “Misapplied: Faulty, but Common Understandings of Scripture.” Since I’m a bit of a stickler ovre some of these passages, it’s a great opportunity to explore both the misapplication of a text and its true meaning.

This past Sunday, I taught on Matthew 25:31-46, the judgment of the sheep and goats, and specifically the issue that the judgment comes down to people’s treatment of “the least of these.” The commonly used application is that this is the poor and needy—they are, after all called hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, or in prison.

Certainly, we should care for people in these conditions. But is this the meaning of the passage? I argue that it is not.

If you’re interested, you can see my notes here. The PowerPoint is here. And if you want to view the lesson, go here or click on the picture above.