When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats... Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom... For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in... Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me... Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire...
This is Jesus's most extended teaching on final judgment—and it subverts expectations. The criterion of judgment is not doctrine believed or rituals performed but treatment of 'the least of these.'
Both groups are surprised. The righteous didn't know they were serving Christ; they just fed the hungry and visited prisoners. The condemned didn't realize their neglect was rejection of Christ. The test is unconscious virtue, not calculated piety.
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