Matthew 25:39

Study note

Setting — The righteous in the parable address the King, asking when they encountered him in illness or imprisonment to provide care. This dialogue occurs at the final judgment when the Son of Man separates the sheep from the goats.

The words — The participle ἀσθενοῦντα (asthenounta) literally means "ailing" or "in a state of weakness." The prepositional phrase ἐν φυλακῇ (en phulakē) denotes location, literally "in prison."

The thread — The call to visit the imprisoned runs through Hebrews 13:3, which commands believers to remember those in bonds as if bound with them. Jesus’ identification with the marginalized echoes Isaiah 58:6-7, which defines true fasting as loosening chains and feeding the hungry.

Why it lands — The text states that service to the physically vulnerable and incarcerated is counted as direct service to the King. It requires readers to recognize Christ in the marginalized and act accordingly.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.