The Torah reading וירא Vayera (“he appeared,” Genesis 18–22) is packed full of some iconic events:

* Abraham and Sarah hosts Adonai and His cohort of angels* Abraham haggles with God for Sodom and Gomorrah* Lot tries to offer up his daughters to the Sodomite mob* Destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah and surrounding cities* Exile of Lot and his daughters* Birth of Yitzkhak (Isaac) to Sarah* Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael* Sacrifice of Yitzkhak* Introduction of Yitzkhak’s wife, Rivkah (Rebekah)

Genesis 18: Hospitality in a hostile world

One of Abraham’s main positive attributes is his hospitality. When he saw the strangers come towards his home, he called them to his home. He offered them food and drink.

Abraham took care of their physical needs without asking anything of them in return. He offered them bread and water but actually gave them bread, meat and cheese, a full meal. Abraham went above and beyond for his guests.

Now, keep in mind that Abraham and Lot were Gentiles, not Israelites. God did not hold Abraham or Lot, for that matter, to the same rules that He later gave to Moses at Sinai.

At Abraham’s time, there was no Torah from Sinai. The law of the Gentiles was the law of the land. What he did know, is that he treated everyone who he came across with compassion and humility, whether family, friends or even strangers.

Matthew 25:31–46 fleshes this out even further in the parable of the sheep and goats. How does Yeshua judge Gentiles? Does He judge them based on Shabbat, the Kosher dietary rules, etc? No. There is no Greek or Jew in the Kingdom of Heaven but on Earth, these distinctions are still in force.

The Gentiles are judged by their conduct, specifically on how they take care of other people (Rom. 2:12–16). This shows us how God judges Gentile people and nations. His ruler to judge their conduct is all about the Golden Rule (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 19:19; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8).

When you know something and you don’t do it, you are judged more harshly than when you don’t know that something is wrong and do it. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, but it does mitigate the punishment a little bit.

Matthew 25: Parables of Israel and the Gentiles

In Matthew 25:1–13, the 10 virgins know the Messiah was coming but were not prepared. They let their oil ran out. They knew they should have had enough oil to last for a long time, but they didn’t prepare themselves in advance.

In Matthew 25:14–30, the parable of the servants and the talents teach us that we are to carefully take care of and use properly what we have been given. This also applies to the rules of the Torah that God has given us.

Both the virgins and the servants know their king. They aren’t ignorant, as the Gentiles. They know better. They know what is just and unjust in the eyes of their king. The virgins are like the common person and the servants are those who are in leadership among God’s people.

Now, let’s go back to Abraham and Lot with Matthew 25, but particularly Matthew 25:31-46 in mind.

Was Abraham a ‘sheep’ or a ‘goat’?

How did Abraham act? Like a sheep or a goat? Did he take care of those in need or did he disregard them. We know how Abraham treated strangers with kindness and God rewarded his conduct accordingly.

Genesis 18:19 shows us why God loved Abraham so much:

“For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way...