I am looking for an answer based on the structure of the original Greek.
I observe in my reading of Matthew 25:31-46 that the term " my brethren " occurs only in the first passage of Jesus' pronouncement of judgement on the righteous. The term does not occur in the second passage of Jesus' pronouncement of judgement on the cursed.
The people who are the recipients of the acts of mercy are the same in both passages, but the agents of mercy ( or not ) are different.
Is it possible that Jesus is referring to the righteous with this term ?(since it is absent from his statement to the cursed )
so that the passage would read like ;
' Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren you did it to me ? '
( note where I place the comma )