Christ the King Sunday
November 26, 2017
Matthew 25:31-46
I mentioned last week that the parable of the talents, or
eight bags of gold, was the third of four stories that Jesus tells in this part
of Matthew about what the kingdom of heaven will be like at the end of time.
Today’s Gospel is the fourth story. In addition to stories about be prepared,
keep watching and waiting, and use what God has given you, we now have this
judgment story about the sheep and the goats. To many of us, this is a familiar
judgment scene. Christ the King has come in all his glory and it is judgment
day. With all the angels and all the nations gathered around, Jesus separates
the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Or, interestingly
enough, in the Ezekiel passage that we read, the shepherd separates sheep from
sheep.[1]
Jesus tells the sheep on his right about all the good things they did, taking
care of the least, the last, and the lost, visiting the sick and those in
prison, clothing those in need of clothes, feeding the hungry, and welcoming
the stranger. The sheep are surprised and ask Jesus, “When did we do these
things for you?” And Jesus says, “Whenever you did one of these things to
someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.”[2]
Then, to those on his left, Jesus condemns, saying, “I was hungry and you gave
me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was homeless and you gave
me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and
you never visited.”[3]
And the goats are surprised and ask, “When did we see sick or in prison or
homeless or hungry or in need? If we’d known it was you, we would have helped you!”[4]
And Jesus replies, “Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone
who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.”[5]
It’s interesting that both the sheep and the goats are
surprised. Neither group thought much about how their actions affected the
poor, the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the prisoner, and the stranger. They
lived their lives, did their thing, and now actions they hadn’t thought much
about are influencing their final end. The sheep didn’t really consider that
visiting the sick was something that their shepherd would notice. They believed
Jesus when he said earlier in Matthew that the most important laws and commandments
were to love God and love your neighbor as yourself, and loving your neighbor
meant helping them when you saw a need.[6]
Again, the goats didn’t think much about it, either, other than to believe that
they would recognize Jesus if they saw him, and they didn’t see him in the sick
or homeless or hungry or imprisoned or refugee.
If Jesus had been among them, then they would have helped, or so they
believe.
It
reminds me of the story about the new pastor who dressed up as a homeless
person his first Sunday at his new church.
Have y’all heard this story? As
the congregation files in for worship that morning, most of them ignore him as
he’s sitting there, maybe a couple pay attention to him, and something like just
one or two people offer any help to him.
Then, when the new pastor is introduced before the service starts, he
rises from the back pew, takes off his homeless disguise, and reveals himself
as their new pastor. The church is
shocked and ashamed of themselves and learn a good lesson about whether they’d
be among the sheep or the goats. The
truth is that we don’t want to think about judgment. We resist the idea that we need judgment.[7]
That’s for other people. We don’t
need judgment. We do the best we can and when we don’t, well, we have excuses ready.
Surely, not us, Lord, just like Peter says in the very next chapter of Matthew
when Jesus tells him that he’s going to deny Jesus three times before the cock
crows.[8]
We like to think better of ourselves. Goats do not see themselves as goats any
more than the sheep recognize themselves as sheep.[9]
Remember, both groups were surprised. Both groups failed to recognize Jesus
among the poor and the needy. What if it’s because good behavior doesn’t come
from trying to be good? After all, we’re saved by faith and not by our actions.[10]
Yet, if we have faith, it will show itself by what we do.[11]
Earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives the analogy that “every good tree
bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad
fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them.”[12]
By our fruit, by our actions, we show our faith and what we really believe.
One
of my favorite classes in seminary was Christian Ethics.[13]
And I loved it because the way the professor taught it made sense to me. He
explained that there are different kinds of ethics, even among Christians. There
are those who believe in Universal Ethics, that what is true for one is true
for all. For example, the Catholic Church uses universal ethics, which is why
when a statement comes out, it’s claimed for all people. There was another
category called Subversive Ethics, and this is where feminism and liberation
theology falls, lifting up those who are left out when you say everyone. This
strand says that what’s good and true depends on where you’re standing. Good
news to someone who’s hungry is a hot meal, whereas a hot meal isn’t a big deal
to you or me. Finally, the third major category he called Ecclesial Ethics, or Christian
Ethics, that what I believe as a Christian is applicable to Christians, and I
cannot hold non-Christians to the same expectations. The reason why is because
Christians should look first to the transformation brought about in Christ, and
not to society, for the source of our ethics. The professor also said that with
Christian ethics, it’s about how we’re formed and how we’re shaped that
influences our decisions.
This
is different from situational ethics, where what you decide to do depends on
each situation and each decision becomes a major dilemma on what to do.
However, those of us who follow Jesus, who are formed by Jesus and our life in
Christ, don’t have a big dilemma each time. The decision was already made when
we decided to follow Jesus. Do I or don’t I help someone in need? Jesus says
we’re to help. There’s no debate, there’s no crisis moment. One of the classic
examples in situational ethics is your wife who is super sick and you can’t
afford the medicine that will save her. Do you break into the pharmacy or do
you let her die? Well, this ethic turns that on its head, because as Christians
we believe that death is not the end, we believe we will see each other again.
We’re not afraid of death. Plus, Jesus says don’t steal, don’t covet what’s not
yours. So, it’s hard, but no, you don’t break in and rob the pharmacy. Because
that’s who you are. The decision was
already made in the decision to follow Jesus. There’s no crisis moment or
agonizing decision. When someone asks you to pray, you pray. When you say you
will pray, you pray. When you see a need you can fill, you do it. The sheep
weren’t out there searching for ways to help, they helped the least of these as
opportunities arose, that’s why they
didn’t stand out in their memory. To be a sheep, you don’t have to go looking
for someone in need. Someone in need of a kind word or gentle touch or helping
hand will come your way soon enough. And, since you’ve already decided to
follow Jesus, to believe in him and obey his commands, then there is no
decision about how you’ll respond. You’ll respond with love, because that’s who
you are in Christ and as a subject in his kingdom.
In
the Gospel of Matthew, “Jesus does not instruct disciples that they should become the salt of the earth or the
light of the world; he tells them they are
[the salt of the earth and the light of the world]. Likewise, Jesus does not command his followers to hunger and
thirst for justice, pursue peace, and so forth; he blesses those who [already] do
[in the Beatitudes] (5:1-16). [This final] Judgment simply brings out a reality
that has been present all along.”[14]
This is who you are, because you belong
to Christ. “You are the light of the world.”[15]
So, don’t hide your light but “let your light shine before others, that they
may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”[16]
The
separation of the sheep and the goats comes down to one question: Do you take
care of those in need? No conditions on who that person is, nationality,
language, age, gender, sexual orientation, legal status, accusations against
them. If you see someone in need and you can provide that need, do you do it? I
know for many of us, that answer is yes. I know, because you’ve told me. And
maybe you didn’t realize you were sharing with me a time you visited Jesus in
prison or when he was sick, or fed him when he was hungry, or gave him clothing
when he didn’t have any, or welcomed him when he was a stranger, and that’s
okay if you didn’t recognize him. Because the point isn’t that you recognized
Jesus, the point is that you met a need, that you obeyed Jesus’ commandment to
love your neighbor as yourself, that you showed love to someone in need in a
way that made a meaningful difference to
that person. You’ve heard of the golden rule? Do unto others as you’d have
them do unto you. A few years ago the “platinum rule” started making the
rounds: Do unto others as they’d have you
do unto them. Giving a coat to someone who’s hungry isn’t helpful. They’re still
hungry; that basic need still isn’t being met. I read a children’s paraphrase
of this passage that I thought was really helpful in terms of thinking about
this a slightly different way:
“I
sat alone in the cafeteria, with little to eat, and you sat with me and shared
your lunch. Kids laughed at my old clothes, but you treated me as if they were
brand new. I was never chosen for any team, but when it was your turn to
choose, you chose me. Everyone laughed at my mistakes, but you said kind words
to make me feel better. When I stayed home, I thought no one would miss me, but
you called me and asked when I would be back.”[17]
That’s what it means to follow King Jesus. That’s what it looks like to “do
unto the least of these, our brothers and sisters.”[18]
May God grant us the grace and courage to do so.
[1] Ezekiel
34:22
[2]
Matthew 25:40, MSG
[3]
Matthew 25:42-43, MSG
[4] Children of God Storybook Bible by
Desmond Tutu
[5]
Matthew 25:45
[6] Matthew
22:37-39
[8] Matthew
26:33-35
[10]
Galatians 2:16
[11]
James 2:17-18
[12]
Matthew 7:17-20, NIV
[13]
Professor Sam Wells, Duke Divinity School, Spring 2009
[15]
Matthew 5:14a
[16]
Matthew 5:16
[18] Matthew
25:40
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