Sermons

     We’ll soon be singing, “Christ is the king! O friends, rejoice; brothers and sisters with one voice, let the world know he is your choice. Alleluia!” How do we do so? That’s what today’s Gospel is all about.

     Before we go there, though, let’s remind ourselves that this is the last day of the church year – Christ the King Sunday. Today we proclaim that while other empires strive to assert their power over us – financial markets, political realms, status symbols – Christ is the sovereign of our lives.

     It’s true, though, that when compared to earthly rulers, Jesus is an unusual king, one who is present for the poor and oppressed, a servant king who proclaims as blessed those who by the world’s standards are not even close to being blessed. He is our choice, which is revealed in how we live, particularly whether or not we serve hurting people as if we are serving Jesus.

     Today’s story of the final judgement makes that clear; in it, sheep and goats are used to designate two types or groups of people. I think that one of the most interesting details of the story is that neither the sheep nor the goats, realize that those who suffer represent Jesus. Did you notice that?

     Jesus tells the sheep, “…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” He tells the goats just the opposite, I was all of these things … hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, in prison … and you did nothing to help me. In response, they both ask, “WHEN? When did that happen, Jesus?”

     In other words, the sheep helped the suffering even though they did not realize that in doing so they were helping Jesus. And, likewise, the goats did not help the suffering, not realizing that by ignoring them they were ignoring Jesus. Can’t you just imagine them (us?) saying, “How were we supposed to know it was you? If we had, we would have acted differently!”

     The point is, of course, that they should not have needed to know that the suffering person was Jesus in order to help. It should have been enough to realize that the person needing help was a human being created in the image of God. This, of course, raises the question: can we see the image of God in the suffering and needy of the world?

     Commentator Scott Hoezee tells about the writer Johathan Kozol, who devoted much of his career studying children in places like the South Bronx of New York City and wrote that he was embarrassed to remember some of the ways he himself once talked. Listen to this: “Kozul says that he used to march up to Capitol Hill in Washington to advocate for more money for good programs like (the early childhood education program) Headstart. And when he did, he’d say things like, ‘Every dollar you invest in Headstrat today will save the country $6 later in lower prison costs.’ But now, Kozul confesses, he’s ashamed he put it that way: all dollars and cents and bottom line. Now he says, ‘Why not invest in them just because they’re babies and they deserve to have some joy before they die?’ They are God’s children, chips off the Divine block, as surely as any of us.”  (1)

     Jesus is asking us to see himself (God) in the people around us, especially those who are facing difficulty, who are suffering. Doing so will change how we treat others and will reveal that Jesus is our choice.

     That’s what is being emphasized in this text; the important point is not the judgement, which is a way to emphasize the vital message being presented. Certainly, we are saved by God’s grace that comes to us through Jesus, not by what we do or fail to do. Instead, what we do reveals our identity as followers of Jesus.

     Pastor JoAnne Taylor reminds us that, “if your identity lies in yourself, or what you think makes you important in the world, you won’t see the needs around your as something that matters to you. But when you identify with Jesus, you see Jesus in others, whether they are sick or poor or hungry or in prison – you see them as Jesus sees them, and you see Jesus in them.” (2)

      Too often, though, we do not see others as Jesus. And what if we expanded this beyond those who Jesus mentioned in today’s story? Quoting Pastor Taylor again: “What would happen if we recognized Christ in each of the people we encounter every day, and responded to each person knowing that he or she was Jesus? How differently would we behave toward the person who scans our groceries, or hands us our lunch through the drive-up window? How would we react to that obnoxious co-worker, or the people who act like they are better than we are? How can we be changed if we knew that each unexpected meeting was really a chance to looking into the eyes of Christ himself?” (3)

     That won’t occur as smoothly as it’s described, particularly when it comes to those whose political opinions are extremely different than our own, or those who commit crimes as well as their victims, or people who have hurt us, or whom we have hurt or those who seem to be taking advantage of the help they receive. In such cases, I know I really need the Holy Spirit’s help, and I must be intentional in my response, both in terms of what I’m thinking and what I do or say. Sometimes the best I can do is to be quiet, or to pray.

     However, it is true that the more we strive to be compassionate and merciful, the more that will become who we are. Our goal is to be like the sheep in the story, treating others as if they are Jesus without even realizing that we are doing so. That’s when it becomes obvious that Jesus is our Sovereign and our Choice. AMEN

1. “Matthew 25:31-46 Commentary” by Scott Hoezee, November 22, 2020, www.cepreaching.org

2. “End of the Story: Sheep and Goats” by JoAnne Taylor, November 22, 2020, www.pastorsings.com

3. Same as #2