Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 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.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
So - the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year.
Our last Sunday, for the time being, in Matthew’s gospel. And what a gospel it is!
I don’t know about you but I’ve really enjoyed our forays in Matthew’s gospel this year.
Perhaps it’s something about being in a new place with a new community of people - Or perhaps it’s been our further exploration of the Sunday gospel passages after our Thursday Eucharist, but I’ve seen Matthew’s gospel in a new light.
I think I understand less of it now than I ever did.
And that’s a good thing!
I remember when, week after week, we were reading the parables Jesus told, Coming to the realisation that, contrary to all the many attempts to explain and to simplify - understanding the kingdom of God is not easy. However neatly packaged we’d like the gospel to be, however much we’d like instructions on how to follow Christ, that’s not what we get.
And today’s gospel is no different.
We may think it is.
It might seem straightforward.
It’s about caring for others.
About sharing what we have - with the least of these.
It’s about ensuring that we will be counted among the sheep rather than the goats.
But is it?
Why should this passage be straightforward when none of the others are?
This passage takes us right back to Jesus’ answer to the religious authorities who asked him: Which is the greatest commandment?
And Jesus said: Love the lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. And love your neighbour as yourself. And we realised that, though that sounds really straightforward - it’s the hardest thing to do.
Following Christ means that we will be prepared to go where he is, to love as he loves, to serve as he serves.
We celebrate the reign of Christ today and acknowledge that Christ’s reign was one of service.
As you know next Sunday sees the beginning of Advent.
And I wonder whether, this year, we can look on Advent, not so much as simply the lead up to Christmas - but the opportunity to put into action all that we have learned about the kingdom of God as we have journeyed with Matthew’s gospel this past year.
To recognise that choosing to follow Christ is not about guaranteeing our future at the end of time - but about making a difference now.
What has been clear in all of Matthew’s teaching is the importance of celebrating God’s kingdom here and now.
Gods kingdom is here - we are called to make it visible - what might that look like in the brokenness of our world today?
In the face of all that de-humanises.
In the face of all that divides.
In the face of poverty and cost of living crisis.
When creation groans under the weight of exploitation.
How might we make God visible?
From those who have much, much is expected.
We know that the resources of the earth are abundant. Our call is to find ways to share that abundance.
We know that there are ways to resolve conflict that don’t involve violence.
Our call is to model ways of living peaceably on earth and to keep on praying for peace.
Our call is to serve one another - in doing all that we can, in seeing the abundant resources around us and within us.
In looking into the eyes of another human being, whoever they be - and seeing there, God.
The feast we observe today - Christ the King - was instituted by Pope Pius XI - to offer a model of faith that was counter cultural at the time.
In a world emerging from a world war, where nationalism and violence were seen as the answer, Pope Pius wanted to remind the church that there was another way - the way of Christ.
Don’t we need that same reminder today?
A reminder that there is an alternative.
That things can be different.
That we can live in love, promoting peace and justice- that we can honour and respect and nurture this planet on which we live.
Sharing what we have, serving one another.
Seeing Jesus in places we’d rather not be and knowing that is precisely where we’re called.
A few years ago, we lived in a manse right next to the church.
And we often had folk come to the door looking for help.
We always had something we could share.
Not cash.
But food or vouchers.
Or even just a cuppa at the kitchen table.
One evening, just as I was about to go out to a presbytery meeting, a woman came to the door wanting to talk and looking for something to eat.
I had a report to present at the meeting, so I didn’t want to be late.
I made her a sandwich and told her, if she wanted to talk, to come back another time.
All through the meeting, I couldn’t get her out of my head.
As we argued over the minutiae of the church, my heart was telling me, that I had missed an opportunity to be Christ to another.
And we could spend countless hours pontificating how we should organise church - as we did at that meeting and many others like it - and, in the end, not make the least difference to those we are called to serve.
This Christ the King Sunday, and as we journey through Advent, may we resolve not to miss the opportunities that are all around us - to serve and be served.
To find ways of living in peace.
To share the resources of the earth.
To take our faith in the Christ who serves - into the community beyond the church, to make the kingdom of God a reality now - by loving God and loving others.
Amen.
