Sermon Notes for Christ the King '11 mt. 25:31-46, Ezek. 34:11-25

In this famous story from Matthew, one group does good without recognizing the true identity of its recipient.they would act within the Jesus way no matter the nature of the recipient, as they regard only the need. they act without looking toward heavenly reward.
Well, we would have reacted within the Jesus Way if only we had known who was hidden behind the mask of poverty. Notice that neither party recognized Jesus hidden among the needy.(Barclay calls it uncalculating help, not disguised selfishness).Maybe the sheer weight and size of the need blinded them both. I want refuge in a sanctuary, as it feels at times that there’s not enough of me, not enough of us, to make a dent in the constant waters of need that comes lapping at the door. Another approach is Ezekiel’s disgust with those charged to take care of needy people in the community, so instead God will take the reins. Notice its violent end for the fat and strong sheep. Apparently, they have lived easily but not forever.

I am always troubled that people may use this story to illustrate the way of Jesus as some sort of command and literal picture of the way of God. This is not, not a guidepost to the citizenry of heaven, as that determination is made by the grace of the god of all mercies. This is a story to illustrate the meaning of love of neighbor and God, the hinge of the approach to life of Judaism. this is a guide to a kingdom of heaven ethic in this life. If we accept that the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of grace, then God no more totes up charitable activities than other good deeds in the divine scoreboard. It is that very vision of grace that has the charitable group having their hearts and minds expanded to act as the do, without consideration of deservering or not.

Second, I fear that this passage creates confusion between justice and charity in the mind of Christians. Yes, we are called to help out people in trouble. The problem is that they are band-aids, needed things for healing but still temporary expedients. Justice calls us to watch out for the conditions that cause the problems mentioned here in the first place. Justice calls us to notice when a social system is weighted for or against groups of people, so that people in similar situations are not treated in similar ways. Indeed injustice makes it impossible for that to happen. it is as if the race of life is rigged from the start, or that unfair obstacles and advantages are handed out during the race.

For Americans, the use of words such as king and kingdom are deeply problematic. Plus, it casts us in the 21st century to thoughts of movies about the Middle Ages, so it sets our thoughts on the distant past, not the contentious present and the bright future. Yet, Christ the boss, the CEO, the president lack something.Ephesians talks big words about the power of the cosmic Christ enthroned in heaven, but that rule can still be as dimly perceived as the characters in the story of the sheep and goats. In the end, God will sort things out, but that does not releive us of responsibility toward each other in the here and now.
I remember from Catholic school. Martin of Tours was a soldier returning home, broke and weary. A shivering beggar asked him for money. having none, martin took his sword and cut his weather-beaten and torn cloak in half and laid it on the man. In a dream he he saw Jesus in the throne room of heaven, just like the vision of John that we read on All Saints Day.When an angel asked where Jesus received the garment, Jesus replied that his servant Martin gave it to him.