Sermon 20th November 2011
Rev Dr Ken Jeffrey
Christ the King
Introduction
Context of Matthew 25
The Gospel of Matthew is structured around five main teaching discourses, the last of which entitled ‘The Olivet discourse’ is found in chapters 24-5, where Jesus teaches the disciples about ‘The End of the Age’, and explains how the ‘story’ of God and the world will end.
Those of you who attended the All Saints Day service here in the church at the end of October will recall that recently on holiday, I read Ian McEwan’s latest novel Solar, which had received rave reviews which included the Daily Telepgraph’s prediction,‘it will come to be regarded as a classic’.
A huge McEwan fan, I have now read 11/14 of his novels, and I was excited about Solar, which tells the story of a Nobel prize winning physicist Micheal Beard. Darkly satirical, like much of McEwan’s work, it is a splendid novel which I enjoyed very well until I go to the end.
It appeared that MacEwan was building up to a great climax, but at the last the story seemed just to stop abruptly with all sorts of issues and matters unresolved, and with no sense of closure or end.
Tell me, how do you imagine the story of God and the world and humanity will end?
Some people believe that we shall all receive a free ‘Get out of Jail’ card at the last, and that no matter how we live and behave, or treat other people, at the end we shall have nothing to fear.
Today’s gospel reading does not give us such a naïve optimism, but rather teaches us to anticipate that at the end of our lives there will be a Judgment, when we shall all stand before God, our Maker, and Jesus explains to us to the criteria by which we shall be judged.
Development
1. Exegesis [what it meant there and then]
a. v31-33: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory…’
Many OT prophets, incl Daniel and Joel, described apocalyptic visions when they taught about ‘The day of the Lord’. Therefore, the Jews were taught to expect this day to come at the end of time.
Here, Matthew goes further and explains:
i. The Son of Man, ‘the King’, is Jesus, seat ‘on his throne in heavenly glory’. He will be the Judge.
ii. ‘All the nations’, every single person living and dead from every place and time will be judged.
b. v34-40: ‘Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘come, you who are blessed by my Father…’
Those who have given food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, hospitality to the stranger, clothes to the naked, care for the sick, paid visits to those in prison, ‘to the least of these brothers of mine’.
Who are ‘the least of these brothers of mine’?
Commentators are agreed that they are not anyone or everyone who is needy or people in general, but rather they are Jesus brothers and sisters, his disciples and followers.
Again, recall the context. Matthew is writing during a period of persecution, when Christians became homeless, hungry, naked, and were being imprisoned and attacked because of their faith.
c. v 41-46: ‘Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from you, you who are cursed…’
Those who did not give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, hospitality to the stranger, clothes to the naked, care for the sick, pay visits to those in prison, ‘to the least of these brothers of mine’.
2. Application [what it means here and now]
a. The Reality of Judgment
The purpose of the shepherd simile in v32-33 is to emphasise that at the last there will be a separation between the sheep and the goats, a distinct division when some are taken one way, to the joy and peace of God’s kingdom, and the rest are taken another way to a place where life will end.
Previously mixed together in one flock, and where they can be difficult to distinquish between, at the last sheep and goats will be separated. This is how ‘story’ ends, at last, with God’s Judgment.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who is well known for his many gaffes, was nonetheless truly right when he wrote in 1995 in the Visitors’ Book of Yad Vesham, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, ‘God brings everything we do to judgment’. We shall all, at last, be held accountable.
The criteria by which all people will be judged is not whether they came to church, whether they were an elder, whether they attended a HG, whether they read bible or said prayers, whether they were nice or good, but how they lived alongside and treated ‘the least of these brothers of mine’.
b. We are justified by faith, not works
For some time, it was generally assumed that this passage taught that our salvation depended upon our acts of charity towards others, and thus that Jesus and Paul taught different gospels.
Properly understood, the bible teaches us that we are forgiven and saved by grace through faith. ‘There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’
By his death on the cross Jesus paid the price of our sins; through believing in Him we are forgiven.
However, redeem grace and saving faith are demonstrated by the love and care we have of others.
Therefore, although we are saved by grace through faith, we shall nevertheless be judged by our works, because our works are the evidence or proof of whether we have been truly saved or not.
c. Love in Action
Who are ‘the least of these brothers of mine’ today?
‘Charity begins at home’, accord to Jesus our ‘brothers’ are Christian brothers and sisters in need.
Therefore, wherever in world or here in Cupar, any one of them is hungry or thirsty, they require hospitality, need clothes, are sick, are in prison because of faith, we need to respond and help.
We have, already, among street child through our support work of Casa Girasoles, Ica in Peru.
We have begun through partnering with other groups and agencies that support vulnerable in Cupar.
Meanwhile, many of you visit and care for the housebound and elderly who are in need.
Still, ‘the fields are white unto harvest and he labourers are so few’.
There is much more we want to do for our community, but need you to give time to be with people.
d. Recognising and serving ‘The hidden Christ’
As we journey through Advent we shall remind selves of future hope of Christ’s glorious return.
Today, let us remind selves of ‘hidden Christ’, ‘the least of these brothers of mine’, the Jesus who is your neighbour, the Jesus who sits lone at home, the Jesus who.. the Jesus whom we meet everyday.
Conclusion
We shall all, at the end of time, be judged. We shall be judged according to our response to Jesus as He appeared among us in the lives of the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and imprisoned.
Let us begin to see Jesus in lives of those in need around us, and let us serve and help Him gladly.
