This being my second time preaching for Christ the King Sunday, I wanted to look a bit at the history of this celebration at the end of our year. Starting last year in Advent we have arrived around again. This celebration is one of the last added to our calendar. This grows out of the first World War.
When we think of the history of our church we often think back two hundred years as we just passed that milestone as a congregation and we also think about two thousand years ago to the creation of the universal church.
Pope Benedict XV began his papacy one month into world war I. He was horrified at his inability to broker peace as bodies piled up in Europe. He declared "There is no limit to the measure of ruin and of slaughter; day by day the earth is drenched with newly shed blood and is covered with the bodies of the wounded and of the slain." We are horrified still.
He was replaced after his death in 1925 by Pope Pius XI who believed the aim of the papacy was to re-establish the kingdom of Christ by peace in Christ. This is why he established Christ the king Sunday to refocus the church on the true ruler and away from unquestioning support of earthly powers. This war to end all wars was something new that required a response.
Originally this feast was celebrated the day before all saints day. October 31rst was the original day of this feast. It was moved to its current Sunday in 1969. This was done by Pope Paul VI, who believed that placing the feast on the last day of the liturgical year would highlight its significance.
So to me it is surprising to learn that this celebration is so new. It seems so natural at the end of our year. It is hard now to imagine the year without this ending. Well at least fifty four years it has been at the end. Wow I am almost that old.
The themes are rather straight forward in my mind. Jesus is the king of the universe and the Church. Hard to believe this was not always celebrated. The kingdom of Jesus will be established at the end of time. Christians should follow and obey Jesus as their Lord. Use his model of living.
We are also brough themes of sovereignty and who is really in charge. Protection, power and the final judgment. Matthew 25:31-46 is explicit on this last theme. I read from the Amplified Bible- "The Judgment" as it is labeled.
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him [for judgment]; and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right [the place of honor], and the goats on His left [the place of rejection].
This scripture is the end so the association with Christ the King is clear. Also the current place on our calendar seems the most reasonable place to share this scripture. We go around and around year A, year B and year C and back again. This placement at the end reassures us that there is a destination.
Two thousand years ago they did not expect this to take so long. Maybe that is why this is such a modern celebration. Two thousand years later the church coming out of World War I needed to reassure themselves of that destination.
Also realization of why things had gotten so bad. Or why we might say things today are so bad. He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; this tells us things are going to be difficult until this happens. For us it is impossible to separate them. We do not have the ability to tell them apart. The only thing we can do is trust.
It is a scary proposition. Even more scary for someone who has trusted the wrong person. Now even in this difficult situation we still can not tell them apart. Perhaps we just trusted that person at the wrong time. People go through things that we are not aware. They are also motivated by things we do not know.
Not to get too far down a medical description, but people are different. If we took one hundred people and used modern imaging technology we would find some difference. Now would we know what those differences mean? probably not. As amazing as science has progressed they are essentially silent on what human consciousness is. Our Lord lays it out very simply: there are sheep and goats.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God, appointed to eternal salvation], inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me [with help and ministering care]; I was in prison, and you came to Me [ignoring personal danger].’
It would seem like the sheep would be able to identify themselves given all these qualities outlined in our scripture, but as we see they do not. It seems to be the nature of the sheep that they feel they haven't done enough. Even when someone breaks our trust we wonder was there something I did wrong. It is the nature of sheep to be motivated by uncertainty up to the end.
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it for Me.’
The sheep will not be able to separate themselves. There are many people in our world that try to. There really is nothing to be completely certain in except that Christ is King. As subjects of Christ the King, people should treat others with compassion and justice. And see the Lord in all.
41 “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons); 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me [with help and ministering care].’
So here we come to the most surprising part of everything. The Goats have the same answer as the sheep:
44 Then they also [in their turn] will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will reply to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these [my followers], you did not do it for Me.’ 46 Then these [unbelieving people] will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God [will go, by His remarkable grace] into eternal (unending) life.”
We end here with what the church often in the past focused upon. Eternal punishment. The fire and brimstone they used to talk about plenty around here, but I say to you as subjects of Christ the King, people should treat others with compassion and justice. Some will be with God and some will be separated. As far as punishments go in my mind there really is nothing greater than being separated from our creator. This was also my father's conclusion and he had grown up in a different time.
It is important who is around. It makes all the difference, but there is no machine to tell people apart. There is no way for us to separate people. So listen you are going to trust in the wrong person at the wrong time. Might be wrong person or just wrong time, but I assure you if you trust you will make mistakes. If you don't trust you will have nothing.
You might think you need to be careful who you trust, but I have chosen to go another way. You trust everyone. How many times you might forgive, well another favorite of my fathers: Matthew 18:21-22
from the Amplified Bible says: 21 Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven."
'Cause it's a long way to go
A hard row to hoe
Yes, it's a long way to go
But in the meantime
Before you cross the street
Take my hand
Life is what happens to you
While you're busy making other plans
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Before you go to sleep
Say a little prayer
Every day, in every way
It's getting better and better
"Then these [unbelieving people] will go away" Huh? I think maybe till that last moment the vehicle of grace is available till they finally leave. I think again what happens after your separated from God is kind of moot, what could be worse. Maybe some will argue the goats were already separated and it was too late. I'm not gonna argue, but I see something finally different in the two sides. One saved by grace and one that gives up. In the end the battle of good and evil is a forfeit.
For even before there was good news we knew:
Ezekiel 34:20-24 continues
Amplified Bible
20 Therefore thus says the Lord God to them, “Behold, I Myself will judge between the [well-fed] fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and gore with your horns all those that have become weak and sick until you have scattered them away, 22 therefore, I will rescue My flock, and they shall no longer be prey; and I will judge between one sheep [ungodly] and another [godly].
23 “Then I will appoint over them one shepherd and he will feed them, [a ruler like] My servant David; he will feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.
So this Christ the King Sunday we remember who we serve.
Let Us Pray,
Holy One, enthroned in glory over all creation, you are a shepherd to the lost and the least. Teach us to see your face among the poor— feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting those who are sick or in prison— so that we may share in your eternal realm prepared from the foundation of the world; through Jesus Christ, who is coming indeed, to reign with justice, compassion, and love. Amen
Benediction
"Christ Has No Body,” – Teresa of Avila
Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.
It is not enough to proclaim Jesus Christ
as our Lord and King.
Our mission in life is
to make his kingdom a reality among us
and to bring it to those around us
by our words and deeds.
The way to do this is to live as he lived:
for others, in love and service.
May almighty God bless you for this task:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
and to give shape to his kingdom.
Thanks be to God!
Amen.
Nottingham UMC 11/26/2023
