Christ the King- Matt 25
We have a very Interesting connection between our Old Testament reading from the prophet Ezekiel and our Gospel reading today. In Ezekiel, we see the image of God as a shepherd is going to gather the scattered sheep. The Good shepherd (see Jn 10; Psalm 23) feeds the sheep, and leads them to water in the hill country of Israel. There is an element of judgement in Ezekiel’s image of the shepherd. The lost will be found, the injured will be treated, the weak will be strengthened. But strangely, the fat and strong will be destroyed, … which is odd behaviour for a shepherd. Usually they want fat and strong animals. God, the shepherd, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Ezekiel says why- the fat and strong sheep are bullies. God says,
“Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide”.
Then God sets David as a shepherd over the flock. This is obviously King David, who was actually a shepherd. But this is written long after David died, so David is a symbol of the Messiah, the heir to David. Ezekiel says,
“I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them” (34:23-24).
So, we have this imagery of God as the shepherd, and of the messiah as shepherd, as well. Then, when we look at our Gospel reading, we see Jesus as this Shepherd judging the flock. The judging aspect of Ezekiel’s image seems to belong to God, so there may be a blurring of the line between God and the Messiah in the Gospel.
Jesus sees himself as the one who will judge all the nations- all the people of the world. What is the basis on which he going to judge humanity? I remember someone saying to me, thinking about why they deserve to go to heaven, saying, “well, I’m not Hitler, I’ve never killed anyone”. So it is a bit surprising that when we look at this judgement we see that the blessed are judged on the basis of what they did, and the bad are judged on the basis of what they neglected to do. The bad are like the servant who buried the master’s talent that we read about last week. It was what he neglected to do that was problematic. … He is going to judge humanity on the basis of how they treated him when he came to them in disguise. He is disguised as the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. (In Jesus’ day those who were imprisoned were often those who couldn’t pay their debts- so we might even call them the bankrupt).
There are a couple of ways we can interpret this passage.
Some scholars think that, those who Jesus was speaking to would have probably heard him speaking about his disciples going out to the nations. Jesus speaks about the “least of these my brothers and sisters”, which would most likely refer to his disciples. … For example, before his conversion Paul was persecuting Christians and then Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus. Paul asks, “Who are you, Lord?” And Jesus says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). Jesus says that what Paul was doing to his followers, he was actually doing to him. Jesus didn’t say “you are persecuting my people”, he says that Paul was persecuting him. … As his disciples go out to the peoples of the world to share the gospel they will be treated hospitably or with hostility. So, at the end of the age all the peoples of the world will be gathered together and they will be judged on the basis of how they received the followers of Christ. … If you are a follower of Christ and someone has mistreated you because you are his follower, it is taken personally by Jesus. He takes it so personally that what has been done to you he considers it done to him, personally.
This is both good news, but also quite challenging. It is good news in that it means that Jesus has our back. As we try to follow him and minister to those around us- as we try to be Christians in the world for the sake of others- Jesus sees himself as right there with us. For those who receive us, Jesus sees them as receiving him. For those who reject us, Jesus sees them as rejecting him. … Jesus is with you in a powerfully intimate way. It shows the deep identification Jesus has with us.
This is also challenging for us though. It means that how we treat our fellow Christian is how Jesus sees us treating him. If we gossip against a fellow Christian, we are gossiping against him. If we quarrel with a fellow Christian, we are quarreling with Christ. If we ignore a Christian teenager, or get upset that a child in church is a bit noisy- Jesus sees us as doing that to him.
This goes across denominational lines as well. How do we feel about Roman Catholics, or Baptists, or Pentecostals? If we look down on other kinds of Christians because of their style of worship, for example, Jesus sees us as looking down on him. If Christians in other parts of the world are being persecuted, as they have been under ISIS or Boko Haram or in China, and we ignore their cry, then we have ignored the cry of Christ.
On the other hand, when we serve fellow Christians across the world, especially when they are in trouble, Jesus sees us as serving him. When we bless and love our Christian brothers and sisters in other denominations, then Jesus receives that love as being directed to him. When we treat our brothers and sisters in our own church with honour, love, and respect, then Jesus sees that as being directed to him. … So, in this interpretation of the “least of these” as the disciples of Jesus, we can feel both the good news and the strong challenge.
The second way we can interpret this passage is to see the “least of these my brothers and sisters” as the suffering of humanity. This is the way Mother Teresa has interpreted this passage. She often called poverty the “distressing disguise” of Jesus. The Rule of St. Benedict directs the monks to welcome every stranger as if they are welcoming Christ (Chapter 53). While the first reading would probably be a more accurate reading historically, reading “the least” as being the poor in general is also in line with the call of Jesus, and in line with the thrust of the Scriptures in general.
Often throughout the Old Testament the prophets warn the people about a coming judgement for the way they have treated the vulnerable. In Isaiah 58 we read,
Jesus sees himself as the one who will judge all the nations- all the people of the world. What is the basis on which he going to judge humanity? I remember someone saying to me, thinking about why they deserve to go to heaven, saying, “well, I’m not Hitler, I’ve never killed anyone”. So it is a bit surprising that when we look at this judgement we see that the blessed are judged on the basis of what they did, and the bad are judged on the basis of what they neglected to do. The bad are like the servant who buried the master’s talent that we read about last week. It was what he neglected to do that was problematic. … He is going to judge humanity on the basis of how they treated him when he came to them in disguise. He is disguised as the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. (In Jesus’ day those who were imprisoned were often those who couldn’t pay their debts- so we might even call them the bankrupt).
There are a couple of ways we can interpret this passage.
Some scholars think that, those who Jesus was speaking to would have probably heard him speaking about his disciples going out to the nations. Jesus speaks about the “least of these my brothers and sisters”, which would most likely refer to his disciples. … For example, before his conversion Paul was persecuting Christians and then Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus. Paul asks, “Who are you, Lord?” And Jesus says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5). Jesus says that what Paul was doing to his followers, he was actually doing to him. Jesus didn’t say “you are persecuting my people”, he says that Paul was persecuting him. … As his disciples go out to the peoples of the world to share the gospel they will be treated hospitably or with hostility. So, at the end of the age all the peoples of the world will be gathered together and they will be judged on the basis of how they received the followers of Christ. … If you are a follower of Christ and someone has mistreated you because you are his follower, it is taken personally by Jesus. He takes it so personally that what has been done to you he considers it done to him, personally.
This is both good news, but also quite challenging. It is good news in that it means that Jesus has our back. As we try to follow him and minister to those around us- as we try to be Christians in the world for the sake of others- Jesus sees himself as right there with us. For those who receive us, Jesus sees them as receiving him. For those who reject us, Jesus sees them as rejecting him. … Jesus is with you in a powerfully intimate way. It shows the deep identification Jesus has with us.
This is also challenging for us though. It means that how we treat our fellow Christian is how Jesus sees us treating him. If we gossip against a fellow Christian, we are gossiping against him. If we quarrel with a fellow Christian, we are quarreling with Christ. If we ignore a Christian teenager, or get upset that a child in church is a bit noisy- Jesus sees us as doing that to him.
This goes across denominational lines as well. How do we feel about Roman Catholics, or Baptists, or Pentecostals? If we look down on other kinds of Christians because of their style of worship, for example, Jesus sees us as looking down on him. If Christians in other parts of the world are being persecuted, as they have been under ISIS or Boko Haram or in China, and we ignore their cry, then we have ignored the cry of Christ.
On the other hand, when we serve fellow Christians across the world, especially when they are in trouble, Jesus sees us as serving him. When we bless and love our Christian brothers and sisters in other denominations, then Jesus receives that love as being directed to him. When we treat our brothers and sisters in our own church with honour, love, and respect, then Jesus sees that as being directed to him. … So, in this interpretation of the “least of these” as the disciples of Jesus, we can feel both the good news and the strong challenge.
The second way we can interpret this passage is to see the “least of these my brothers and sisters” as the suffering of humanity. This is the way Mother Teresa has interpreted this passage. She often called poverty the “distressing disguise” of Jesus. The Rule of St. Benedict directs the monks to welcome every stranger as if they are welcoming Christ (Chapter 53). While the first reading would probably be a more accurate reading historically, reading “the least” as being the poor in general is also in line with the call of Jesus, and in line with the thrust of the Scriptures in general.
Often throughout the Old Testament the prophets warn the people about a coming judgement for the way they have treated the vulnerable. In Isaiah 58 we read,
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, … if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday” (Is 58:5-7,10).
Psalm 68 says that God is the
“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows” (Ps 68:5).
Exodus explicitly commands,
“You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child” (Ex 22:22).
Deuteronomy 10 says, God
“executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing” (Deut 10:18).
God rescues a group of slaves and makes them the people of God. We could go on, but I think we can see from a few examples that God has a particular care for the vulnerable. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t care for the rich and powerful, but there is particular attention given to the poor and vulnerable that live on the margins of society.
Jesus was right in line with this prophetic tradition regarding his care for those who were on the margins of society. So clearly the second way of interpreting the “least of these my brothers and sisters” as being the vulnerable and needy of humanity is not out of line with Jesus and his teachings. It has been the traditional way for Christians to interpret this passage.
It is probably important to say something about the discomfort we feel when we read a passage like this. We don’t really like thinking about Jesus judging people and sending them to eternal punishment. One early Church interpreter points out that God is always more willing to praise than to denounce, so the praise-worthy are addressed first. The Lord reluctantly judges those who have done bad. This interpreter points out,
Jesus was right in line with this prophetic tradition regarding his care for those who were on the margins of society. So clearly the second way of interpreting the “least of these my brothers and sisters” as being the vulnerable and needy of humanity is not out of line with Jesus and his teachings. It has been the traditional way for Christians to interpret this passage.
It is probably important to say something about the discomfort we feel when we read a passage like this. We don’t really like thinking about Jesus judging people and sending them to eternal punishment. One early Church interpreter points out that God is always more willing to praise than to denounce, so the praise-worthy are addressed first. The Lord reluctantly judges those who have done bad. This interpreter points out,
“If indeed Christ delighted in the punishment of sinners, he never would have delivered himself up for them” (Incomplete Work on Matthew).
Referring to those who are condemned, St. Chrysostom points out that,
“[Jesus] does not say they are cursed by the Father, for the Father had not laid a curse upon them, but only their own works. He does not say that the eternal fire is prepared only for [them] but ‘for the devil and his angels.’ For concerning the Kingdom indeed, when he had said, ‘Come, inherit the Kingdom,’ he added, ‘prepared for you before the foundation of the world.’ But concerning the fire, he does not say this but ‘prepared for the devil.’ I prepared the Kingdom for you, he says, but the fire I did not prepare for you but ‘for the devil and his angels.’ But you have cast yourselves in it. You have imputed it to yourselves.” (Chrysostom, The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 79.2).
These early interpreters saw this as a reluctant judgement on the part of Jesus. This is not a God who rejoices in condemning sinners. St. Chrysostom sees the person’s bad actions (or lack of action) as what judges them. They made their bed and now they get to lay in it. As Dallas Willard would say, this is the best God can do for some people. … Well there is a lot more that we could say about that, but we don’t have the time today. (see CS Lewis' The Great Divorce, or see this blog post).
What is Jesus saying with this teaching? He is saying that he comes to us in need, but disguised, and we help him or we don’t and we will be judged on that basis. It is about how we treat Jesus in the other person. Our character is being exposed when we encounter those in need. His words to those who gather will be “come… inherit the kingdom” or “depart from me”. Those who are welcomed into the presence of Christ will receive more intimacy with Christ in his kingdom- just as their character was drawn to Christ in the other who was in need. And those who rejected the presence of Christ in the vulnerable will get more of what they wanted- they will depart from the presence of Christ who was in the needy, but who is also the source of all good things.
So, may we recognize Christ in each other. May we love Christ in the poor and rejected and needy. May we receive the stranger as if it is Christ himself walking through our doors, because it just might be him- in his distressing disguise. AMEN
What is Jesus saying with this teaching? He is saying that he comes to us in need, but disguised, and we help him or we don’t and we will be judged on that basis. It is about how we treat Jesus in the other person. Our character is being exposed when we encounter those in need. His words to those who gather will be “come… inherit the kingdom” or “depart from me”. Those who are welcomed into the presence of Christ will receive more intimacy with Christ in his kingdom- just as their character was drawn to Christ in the other who was in need. And those who rejected the presence of Christ in the vulnerable will get more of what they wanted- they will depart from the presence of Christ who was in the needy, but who is also the source of all good things.
So, may we recognize Christ in each other. May we love Christ in the poor and rejected and needy. May we receive the stranger as if it is Christ himself walking through our doors, because it just might be him- in his distressing disguise. AMEN
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