Christ the King

MATTHEW 25:31-46
ONCE IN AN IRISH VILLAGE THE FATHER OF A LARGE FAMILY FELL AND BROKE HIS LEG. HE WAS THE ONLY BREADWINNER. THE PEOPLE DECIDED TO GATHER TOGETHER ONE SUNDAY TO PRAY FOR THE MAN AND HIS FAMILY. THEY NOTICED THAT EVERYONE HAD TURNED OUT, EXCEPT GEORGE MURPHY, AS USUAL. GEORGE ALMOST NEVER GRACED THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH. AFTER THE PRAYER SERVICE WAS OVER, THE PASTOR ASKED GEORGE'S SON, “WHERE IS YOUR FATHER?” THE BOY REPLIED, “HE HAD A LOT TO DO, SO HE SENT HIS PRAYERS IN THE WAGON.” AND THE WAGON WAS FILLED WITH THINGS FROM GEORGE'S FARM, VEGETABLES, POTATOES, A SMOKED HAM – ENOUGH FOOD FOR SIX WEEKS, ABOUT THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE FOR A BROKEN LEG TO HEAL.
WHEN WE HEAR THIS PARTICULAR GOSPEL, WE THINK OF THE LAST JUDGEMENT. OUR MINDS NATURALLY LEAP TO THE IDEA THAT IN SOME WAY, THOSE WHO FEED THE HUNGRY, GIVE DRINK TO THE THIRSTY, AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS WILL BE JUDGED AND SENT TO HEAVEN, AND THOSE WHO DON'T WILL GO OFF TO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. AND WE MIGHT CONCLUDE THAT THE WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN IS TO DO GOOD WORKS.
BUT THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING THINGS GOING ON HERE. FIRST, THE KING SEPARATES THE SHEEP FROM THE GOATS. THEY ARE ALREADY SHEEP AND GOATS, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN MADE THAT WAY BY THE KING. IT IS REALLY NOT WHAT WE DO THAT SAVES OR CONDEMNS US, IT IS WHAT WE ARE. SOME MAY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO GREAT WORKS OF CHARITY; OTHERS MAY HAVE LITTLE OR NO OPPORTUNITY. BUT HOW WE RESPOND TO THE OPPORTUNITIES WE ARE GIVEN HAS TO DO WITH WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE WE ARE.
SECOND, THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS ARE SURPRISED BY WHAT THE KING TELLS THEM. “WHEN DID WE SEE YOU HUNGRY, OR NAKED, OR A STRANGER?” WHEN DID WE SERVE YOU, OR WHEN DID WE NOT? “BECAUSE”, BOTH GROUPS MIGHT ADD, “IF WE HAD SEEN YOU IN NEED, WE WOULD HAVE OF COURSE SERVED YOU.” AND THEY WOULD HAVE, WHETHER THEY WERE SHEEP OR GOATS. THE GREAT KING, IN ALL HIS GLORY, WOULD BE THE OBJECT OF LOVE, AND ALL WHO MET HIM WOULD WANT TO SERVE HIM, WOULD WANT TO TEND TO HIS NEEDS. WANTING TO DO GOOD IS PROBABLY COMMON TO SAINTS AND SINNERS. HOW MANY REALLY BAD THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND THAT STARTED OUT WITH SOMEONE WANTING TO DO GOOD? AND HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES HAVE SLIPPED BY TO DO GOOD, BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO COULD HAVE DONE GOOD WAS, NOT BAD, BUT MORALLY LAZY.
BEING MORALLY LAZY MEANS THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT A CHILD IN TROUBLE AND SAY, “THAT'S NOT MY CHILD.” OR YOU CAN LOOK AT A LONELY OLD WOMAN AND SAY, “THAT'S NOT MY MOTHER.” OR YOU CAN HEAR ABOUT SOMEONE WHO HAS NO HOME, WHO GOES TO BED HUNGRY, AND YOU CAN SAY, “THAT'S NOT MY BROTHER.” MORAL LAZINESS – THE FAILURE TO USE OUR IMAGINATIONS TO SEE REAL RELATIONSHIPS.
SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI SPENT HIS LIFE ALLOWING GOD TO TEACH HIM. IN HIS LAST YEARS HE TOLD HIS BROTHERS ABOUT THE MOMENT THAT GOD MOVED HIM TO SEE THE REALITY OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN. HE PASSED BY A LEPER. FRANCIS UP UNTIL THEN WAS APPALLED BY LEPROSY. HE WOULD CROSS THE STREET TO AVOID EVEN COMING NEAR A LEPER. BUT THAT DAY SOMETHING MOVED HIM TO GO OVER TO THE LEPER AND EMBRACE HIM AND CALL HIM BROTHER. AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON FRANCIS SAW EVERYONE AS CLOSER TO HIS HEART THAN EVEN THAN HIS OWN FAMILY MEMBERS.
JESUS CALLS US, NOT TO DO GOOD DEEDS, BECAUSE AS I SAID BEFORE, SOME HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO GREAT THINGS, OTHERS VERY LITTLE OPPORTUNITY. AND WHEN WE DO A GOOD DEED, WE ARE REALLY SIMPLY RESPONDING TO GOD'S IMPULSE IN US. “ALL GOOD THINGS,” ST. PAUL TELLS US, “COME FROM GOD.”. JESUS CALLS US RATHER TO DEVELOP A WAY OF LOOKING AT OTHERS, A SECOND NATURE, IF YOU WILL. WHEN WE MEET SOMEONE, THE FIRST THOUGHT SHOULD BE, “HOW CAN I HELP HIM OR HER?” WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT SOMEONE IN TROUBLE, OUR FIRST THOUGHT SHOULD BE, “CAN I DO SOMETHING TO HELP THAT PERSON GET OUT OF TROUBLE?” BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE THIS ATTITUDE, WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST. IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT TO SEE IN THE GOSPELS HOW JESUS LIVED THIS WAY – THOSE WHO CROSSED HIS PATH, HE HELPED. WHEN HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO RAISE THE DAUGHTER OF THE SYNAGOGUE OFFICIAL, HE STOPPED TO HEAL THE WOMAN WHO CONFRONTED HIM, EVEN THOUGH SHE WASN'T EVEN JEWISH. WHEN HIS APOSTLES TRIED TO SILENCE THE BLIND MAN, BECAUSE THY FELT THAT JESUS HAD DONE ENOUGH THAT DAY, JESUS HEARD AND HEALED HIM. WHEN PETER STRUCK THE SERVANT OF THE HIGH PRIEST, AND LOPPED OFF HIS EAR, JESUS HEALED THE MAN AS PERHAPS THE LAST HEALING HE WOULD DO IN THIS LIFE – HE HEALED AN ENEMY WHO HAD COME TO PUT HIM TO DEATH.
HOW DO WE GET TO BE SHEEP? WE HUMAN BEINGS HAVE A WONDERFUL CAPACITY – WE CAN DEVELOP HABITS. OUR WHOLE DAY IS TAKEN UP BY HABITS ACTED OUT. JUST REFLECT ON YOURSELF. WHEN YOU CAME INTO CHURCH TODAY, YOU PROBABLY SAT IN ABOUT THE SAME PEW YOU ALWAYS SIT IN. WHEN YOU LEAVE CHURCH, YOU WILL PROBABLY DO WHAT YOU DID LAST SUNDAY, AND THE SUNDAY BEFORE. WHEN YOU GET IN THE CAR, YOU WILL GET IN THE SAME WAY YOU ALWAYS DO. AND WE CAN LEARN THE HABIT OF SENSITIVITY, THE HABIT OF CHARITY, AS WELL. AT FIRST ITS HARD; MAYBE WE HAVE TO BREAK THE HABIT WE NOW HAVE, WHICH IS TO CLOSE OUR EYES AND EARS AND GO ON ABOUT OUR BUSINESS WHEN WE CONFRONT SOMEONE IN NEED. MAYBE THERE IS A TAPE IN OUR HEADS THAT SAYS, “HE'D PROBABLY JUST SPEND ANYTHING I GAVE HIM ON ALCOHOL,” OR “WHY DOESN'T SHE GO TO A SHELTER? THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE FOR.” OUR TASK IS TO BECOME THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO, WITHOUT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT, CANNOT BE IDLE WHEN SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS US. AND THEN, WHEN THE GREAT KING MOVES AMONG HIS PEOPLE, WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT FAILING TO SERVE HIM BECAUSE WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE HIM.