You are beloved to God, safe in the Triune God’s love now and always; will you help the children of God who are in need of love themselves?
Pr. Joseph G. Crippen
The Reign of Christ, last Sunday after Pentecost, Lect. 34 A
Texts: Matthew 25:31-46; Ezekiel 34:11-24
Beloved in Christ, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
If you’re looking for hope in these parables, this is a hard one.
We’ve been hearing Jesus’ parables for six months, and you know what I’m going to say: after Gethsemane, the cross, and rising from the dead, Christ doesn’t do these judgments. So all that is left is invitation to follow, to serve, to share, to plant, to love, to be generous.
But this one feels different in a few ways. You can’t hope the main character isn’t Christ. It’s not a sower, or a vineyard owner, or a master, or a bridegroom. Jesus refers to himself as Son-of-Man and king.
The problem isn’t minor, either, like forgetfulness, or fearful hiding of treasure, or struggling to grow. Here real people suffer from real needs, and some people don’t take care of them.
And the judgment isn’t vague. Not outer darkness, or wedding doors slammed, or vineyards taken away and given to someone else. The threat here is eternal fire prepared for the devil and the devil’s angels.
It’s not really even a parable. Apart from the metaphor of shepherd and flock, this is direct teaching. Do what Christ wants in this life or you’re going to be in the torment of fire in the next. God seems to agree in Ezekiel. Some of God’s sheep have gotten fat, using up all the resources, and polluting what’s left so that a whole lot of God’s sheep are suffering, sick, hungry. Sound familiar to us? And God wants to punish the fat sheep.
Now, if this parable is as bad as it seems, there’s also clarity.
The only problem here is lack of knowledge. Everyone in this story is a subject of Christ, and every one clearly wanted to serve Christ in their life. Some cared for those who were hungry and thirsty, those who lacked clothes or were strangers, those sick and imprisoned. Some didn’t.
But all were surprised to realize that Christ was that hungry, thirsty, naked, alien, sick, imprisoned person. Those on the left would have helped had they known that. The others didn’t need to know in order to help.
So, worst case scenario, if I’m wrong and there’s a judgment day coming where you’ll be separated out because of how you did, Jesus has given you a great gift. Unlike everyone else in this parable, now you know that Christ is in anyone who struggles or is in need. If you want to serve Christ, serve them. If you want to see Christ, see them. Take care of them. There’s no need to fear the fire or any judgment. You have all you need to pass with flying colors and go to the right. Done.
But does the Shepherd King have any say over how you understand this teaching?
At the end of God’s condemnation in Ezekiel, God promises to raise up a Shepherd who will care for the sheep and feed them. But surprisingly, all the sheep – even the fat polluters – are under that care. And the Shepherd and Sovereign in the parable who returns at the end of time and deals with the sheep and goats in the flock is the promised Shepherd of Ezekiel, Christ Jesus, God-with-us.
Since this Sovereign, this Shepherd, is the one telling the parable, and the one dying and rising, and the one returning at the end of time, does Christ get to decide what’s really going to happen? Because if so, then you’re going to have to start seeing this parable the way I’ve been telling you you can. The way Christ does.
You see, Christ the Good Shepherd consistently wants only two things.
Christ wants to have one flock, everyone together, no one lost. In Matthew 18 Jesus says even 99 isn’t enough, all 100 must be safe. It is not the will of his Father in heaven, he says, that a single one be lost. In John 12, Christ promises to draw all things into God’s life when he is lifted up on the cross. In John 10 the Good Shepherd promises that the flock is bigger than we can imagine, that there are sheep you and I don’t know. And there will be one flock and one Shepherd, he says. The whole creation is redeemed and loved by the Good Shepherd. No one goes into the eternal fire.
That’s the Shepherd’s will. So – does the Good Shepherd get what the Good Shepherd wants?
Also, Christ wants all the Triune God’s sheep to be healthy, fed, cared for, safe. So, changing Ezekiel, instead of wiping out the fat sheep, Christ asks the fat sheep to quit polluting and start caring for the thin sheep. It’s not about the separation, or the eternal fire. The Shepherd has lambs in pain, and needs his followers to provide for those who hunger and thirst, to clothe and shelter those exposed and vulnerable, to care for the sick and the imprisoned, to welcome the stranger.
Peter cursed his way to unfaithfulness in the midnight hours before Jesus’ death, three times swearing he’d never met Jesus. After Easter, Jesus gives him three more questions, asking, “do you love me?” Each time, when Peter said, “yes,” Jesus said, “feed my sheep. Take care of my lambs.”
That’s the Shepherd’s will. So – does the Good Shepherd get what the Good Shepherd wants?
And can you hold these two things together instead of being afraid?
First, that you are absolutely, indisputably, unquestionably safe in the love of the Triune God now and forever, no matter what. The Shepherd loves you and all people and all things, and will look for you whenever you’re lost, will always care for you and hold you and nothing – nothing – can snatch you or anything else out of the Shepherd’s grasp. Jesus promised. What if you lived your life trusting you were that loved, that safe?
And second, that you are needed. There are people who are starving, people who don’t have clean water. People without clothes or shelter, who are sick or imprisoned, who are strangers and don’t know who can help.
And all Christ your Good Shepherd wants is that if you can help, you will. You will take the love that is yours from God and share it. Use it. Be Christ to all in need.
Your Good Shepherd loves you, now and always, and has need of you. It’s that simple.
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
