Sunday, November 22, 2020

Christ the King
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Psalm 95:1-7a
1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Matthew 25:31-46

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

I was probably about eleven years old when the movie starring Lucille Ball called “Mame” was in the movie theaters. It was the musical about an eccentric and wealthy woman who becomes the guardian of her late brother’s son. She loses everything in the stock market crash of 1929 and the lawyer was threatening to remove the boy from her care. In the depths of her trouble, Mame realizes that she needs to do something to find joy again. She suggests that they get out the Christmas decorations and start to celebrate early. We laugh today because the line from the boy is “But it's one week 'til Thanksgiving Day now!” Since the movie was set in the late 1920s, they were not beginning Christmas in August yet.

Despite the stores already displaying Christmas decorations and Santa is already in the malls, most people are pretty adamant about not beginning to decorate until after Thanksgiving. “No Christmas music before then!” they say each year, except this year. The scene from the movie includes a song called “We Need a Little Christmas Now.” “Haul out the holly. Put up the tree before my spirit falls again. Fill up the stocking. I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now. For we need a little Christmas right this very minute: candles in the window, carols at the spinet. Yes, we need a little Christmas, right this very minute. Hasn’t snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we’re in a hurry.” The song goes on to talk about the struggles they are facing, but also their hope that they can find their happily ever after.

I’ve been humming that tune for a few weeks now. We need a little Christmas. I’m not the only one who thinks so; I have been seeing Christmas lights on houses for over a week. Despite it being “too early,” I have watched hours of Christmas movies already. I’m ready to get out the decorations, too.

I have a small collection of nativities that I like to keep out year round. It is fascinating to see the different ways people represent that special moment in time. There is always a baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The other figures include wise men, animals, angels and shepherds.

The shepherd is usually a young boy carrying a lamb. Though he’s muscular from his work, he is also skinny and poorly clothed. The shepherd is included because they were invited to the manger to see the baby, but he probably also represents David when he was anointed to be king of Israel. David was the youngest and smallest of his siblings, just a shepherd for his father’s flock, and yet he is the one that God chose to lead Israel. David did not take the throne until Saul died, after spending years as Saul’s servant and then pursued and threatened by Saul. By then he had become a hardened warrior and leader, though he still had the heart to serve God. His heart is what made him king, not his appearance or ability.

Shepherds were often boys, too small to be a warrior and too uneducated to do much else. These boys did not own the sheep; the sheep belonged to a master. It seems odd that God would use the image of a shepherd to describe the leaders of His people, but they are appointed to be caregivers working under the Master. They aren’t the authority; they are given the authority by God. We see this in the story of David. He was selected to be king long before he had the ability, strength, and power to lead. He relied on God and obeyed His word. That is what God expects of His chosen leaders. But we hear in today’s lesson that they failed.

God promised to send a new shepherd, one who would care for the sheep, always relying on the Master and obeying His Word: Jesus. God knew what would happen when God’s people asked for a king. He warned that an earthly king would demand much from them; many would be cruel and lay heavy burdens on their shoulders, but He granted their request. Over the years, some of the kings even led the people from the path of righteousness. Saul was the first of those to depart from God’s ways. David was chosen to stand as an example of the kind of king God intended for His people. The final King would come from David’s line. It is that king we celebrate this Sunday: Christ the King.

The glittering lights are one way to find some joy in the darkness. We also need a little laughter, so we turn to the Internet and watch funny videos. Who hasn’t tried to find a video of cute cats or dogs doing silly things. I love the videos of the little boy doing a cooking show. Or the family that produces spoofs about everything we love to hate. We watch these videos to get our minds off our troubles. We also love goat videos. Baby goats in pajamas bounce around the barnyard make us smile. We even laugh, with a little sympathy, at the frightened goats that fall down with the legs paralyzed for a moment.

Goats make us smile, but based on today’s scripture, it sounds like the goats are bad because Jesus uses them as the example of those who will be sent into eternal punishment for not taking care of the needy. It makes it sound as if goats are unclean or unacceptable. Yet, the scriptures show us that goats were not only clean, but they were acceptable at the Temple for sacrifice.

As a matter of fact, the hair of the goat was used for the curtains in the tabernacle. This would have not been true if God had deemed goats unworthy. Leviticus 16 describes the ritual involved in the Day of Atonement, at which goats played a very prominent role. The Lord told Moses that Aaron should first offer a bull for his own sins, and then he was to present two goats to the Lord before the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. One goat was chosen for sacrifice, the other was sent into the desert to be a scapegoat. The people laid their sins on the scapegoat’s head and it was then sent into the wilderness. Both goats were sacrificed, but one was given directly to the Lord and the other was left for God to take in His time and way. The fact that goats were used in the ritual for the Day of Atonement shows us that goats are not unacceptable before the Lord.

The goats are not only acceptable as the sin offering, but the fellowship offering also included goats. It is the blood of that animal, after all, that provided for the spiritual cleansing of the people. It is through the blood that they were forgiven. It is not really a concept that we understand today, especially since Hebrews 10 teaches that the blood of bulls and goats cannot forgive sin. But for the people of ancient Israel, those goats meant life and reconciliation to God. A goat isn’t a bad thing.

As a matter of fact, according to Heifer International, goats are one of the “Seven M” animals. The most efficient use of livestock resources is found in those animals that offer meat, milk, muscle, manure, money, materials and motivation. Goats reproduce quickly, often birthing kids several times a year. The milk can be used for drinking, cooking, butter and cheese. Farms with more than one goat can provide their excess for sale. Goat manure makes excellent fertilizer. Goats are small and need less space for proper care. They eat anything, including weeds that are dangerous for other animals and people, so they are better for managing land. They can be trained to carry packs or they are strong enough to pull wagons. They can be housebroken and make good pets. Goat hair is used to make wool, including mohair and cashmere. These animals are certainly of value, particularly among those families for whom one animal could mean the difference between life and death.

So, why would Jesus compare the sheep to the goats? In many ways, sheep and goats are the same but they are very different in terms of behavior. In Jesus’ day, the sheep and the goats were separated at night, the goats put into a barn to keep warm but the sheep preferred to stay in the field. Goats are willing to eat anything, but sheep prefer the short tender grasses and clover in the field. Sheep eat to the ground, while goats prefer to eat off the top of the plant. There are also differences in their social behavior. Goats are more curious, wandering to seek out new food sources. They are independent; they do not wander with a flock but move wherever they want. Sheep, however, flock together and become discontent when alone.

Perhaps that’s why Jesus separated the sheep from the goats. The goats go their own way; the sheep stay together. I’m not sure it can be said that sheep help one another, but they are safer and warmer in a group than the goats that wander. The people who are like sheep are those who live in community, sharing what they have with others. People who are like goats live for themselves. That’s certainly the difference between the sheep and the goats in today’s Gospel lesson. The sheep didn’t know they were caring for their Lord, but they were in the Lord’s presence when they cared for one another. The goats were ignorant of other’s needs and thus missed the Lord. This doesn’t mean that the sheep are perfect at doing good works or that the goats never share. It simply means that the sheep in this story are those whose hearts and spirits respond to the needs of others.

So, we should not use this text to compare the importance or value between sheep and goats. They are used, instead, to help us learn that until the day Christ comes to rule over the world, it is very difficult for us to tell the difference between those who will be chosen for eternal life and those who will be sent to eternal punishment. After all, there are many “good” people in the world, people who by their own strength and ability may seem like they deserve a place in heaven. However, there is something missing. For Jesus, the ones set to the left hand are those who missed the opportunities to serve Him by serving those in need. They didn’t act in faith.

That said, are any of us worthy? Have any of us missed even one opportunity to meet the needs of a neighbor or stranger in need? Have we turned away the helpless or forgotten the imprisoned? Are we not more like the shepherds who fail than like the King to come we are meant to emulate?

Those questions make us stop and consider our life, an exercise we regularly do at this time of year. As we struggle with another wave of covid around the country and around the world, we wonder if we have been living as God would want us to live. As the church year closes, we are reminded of the life we should be living as we wait for the second coming of the Christ. There are days when I hope He will come very soon. Then I wonder what Christ will find when He comes again.

Christ the King Sunday comes the week before we begin Advent, a season of repentance as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child. We are reminded that we are not only waiting for the babe in a manger, but also for the Day of the Lord. The lights and glitter may be appearing all over our neighborhoods, but there is still darkness in the world and in our hearts. Jesus will come, and when He comes He will be looking for faith lived out in action.

It is a very fine line we walk when we talk about our good works. We know that our salvation is dependent on the first coming of Christ: He was born to die so that we would have eternal life. Jesus’ death won for us freedom from slavery to sin and death. This is grace, and His grace is all we need to be saved. Our good works will not win us anything. But, Jesus won our freedom so that we might live and love with justice and mercy as our goal. We are born again to serve our neighbors, to do what is right and good in the world in which we live.

What will He find when He returns? Will He find us doing all He has called us to do, not only during Advent and Christmastime, but through the whole year long? We are reminded in this week’s passages the type of King we are waiting to see. He is the Son of David, but also David’s Lord. He is a shepherd, as David was once a shepherd, not strong and mighty and powerful on earth, but able to overcome all things. He is the Shepherd who does the will of the Master, and He calls us to follow Him on the same path. It is a path of justice and mercy through service, a life of faith lived out by God’s grace. While we should ask the questions and ponder this story, we need not fear the Day of the Lord or our failures because God is faithful to His promises. But as we enter into the season of Advent, we would do well to consider if our life is manifesting the grace we have been given, not only in this season but all the year through.

We are very aware of those charitable moments when we do something nice or give a donation. As we can see in this story, however, the sheep had no idea they were doing a good work, “When did we see you, Lord?” and the goats did not know they had failed, “When did we miss you, Lord?” We don’t always see Christ in the midst of our ordinary lives, but He is with us daily. Sometimes we realize that we’ve had a divine appointment, when the revelation of God’s mercy and grace is made apparent to us. However, the best experiences in sharing God’s love happen without our noticing, like when we speak a word of compassion to someone waiting in the grocery line or when we share a meal with a sick friend. They do not seem extraordinary, but it is those very acts that Jesus commends. He is reminding us that we should always be ready to respond with grace and mercy to everyone who crosses our path.

Perhaps it is impossible to see the face of God in His fallen creation, but if we do not pay attention to the world around us, we might just miss the Christ we so greatly long to see. If that’s the way we live, we are just like the shepherds in Ezekiel’s day that stepped on the sheep to get fat, and like the goats in the parable that ignored the needs of their neighbors, missing the presence of Christ.

We are called to live in faith, trusting in our Great Shepherd’s grace as we respond to His love by meeting the needs of this world. In this way we live in praise and thanksgiving. As Christians, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts, our response to the worlds’ needs comes naturally. We don’t do good works because it is that time of year, or because it makes us feel good, or even because we know we should give back. We do what we do because that is who we are. We have been transformed by faith to be Christ-like, to be His hands in the world. Your holiday charity is a blessing to someone, for sure, but our lives are meant to be in service always, no matter the time or our circumstances. Jesus might see faith in action in the next month, but we do not know when He will come again. Will He find faith in action?

The three things Paul desires for the Ephesians is “hope,” “riches of his glorious inheritance,” and “immeasurable greatness of his power,” and that the people might know what they are. What is hope? What are the riches about which Paul writes? What is God’s power? Unfortunately, all three of these are often misunderstood and mischaracterized. So, as we consider the coming of the King of Kings, we are asked to consider what it means to hope. What riches are we to expect? What power is from God?

All too often, we want to put our hope in something less than Christ. We want the riches of His inheritance to be something tangible. And power. That is perhaps the hardest one for us to control. We want power. The greatest lesson we can learn from the apocalyptic texts of the Bible is that it is not up to us to have the power. It is up to us to trust in God; the King will make everything right.

I think sometimes we forget that we are just a very tiny part of something much, much bigger. It is far more apparent to us when we fly. I like to have a window seat on an airplane so I can watch the world go by. As the plane is taxiing to the runway, we can still see the people working the flight line. They become smaller and smaller the more the plane moves away. Then, as the airplane begins to ascend, you can see the houses and other features. I always try to identify neighborhoods or landmarks. As we move higher into the sky, cars are impossible to see. Houses become tiny spots on the ground. Rivers, lakes, and roads all look the same.

It makes me feel very insignificant. If the Rocky Mountains, which tower over the earth, look like bumps on the surface of the earth from the sky, how can I ever imagine myself to be grand in the scheme of things? Flying over the ocean is almost frightening when you realize that there is nothing but water in every direction for hundreds or even thousands of miles. Human beings are impossible to see from a plane traveling high in the sky. We really are very inconsequential. When we are on the ground, in the midst of a city, walking through our own neighborhoods, we seem to have conquered the world. Yet, when we are flying overhead, we realize that it is hard for us to even know where we are. Our vision is limited; our God can see both the big picture of the universe and every hair on our head. He knows us to the very depths of our souls. He knows our hearts, and that’s why the little shepherd David was chosen to be king.

I am awed by the immenseness of the earth when I fly, because from the sky it is obvious that we are just a small part of something incredible. I am even more awed by the fact that it was all made by God. And though God made the heavens and the earth, though He created the vast oceans, the land and all that lives here, though He controls it all with His hands, He knows me by name. He gave me that name, child of God, daughter of the Most High. As I sit on an airplane feeling insignificant, I realize that through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, the God of all creation has given me a share of His eternal kingdom which is even more awesome than anything I can see on earth or from our sky.

He is a King that is worthy to be praised. The psalmist writes, “For Yahweh is a great God, a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth. The heights of the mountains are also his. The sea is his, and he made it. His hands formed the dry land.” This is the One who deserves our praise and thanksgiving; He is greater than anything in this world because He created it all. And though His Son Jesus Christ is the King, we are too look for Him in our neighbors, to see His face and reach out to their needs for His sake. How can we possibly see God in His fallen creation? How can we see God in the ordinary? I’m not sure we’ll ever recognize His face when we see it; neither the sheep nor the goats knew they were seeing God. The sheep responded anyway. That’s what Jesus is calling us to do.