Breaking In? (The Kingdom)
Christ the King Sunday, Matthew 25:31-46 (November 20, 2011)
Do you ever wonder about just how crazy the world is? I mean really wonder. Wonder sometimes if you can go on – or if you do go on, can you continue to be a sane, caring person?
The world is SO CRAZY. There are people who have so much: name it, they have it. They are surrounded by things, sometimes even power. And with that they do reckless, heartless, horrific things. Do the names Ghadaffi or Hitler ring a bell? Then millions of people and their descendants suffer. The world CAN BE CRAZY.
Ourselves, we have so much. Still, sometimes we feel compelled to get more, or we may not or do not have "enough". Anxiety seeps into the crannies and cracks of our minds and hearts. Then we can't sleep. Then we can't stop worrying. The world is crazy.
Meanwhile seemingly innocent children are starving, both far away and at home. Wander down to the East Side and see who comes in for the LUMS lunch. Go over to the Richmond Food bank and see who the "clients" are. Attend a local school. Observe first- hand the need for hot meal programs. Visit Gilmore Park's Dream Auction. Hear the stories of people in need in this the most expensive city to live in Canada. Yes, there are Huge houses, expensive land. But there are also many people who are hungry, who don't have a warm or safe place to sleep. Craziness.
Toss in the sad and depressing stories of children and very young teenagers being abused by seemingly reputable coaches – whether it's in hockey, football, gymnastics, or even by pastors or other church leaders and you get the drift. The world can be very crazy, hurtful even insane place. Add the literal fragile nature of life: of children and people oh so young, contracting terminal illnesses, being struck down as they stand on the side of the road and there's no doubt about it. Sometimes the world is a crazy, nonsensical place. Some then feel that it's also a hopeless place.
Our temptation and inclination then may be to hunker down. To try to live with a faith that is other worldly, that understands salvation as only something that can happen in the future – in an out of body experience that has little or nothing to do with the here and now, the beauty and the craziness of this moment. Or, our inclination, our very real temptation is to give into fear. Out of fear we try to secure enough stuff, enough favors, enough power or status or material goods to guarantee the best care, the best protection for those we love and those most like us.
But then either religion and "faith" become merely an opiate of the masses dulling us to the vast experience of present reality. Or religion and faith are pushed to the outer edges of our daily life. We desperately attempt to construct some container called "spirituality" to contain our "faith" and or "God". Such containers and "gods" have little or nothing to do with the everyday experiences and relationships of our lives.
Today marks the last Sunday of the church year. Next Sunday begins Advent, the new coming church year. But today, this last Sunday of the old year, has long been titled Christ the King Sunday.
Now the title, king, is not only cumbersome but for most of us, also meaningless. We don't know any kings. Many of us couldn't even name the governor general of Canada (the King/Queen's representative). In my own life, now spanning nearly 6 decades, I have never experienced a king's reign even in this country.
Nevertheless, sometimes the traditions that we have been inherited have value. In ancient times THE KING was one upon whom each person was literally dependent. And if (a huge IF) one's king was benevolent, that is did his very best to care for those subjects entrusted to his care – well then the entire kingdom was blessed. It was from that hope, that the subjects literally swore allegiance to their king. He would war for them – in the best case scenario's, sometimes even dying for them. Of course there are also many, many examples of horrible kings. The world being crazy is not a new reality.
Our forebears spoke and wrote of their experience and relationship with God and others by employing images and words which had great meaning for them. We need to do the same. In order to do that we need to find ways to translate "old" even ancient images into words and images that reflect our realities.
So, on this Christ the King Sunday 2011, living in this crazy but also amazing world, whom are we looking to for guidance, strength, direction and hope? Be careful how we answer.
I suspect that the answer is not revealed so much in what we say – although words can be important tools to help, to care, even to express love. But our words must be accompanied by action – or our words are hollow, like mirages of water on a hot summer's day, that when one draws nearer dissipate into nothingness.
Into the craziness of our world comes today's Gospel. Now this isn't my favourite Gospel text. It rings of judgment. I am not sure it is about the final judgment or even the judgment of all people – although it has often been read that way. But judgment is real! Whether it's regarding what we eat and how we do or don't exercise – or whether it's how we employ the earth resources or don't – there are consequences to our actions and inaction. Within the realm of Christian tradition we often confess that Jesus is the judge. Note: it is Jesus not any human being who is the judge. Also remember: Jesus is not only King in some amazing, yet fully to be determined sense, but also the One suffering, dying on s cross. Jesus does not absent himself from vulnerability or oppression.
Therefore, there is also a wonderful part to this Gospel text. Did you notice that regardless of whether it is the "sheep", those who care for the vulnerable, the oppressed, the hungry, the naked, the "imprisoned" or whether it is those who refuse to care for the people in need, no one in either group realizes that in so doing, or not doing so, that they were caring for or refusing to care for Jesus?
Why is that?
Jesus says something here that fills me with both hope and fear. Do we hear him? "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these you did it to me!" The reverse is also true: "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me."
These sayings give me hope because they underline that God in the flesh does not remove Him/Herself from those in need, those most vulnerable regardless of their age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or gender. In fact the opposite is true. Jesus is in and among all these people – perhaps all such creatures. This is hopeful!
But His saying also causes me to be fearful. I realize that I have not always seen Jesus in such people. I have not always visited, clothed or nurtured such people. At times I have been too tired, too exhausted, too broken myself to make the effort required. Sometimes I have just thought of myself first and then given into fear and apathy. How about you?
There is judgment. God forgive us. God help us to do better. May our actions speak honestly of our trust in you. May you help us to trust in you as we see you through Jesus and those He so deeply loves.
In the midst of your judgment, oh God, may we also experience your grace, not just for ourselves but in order that we may be so gracious to others. May we feed as we are being fed, clothe as we are being clothed, hospitably visit as even now you visit us in Word and Sacrament. May we love even a little bit as God loves us in Christ. For then, not only is God's kingdom ultimately coming, but it comes here and now in bits and pieces even through us. In such moments there is great rejoicing not only in the future but right now. Thanks be to God! May we be so, for Christ's sake, Amen.