Today, we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, a
feast first instituted by the Catholic Church in 1925 to witness against the
increasing secularism of that age, and in defiance of the rising fascism of
Italy’s Mussolini.
On this last Sunday of
our church year, we hear the final parable that Jesus tells his disciples as we
reach the conclusion of his teaching in Matthew’s gospel. It’s a parable that
leads easily to judgment and division, as the shepherd king separates the sheep
from the goats, as the righteous will be separated from the unrighteous. Matthew’s
repeated theme of judgment throughout this gospel emphasizes the importance of
obedience in discipleship. However, in our human condition, we are quick to
seize the opportunity to accuse others, to point fingers and ask, “Where were you?” and, “What did you do?”
But in Scripture, God is always the actor, God is always the one whose work is at hand. So, reading this this
morning’s texts, instead, we’re going to ask, “What do these texts say about God?”
Matthew’s comparison
of the king’s actions to those of a shepherd may hold little meaning for us in
modernity, but in Scripture, shepherding language recognizes the sustenance that sheep provided communities in ancient Israel and the
importance of the leadership provided by the
shepherds “who cared for the flock, making sure it had food and protecting it
from harm.”[i]
A shepherd king sharply contrasted with
ancient Near East kings who were more likely to be brutal warriors, motivated
by power and unmoved by compassion. Nonetheless, the people of Israel had longed
for a king after they reached Canaan. Then, for centuries, they suffered
through kingships that were, with rare exceptions, characterized by corruption
and ambition. Even the greatest kings, like David and Solomon, were defeated by
selfishness, lust and greed.
Now, Ezekiel, a prophet
born in Jerusalem and living in exile in Babylon, was addressing people who no
longer found comfort or security in kings and monarchies.
Against Israel’s painful history, the prophet
sets God’s words of promise to shepherd and lead God’s people. Instead
of judgment or accusation, these are words of comfort, meant to encourage and
assure God’s people, and to renew the care of the people by their leaders.
Promising to search and seek out the sheep of
his fold, God reminds us that God watches for each one of us and knows us by
name. God sees each one of us as we are, and knows when we are weighed down by
grief and pain, trapped by fear or weakened by disease.
God is a caregiver who binds up our wounds,
wipes away our tears, provides balm for our pain and soothes our hurt.
God is a protector who rescues us, delivering
us from danger, providing safety and security, and sheltering us from harm.
And God gathers us together. Sure, there is
strength in numbers, but, more importantly, God created us for relationship and
flock life is communal. Our life together is enriched by our shared
gifts and presence.
And finally, God feeds us. God tends to our
basic needs, but God also feeds us spiritually, by the Word of God that is the
bread of life, and, in Holy Communion, we are fed and nourished as well, strengthened
to face the world.
Some twenty-five hundred years after Ezekiel
prophesied, these promises and provisions that God offered to the people of
Israel remain pertinent to us.
On this day, especially, we recognize all the
ways that Christ prevails as our King, and our Lord and Savior. Like the
communities of ancient Israel, we are dependent on the sustenance and
leadership that God provides. Against the divisive rhetoric of the world, we
remember that Christ has a unique authority over us that contrasts with other
secular or civic authorities. And against the temptation to separate and accuse
each other, we are drawn together as one people, led by our
God and King.
Let us pray…
Holy God and King,
We thank you for your
mercy and your promises to us.
Remind us of your
provision and help us trust in your care.
Gather your people and
unite us under your sovereign reign,
that the Church would
be a living witness to your love,
instead of a place
where conflict and hurt fester.
We pray all this in
the name of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.
[i] Gail Ramshaw. Treasures Old and New:
Images in the Lectionary (p. 366). Kindle Edition.
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