Christ the King/St. Andrew, Year A (2023), The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Christ the King/St. Andrew, Year A (2023) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Matthew 25:31-46 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
In the name of the one, holy, and living God:
Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifying Spirit. Amen.
I remember taking a family trip to Washington, D.C.
Each of us had a list of places that we wanted to visit.
On Saturday around noon,
we left the National Zoo (our childrens’ pick) and headed for our last stop –
the place I most wanted to see –
the Washington National Cathedral.
We didn’t have a very good map of the city,
but I knew the general direction we should go when we left the zoo.
As we wound through the streets,
we finally saw the peaks of the cathedral towers
and followed them to our destination.
Great fortune landed us a parking spot practically right in front of the Cathedral.
In contrast to the compactness of the rest of Washington,
and given the scorching heat of the Summer day,
the lush green lawn in front of the Cathedral seemed to stretch on forever.
Yet, the awesomeness of the great stone cathedral beckoned us toward its huge wooden doors.
Above the front doors
the carved stone seemed to be in motion,
as images of creation emerged from the swirling chaos at the foundation of the world:
the sun, the moon, and the very first human beings.
Between the doors is carved, what seemed to me, to be the image of God the Father,
arm raised,
lips pursed as if blowing the breath of life into all who enter there.
As I entered the main body of the cathedral,
the cold, gray stone was enlivened by bursts of fluid color all down the aisles.
On successive pillars in the nave and transepts hung enormous banners:
20 feet high and 4 feet wide –
guiding pilgrims through the seasons of the Christian year:
Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time I & II
and finally… the Reign of Christ.
This last banner
– the Reign of Christ –
had at its top a glowing, white ball,
emanating its rays of brightness through colors of gold
that merged into a greenness that could be seen as the peaks of mountains
and whose base then erupts from deep blues and greens and gray.
There is an appearance of arms reaching upward –
whether those of God or humans is unknown –
embracing the whole of creation.
It is an image for the imagination.
After passing through the last of the banners,
you reach the high altar where Jesus sits on his throne,
surrounded by the whole company of heaven,
with the earth perched on his hand,
ready for judgment.
This is where we find ourselves today –
standing before the throne of God on this Christ the King Sunday,
having taken another journey through the seasons of the year,
and the seasons of our own lives.
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Last December we began the year preparing for God’s arrival as a baby –
helpless and defenseless, dependent upon his parents’ care for survival.
And we end the year with Christ sitting on a throne with power and authority,
surrounded by angels and all the heavenly hosts,
judging all the nations as they pass by - one by one…
Sheep to the right,
Goats to the left.
Sheep to the right,
Goats to the left.
One by one we will be judged.
As those of you in the Tuesday Bible study know,
I am glad that today we will be done with Matthew!
What makes Matthew so difficult for me to listen to,
is that everything seems so clear cut in his mind.
There is wheat, and there are weeds.
there are good seed and bad,
wise maidens and foolish,
those wearing proper wedding feast attire and those who are not.
There are those who feed the hungry,
clothe the naked,
welcome the stranger,
visit the sick and the prisoner,
give drink to the thirsty –
and those who do not.
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It seems to be our human inclination to create such clear dividing lines,
but I just don’t think life is that simple.
Consider the history of God’s saving Grace…
God uses for good those whom most of us would send to the goat pen:
a murderous Moses,
a conniving Jacob,
a too oft-married Solomon,
an adulterous David,
not to mention Tamar the cult prostitute,
Rahab the whore, and Ruth the foreigner…
even Matthew himself,
the tax collector,
who made his living off the backs of the poor!
Who are we to decide the righteous and the unrighteous?
The sorting seems best left to God!
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However, in Matthew’s Gospel how we live and what we do is important.
It is curious that in today’s Gospel story,
neither the sheep nor the goats
are aware of when they did or did not feed, clothe, welcome, or visit the Holy One.
Neither group recalled the actions or inactions that landed them in one group or another.
The righteous and the accursed are equally baffled at their designation.
We don’t always know the effects of our choices
although sometimes it’s quite apparent to me.
It is clear to me when I drive right past the folks standing with a sign asking for help
that I am choosing to not enter into conversation about their needs.
The least I can do is to nod my head and wave so as to acknowledge their humanity.
Better yet, I could stop and engage in a conversation,
discovering who this person is,
listening to their story,
and helping if I can.
Many times when I encounter the hungry, the lonely, the lost, the hurting,
the one imprisoned,
the sojourner in our land whose language I do not know –
I feel so helpless in coming to their aid that I remain silent and pass on by,
just hoping against hope that our eyes won’t meet.
Perhaps that is why I am so thankful that this is our last Sunday with Matthew!
Sheep to the right.
Goats to the left.
Too many times I’m afraid I’m headed off with the goats.
This morning we are baptizing and welcoming Ashley and Brie into the Church,
the household of God,
the Body of Christ.
As Ashley promises to renounce Satan, evil powers, and sinful desires,
and to turn and follow Jesus,
putting her trust in God’s grace and love in her own life…
and as she promises to raise Brie in this same manner of life,
we will promise to support them
and also will renew our own baptismal promises to follow Christ.
We promise to at least try to be good sheep:
to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,
in the breaking of bread and in the prayers…
to resist evil and repent when we fail…
to proclaim by Word and example the Good News of God in Christ…
to love our neighbors through works of love and justice and respect and peace.
And we make all these promises within this community
so that we may walk this difficult journey together!
As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.
And he said to them,
“Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
They left their nets and joined up with a motley crew to follow Jesus as best they could.
Just like the disciples,
we are not alone on our journey…
We bear up one another –
offering strength when others are weak,
and relying on others when we are in need.
At the end of the day,
may we be able to say that we acted in faith,
seeking God’s voice - calling us to lives of justice and love,
however blurry the lines may seem,
however frightened or inadequate we may feel…
so that as we approach the throne of God,
off through the distance we will recognize our shepherd’s voice.
Whether as the cry of a baby
or the proclamation of a King,
it is to God’s voice that we turn,
and it is God who will lead us into abundant life.
Amen.
