Readings
for
24 November 2002
Feast of Christ the King

Today's First Reading is from The Book of Ezekiel, beginning at the 34th Chapter and the 11th Verse (Ezek 34:11-12,15-17):

        "For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.  As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.   I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD.  I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.  As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats."

 Today's Song of Praise is taken from Psalm 23 (Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6):

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup overflows.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life; and I shall dwell
in the house of the LORD forever.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Today's Epistle is from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, beginning at the 15th Chapter, and the 20th Verse (1 Cor 15:20-26, 28):

        But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.  Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one.

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew, beginning at the 25th Chapter, and the 31st Verse (Mt 25:31-46):

        "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,  and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.  Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;  for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'  Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?  And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?  And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'  And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'  Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'  Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?'  Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."


Sermon
for
24 November 2002
Feast of Christ the King

Christus Vincit!  Christus Regnat!  Christus Imperat!


        Tender shepherd and stern Master and Judge -- we see both sides of Christ and His Father in today's Readings.

        The 23rd Psalm has to be the most beloved of the 150 to English speakers.   I have used the RSV version here, instead of the usual NAB translation, because it has historical and emotional resonance.   

        "Green pastures . . . still waters . . . thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me."  "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

        Ezekiel says:  "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over. . . says the Lord GOD."  Israel was a shepherd nation, and so were all English-speaking countries until almost a century ago -- so the image reaches deep into our hearts.

        Ezekiel also writes:  "As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats." Matthew says of Jesus: "Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,  and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left."  Just as His Father promised to judge Israel, now Jesus judges all mankind.

        In the Gospel, Jesus lays down some very concrete requirements for entry into the Kingdom:  "for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."  Works, notice -- concrete things we must do, not just intoning some "sinners prayer" or crying 'Lord, Lord', as the modern Traditions of Men would have it.  St. James, in his Epistle, is obviously speaking with his Master's voice when he says: "Faith without good works is dead."

        Jesus also says: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."  Yes, Virginia, there IS a Hell.  Jesus said so, and no amount of shilly-shallying around will allow a true Christian to deny it.

        The rod and the staff are for striking the wolf who threatens the flock, the evil-doer who threatens the faithful;  Jesus, however, also promises "goodness and mercy" for the righteous:  "Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."  God wills that all men join Him in His Kingdom -- no human is accursed from birth, or Totally Depraved, as heresy would have it.

         Entry into Heaven depends on both faith and works -- the works are of no effect without the Faith in Jesus: "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.", as Paul says.  Without the works, the faith is of no effect:  "Depart from me, . . . for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me."

        Our King demands of us not only prayer and inward faith, but the outward works -- to seek justice, to do the charitable works for others that will transform the world from a battleground of hurt and evil into green pastures and still waters.  Let us be about this work . . .

        In the Name of the Father +
       
         
	And of the Son +
       
         
	And of the Holy Spirit +

Amen.

Previous Sermons