Matthew 25:31-43
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by 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 something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me 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 nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
I was two years old when I started running experiments on my parents’ toilet. I took my rubber duckies designed for bathtime and flushed them down the toilet. My two year old self was quite surprised when the ducks clogged the toilet. Mind you, this was the only toilet in the home I grew up in. My parents found the mess I had made and had to call a plumber to resolve the issue. While we waited for the plumber to arrive, my parents asked, “why did you flush the ducks down the toilet?” I simply responded, “I wanted to see what would happen.” My two year old toilet investigations have actually served me well in my professional ministry… as recently as a few weeks ago as sewage came up into the preschool bathrooms. As soon the plumber came, he released the ducks from captivity and our only toilet was functional again. And if I was a normal child, that might be where the story would end… but no. The following day, I was found once again flushing the ducks down the toilet with the same response, “I wanted to see what would happen.” I think I was in the early stages of learning about consequences for actions. I wasn’t attempting to do something malicious (the first time at least), but I was curious about the result of an action. And I think that’s what Jesus is saying in today’s passage, our actions have lasting consequences. Whether our intentions are malicious or just turning away from injustice, there are lasting results.
This passage is always a little bit of a gut check to me. When I read this passage, I’m forced to confront the idea that maybe I haven’t lived my days in a way that would put me with the sheep. I like to think that I’m a good friend. I try to be generous with my resources and time, and yet, I know there are days where I have turned away from injustice in the world because it doesn’t impact me personally or I just can’t handle one more thing or I hope someone else can help. And yet, here Jesus is saying, you’re up.
The Church, the Church universal or the big “C” Church, has long debated the role of works in faith. The book of James says, “faith without works is dead.” This led to some traditions leaning towards a works-based salvation. You have to do a lot to be sure you have checked enough boxes so salvation can be procured. The Protestant Reformation comes along and sola gratia becomes a major piece of the Reformation. We are saved by grace alone. In our reformed tradition, we still hold to this. God’s grace is freely given to us and our works are a response to that gift. We don’t show mercy to the oppressed because there’s a salvation punch card and we need enough punches. We show mercy out of gratitude for the gifts we have been given by God. If we are to be serious about being citizens of the kingdom of God, then showing mercy to the oppressed is our ethical responsibility.
When we sit back and wonder “where is God in this situation?” We ought to look in the mirror first.
Our faith isn’t separation or escape from the world. In fact, our faith calls us into deeper engagement with the world. God has called us to be agents of change. To bring about a more perfect union.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The authors of the constitution believed we could create a more perfect union. One that established justice, ensured peace, and provided for the people. I’m a strong proponent of separation of church and state, but I think Jesus would be on board with this: a group of people who establish justice, ensure peace, and provide for all the people. That sounds exactly what Jesus is calling for in Matthew 25. And in today’s text Jesus shifts his focus from his select few disciples to all the nations. We, you, me, all of us, are all responsible for the decisions we have made. Those decisions have consequences. Jesus is inviting us into helping all people flourish. For all people to have what they need. For all people to be welcomed. For all people to be made whole.
A few years ago, the PC(USA) started a movement called Matthew 25 focused on this very passage and the goal for all people to be made whole. The PC(USA) describes it this way on their website:
“This transformative movement calls on mid councils, congregations, and groups to live out the church’s mission through bold and compassionate discipleship. Rooted in Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 25:31-46, this movement invites you to engage in three core pillars: building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism, and eradicating systemic poverty.
The Matthew 25 vision builds from the theme of wholeness or peace – shalom in the Hebrew text and eirene in the Greek – and orients us toward what we are building, cultivating, and creating with God in lives and communities. We build beloved communities in part by dismantling the harm caused by racist structures. We cultivate economic wholeness when we act to eliminate the destructive influence of poverty on people and communities. These actions can welcome abundant life, equity, and hope in our shared journey.
At its core, Matthew 25 is about the healing and restoration of relationships, systems, and societies that reflect God’s justice and love. Jesus was often referred to as the Prince of Peace. Like Christ, Matthew 25 seeks to embody wholeness in action.” (https://pcusa.org/matthew25)
To embody wholeness in action. That is our calling.
This last week, I traveled to Boston with our IMPACT Youth Choir. When I spend time with them, I see wholeness in action. This week, I saw teenagers and adults working together, sometimes teenagers leading the way for the adults. On tour, everyone has a job and yet I saw students stepping into jobs that weren’t theirs. Students that saw someone in need and stepped up. I saw a seasoned choir member helping newer choir members learn their parts. I saw a community come together to celebrate each other’s wins and also cry together. IMPACT Tour is not all sunshine and rainbows, but it is living together. I saw a community come together day after day: to laugh, to cry, to sing, to be community. They embody wholeness in action. We can let the world tell us what to think about the next generation or you can see it in action here.
That is what a more perfect union looks like.
A union that shows mercy to those oppressed.
A union that lifts up those that are downtrodden.
A union that brings all people into human flourishing.
This is the type of union that God calls us into.
May it be so.
Amen.