Text study for Matthew 25:31-46
Lectionary texts for Christ the King Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sheep and goats. Righteous and accursed. Eternal life and eternal punishment. Rarely in the Bible does it get more black and white than this. Or more troubling.
This reading should trouble us. The imagery of dividing the people of the nations into distinct groups — one blessed, one accursed — recalls for us any number of accounts in recent history where those in power have drawn lines to separate from the whole a group for discrimination, torture or slaughter. Rwanda. Bosnia. Germany. Just to name three.
Drawing lines is something that should make us in our “All Are Welcome” churches cringe. Jesus doesn’t draw lines dividing people; he draws circles uniting people, right? I’m fond of saying that when we draw lines separating God’s people, Jesus is standing on the other side of the line with those we’ve condemned. Yet in today’s lesson, Jesus himself draws a line and condemns those on the other side. What do we do with that?
And what’s more, the sorting out that Jesus does is based on behavior, on what the people have done for “the least of these” (vs. 45). Feeding the hungry. Offering a drink to the thirsty. Welcoming the stranger. Clothing the naked. Visiting the imprisoned. These are blessed works of love and care for our neighbor in need.
By faith alone
But, undeniably, these are things that we do. And to our “sola fide” (by faith alone) Lutheran ears, the idea that our Lord would draw a line separating the damned from the saved based on works should be troubling.
The Gospel for Christ the King Sunday clearly doesn’t fit cleanly into my boxes. Not into my “Jesus doesn’t draw lines, he draws circles” box. Not into my “sola fide” box. Not into any comfortable and familiar box that I have on my shelf.
Instead, this reading stands out for its brash imagery of separating the people and promising punishment for those who fail to respond to human need as they ought. Indeed, failing to “help and support (our neighbor) in all of life’s needs,” (Luther on the 5th Commandment) we all find ourselves on the damned side of the line as well.
But there are reasons to be encouraged by this reading. Jesus identifies and stands firmly with “the least of these.” Evil, inequality, sin and injustice are defeated. God’s justice prevails, and this is very good news.
This reading directs us not only to our Lord and King, but it also gives us a sense of his holy, heavenly kingdom of righteousness and peace. A beautiful picture can be preached based on the glorious image of God’s kingdom glimpsed in this reading.
Nonetheless, this heartening good news certainly comes to me in a box quite unlike the one I’m used to opening. It’ll behoove me to open it with care.
Talk back:
- When have you drawn lines that exclude another or a group of people from the grace of Jesus Christ?
- How are you drawn to recognize your sin so that justice and grace prevail beyond your own works?
- How do you recognize that God’s justice prevails beyond our human imagination? What does it take to see and rejoice in that grace?
Chris Duckworth is senior pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn.
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The Lutheran Confessiosn teach us that good works can only be produced by faith. Those without faith cannot do good works. So the divison Jesus makes here isn't based on works, but faith. The faithful, who produce good works as a result of their faith, will be saved. Those who reject the faith, and hence do not do good works, will be condemned.
Each week we confess in the Creed that Jesus is coming again to judge the world. Why should Jesus sitting in judgment make us uncomfortable? His judgments, unlike human judgments, are fair and righteous. Merciful even!
It is not a failure to respond to human need per se that is damnable, even Jesus did not feed or heal every hungry or sick person when he had the power to do so. What is condemned is failing to follow the commands of Christ our King.
[The first Talk Back question assumes the readers are all in the "majority," whatever that majority might be. Might that question be better phrased: When have lines been drawn that exclude you or others from the grace of Jesus Christ?
The danger of adhering to the idea that those without faith cannot do good works is that it is such a small step to then judging others faith, which we cannot see based on what we can see, which is their works. I am also not sure I buy that particular Lutheran confession, though I do not currently recall the context which may shed light on the issue. I have seen many who actively reject the church who are wonderful examples of grace and good works in the world. How does one then judge the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and their work in the area of the millennium development goals which figure into the ELCA Malaria eradication projects?
On another subject, growing up on a farm I find the part cut out of Ezekiel (34: 17 I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?) to be such a vivid description that I must include it in the readings for Sunday. What are some of your thoughts on that text?
Chris,
I think the reason this parable doesn't quite fit your boxes is because you're not quite distinguishing between Law and Gospel. I think you're really close with "we all find ourselves on the damned side of the line as well." Then you try to slide away from the fact that God's judgment against us is Hellfire.
But the Good News is not that God's Justice prevails. The Good News is that God's Mercy prevails. Jesus identifies with the goats to the very point of departing from God "into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels". God has mercy on Jesus and raises Him out of the fires of Hell. Moreover, we goats are tied up in Jesus' story and get to partake in this resurrection as well. Goats become sheep. It is faith alone that receives the Promise that this will happen.
Dan,
"Faith without works is dead" James 2:17 That's not saying that you're saved by your works, but if your faith isn't bearing any fruit, you're in trouble. See the risen Christ, crucified for the forgiveness of your sins, for the solution.
It's interesting that you caution against judging people by works, and then judge organizations by their good works. Specifically if you want condemnation for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, look at the source of the money. Bill Gates stole his ideas from Xerox way, way back, and under his leadership, Microsoft has done many unloving things, to sum up a host of evils. The Foundation itself invests in the market, and specifically in corporations that despoil the environment, treat workers poorly, skirt government regulations and all of the other corporate sins. Even if they do manage to eradicate malaria, it's not enough to stave off God's Judgment.
Chemnitz,
The first 'talkback' assumes nothing of the sort. It puts the onus of the Law on the reader, instead of the dodge that you're offering, which allows one to blame someone else. Everyone draws lines. For example, CORE and others in the church do a very good job of drawing exclusive lines, especially for LGBT people. I know gay Lutherans here who have been scared to set foot in churches in some parts of Pittsburgh. Yet, I wouldn't call CORE a majority these days. Similarly, I know that you and many others feel excluded by the ELCA. We've drawn lines that have put you there. The truth is that I'm not going to be condemned for what CORE does, and you're not going to be condemned for what some people supporting full inclusion have done. We're going to face judgment for our own sins. How you've excluded people at Good Shepherd and SW PA. How I've excluded people here and elsewhere. Yet, we have both been given the same mercy in the same Baptism into the death and resurrection of the same Jesus. Our sins are forgiven. That makes us brothers in Christ. How do we share that saving Promise together?
Chris,
sorry I must not have made the irony clean enough
If you are a Lutheran, The Lutheran Confessions are not something you choose to "buy" or not. They are a given, like the authority of scripture. That's exactly the problem with the Lutheran church today: Every item of faith is up for a majority vote or to be decided by the individual's "bound conscience." One can call himself a Lutheran today and believe just about anything! Does being Lutheran mean that you believe whatever 51% or more of Lutheran church members happen to believe today? (And that could change tomorrow!) If we don't believe the Bible, if we don't believe the Creeds, if wwe don't believe the Confessions, let's be honest enough to not call ourselves Lutheran anymore.
Chris,
You seem to assume that the King is speaking to the church. Through most of the history of the church and to many biblical scholars this text is addressed to the nations. And the "least of these" is the Church...
I believe the early church heard this as good news in two ways. 1.) God will provide ultimate justice. 2.) Jesus intimately identified himself with the "least of these", the Church.
Our word of judgment comes for us, I think, when we ponder what we have done to leave the notion of being the "least of these."
I think there are plenty of places that we can hear about our judgment... but I don't think this is one of them. This is ultimately about Christ's authority over the nations as King of Kings.
Chemnitz,
You missed the root authority. It's Christ crucified and risen for our sins. That Gospel is what gives Scripture authority and refocusing on that Gospel (alone and only) is why the Lutheran Confessions are so important.
There are also plenty of arguments over interpretation, both of Scripture and the Confessions.
Also, to labels, there is always the divide between visible and hidden churches.
Then, Chemnitz, using your logic, any Roman Catholic who uses contraception or is pro-choice is not a REAL Catholic.
You don't want Lutherans to be Lutheran (a denomination founded largely on conscience and reason); you want all Lutherans to adhere to your fundamentalist view, belief, and interpretation.
There is only one defining Lutheran belief: that man is saved by Grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ. To add all of these other conditions that you wish to impose makes you no different than the very church Martin Luther sought to reform.
P.S. Policy changes in the ELCA require 2/3s majorities, not 51%.
I believe there is a fundamental difference between an individual Christian’s behavior or belief, and the official doctrines and policies of any denominational church body. In reality, all of us are hypocrites when it comes to strictly following our churches official doctrines and policies in regards to personal behavior, let alone following the Bible’s seemingly simple commands. Whereas I would not elevate the Lutheran Confessions to scripture status, I would say they add much light without blatantly violating any scriptural precepts; and are inherently “Lutheran”. I guess we are free to “call” ourselves anything we desire. The only one who can honestly tell us if we are Lutherans or not would be Luther himself. Luther would surely sign on to some Lutheran’s stance on issues like the Palestinian State, but one has to wonder if he would call himself a Lutheran after reading all of the new official policies of his name sake church.
The adoption of the Social Statement on Sexuality took a 2/3 majority -- and got only that exactly; the ordination policy changes at CWA 2009 took a simple majority -- and did not receive 2/3. That's a fact, sad but true.
In their ordination vows Lutheran pastors commit to preaching and teaching the Lutheran Confessions, not just the one Lutheran shibboleth.
Yes, there are many arguments over interpretation. People also argue over what "is" means. That some people don't know the truth doesn't change the facts.
Fundamentalist? Are we into name calling now? You really should look up the definition of the word before you use it.
The Lutheran Church was founded on the Word of God, not human conscience or reason. Only in recent years has God's Word been displaced by human ideas and majority votes.
The Lutheran Confessions are nothing but "the one Lutheran shibboleth" as it plays out in those various situations. The Confessions are road maps, showing how the Reformers navigated from Christ crucified and risen for them through the importance and place of works, marriage, churchly authority, church doctrines, etc, etc in 16th century Europe. Lots of the hazards are similar (such as works-righteousness), but the terrain is different-- it's now 21st century America instead of 16th century Europe.