Advent Eve: Judgement
There are a lot, plethora is a pretentious but apt word, of stories and any number of films about tomorrow morning’s gospel reading for the Feast of Christ the King Sunday (UCC better christens it Reign of Christ). I read one early, Tolstoy’s short story “Where Love Is, God Is” English translation instantly available online*. I read several stories too early this morning, some longer, some shorter. One is not disappointed in anticipating a bit of schmaltz, but no matter; and doubtless some mawkishness to be heard from some pulpits, but again no matter.
Though I would never call Tolstoy** nostalgic, the celebrated historical novels were an early genre of gripping serial soap opera that still does not disappoint.
Still and all, the fewer tears milked from congregations by mushy stories tomorrow morning, the better.
Lots grabs my attention from the gospel. One thought is that Matthew may have assembled it from more than one tradition. Others are more interesting to me. First, sheep v. goats where the mild and obedient sheep are the good guys and the butting, rebellious goats the bad guys, while my American History and World History teacher at Bay High slammed on his desk and pounded into us and me all my freshman year and again my senior year, “Don't be a sheep, be a goat,” on the premise that sheep are simple followers while goats have minds of their own. So as to Matthew v. my best and favorite high school teacher, I’m going with Bill Weeks.
Another thing in the gospel that catches me up is the fiery punishment motif: mouth set, lips pursed, fists clinched, and teeth gritted at the evils around us, I may like it; but it reeks more of Alighieri & Matthew than sounding like Jesus.
Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSV)
The Judgment of the Nations
31 “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. 32 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, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 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, 36 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.’ 37 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? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,[a] you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 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.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”