“Widen the Circle” Colchester Federated Church, November 26, 2023, (Matthew 25:31-46) Reign of Christ

Today is Reign of Christ Sunday in the liturgical calendar.  Now how many of us woke up this morning and thought, “I can’t wait for worship so we can celebrate Reign of Christ Sunday at Colchester Federated Church!?!”  Maybe just me.  It’s not as famous a day as Christmas Eve or Easter.  Though it is a wonderful day.  Reign of Christ or Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of the Christian liturgical year (the Sunday before the Season of Advent begins).  This is the Sunday that ends Ordinary Time as we begin to shift our focus in hopeful waiting and expectation for the birth of Jesus the Christ. 

The Presbyterian Church U.S.A. helpfully explains, “The day centers on the crucified and risen Christ, whom God exalted to rule over the whole universe.  The celebration of the lordship of Christ thus looks back to Ascension, Easter, and Transfiguration, and points ahead to the appearing in glory of the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Christ reigns supreme.  Christ’s truth judges falsehood.  As the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, Christ is the center of the universe, the ruler of all history, the judge of all people.  In Christ all things began, and in Christ all things will be fulfilled.”[1]

One of the texts that is sometimes read on Christ the King is the “Judgment of the Nations” from the 25th Chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew.  The story goes that the Human One will come in all his majesty and all his angels with him.  The Human One will sit on his majestic throne. All the nations will be gathered in front of him.  Then the Human One will separate the nations from each other just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  The sheep will go on his right side (the good side) and the goats will go on his left side (the bad side).  This might offend people who love goats or people who are left-handed.  Sorry about this.  Blame Matthew, not your pastor, please.

Anyway, the basis of the judgment of the nations in this Gospel story comes down to how the nations show forth the love of one’s neighbor.  Specifically are people in power taking care of those in need?  Jesus as the Human One (or the king) is depicted as saying to the righteous, “I was hungry and you gave me food to eat.  I was thirsty and you gave me a drink.  I was a stranger and you welcomed me.  I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear.  I was sick and you took care of me.  I was in prison and you visited me . . . I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.”[2]

Here’s the thing, if Jesus’ ethical teachings (teachings shared in the Sermon on the Mount and in Matthew 25) were at the center of our lives, let alone at the center of our national policies—people and policies would be judged as successful based on different standards from those often voiced in our American society.  The righteous are judged to be so because they fed and quenched the thirst of the hungry, welcomed strangers, gave clothes to people who had none, took care of people who were sick, and visited prisoners.  Because they did all these things, they’re morally right.  The story ends with the righteous ones going “into eternal life” while those who didn’t help those in need going “into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels.”[3]  This is one of those New Testament passages that gets into social justice and could have implications for public policy if politicians wanted to go there.

Isn’t it fascinating that when folks talk about “Christian values” this passage doesn’t get cited very much?  But the king (Jesus) quite literally says, “I assure you that when you have done it (fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, gave clothing to the naked, and visited those who are sick and in prison) for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.”  The meaning is quite clear.  The basis of judgment and separating the nations like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats is tied to how well the nations love their neighbors.  Serving the “least of these” is equated with serving Jesus himself.

We can further notice that serving the “least of these” is not tied to the character of anybody on the receiving end of that help.  The king says to those on the right that just as they cared for the least of these brothers and sisters of the king, they did it for the king himself.  Not “good job caring for everyone who looks like you, believes like you, loves like you, etc.”  We might just be called to feed people because they are hungry.  And welcome a stranger because wouldn’t we want to be welcomed if we were strangers?  Wouldn’t we want people to visit us if we get sick?

In our Gospel story, people don’t get declared “righteous” because of how much they have achieved, how much money they have in their bank accounts, how many advanced degrees they have earned, or how attractive they are physically.  God has a whole different set of priorities.  It’s like my theological buddy William Sloane Coffin once said, “Of God’s love we can say two things: it is poured out universally for everyone from the Pope to the loneliest wino on the planet; and secondly, God’s love doesn’t seek value, it creates value.  It is not because we have value that we are loved, but because we are loved that we have value.”[4]  We do well to remember that God’s love is poured out for everyone. 

What this passage emphasizes is God’s reign as a metaphor on which we can contemplate human behavior.  Though let’s start with our own behavior before we get too judgy about anybody else.  Seminary Professor Laurence Hull Stookey emphasizes that speaking about God’s reign makes it clear where our human rulers and the laws we enact have real deficiencies when it comes to justice and mercy.[5]  Because on Reign of Christ Sunday, we are confronted with Jesus saying that when you and I care for, clothe, feed, and welcome the stranger, we are caring for, clothing, feeding, and welcoming Jesus himself.  That’s a powerful idea, a revolutionary idea, and what has become a Christian ethical ideal.  The invitation is to widen the circle, to keep making room.

Finally, today is also Consecration Sunday in the life of our church—the day where we bless the pledges of our congregation as we formally end this year’s Pledge Campaign.  As Todd shared in his Witnessing Steward moment on behalf of our Ministry of Mission & Witness, our church gives 10% of the total amount pledged to our operating budget to mission specifically.  Keep in mind that our church is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.  We ourselves do a whole lot of good for our community.  Though the money that our members and friends pledge to the support of our congregation here in Colchester—money that goes toward maintaining our historic building, the utilities required to heat our building and keep the lights on, the programs we offer to our members and wider community, and paying our church staff—those funds do not just stay here within our church walls.  It is an important act of Christian witness that our monetary gifts support other organizations that are directly feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for those who are sick or in prison, and welcoming the stranger. 

In the end, it’s powerful when we do our best to live out Jesus’ ethical teachings within our walls and by partnering with other organizations that are living out these teachings day in and day out.  The invitation remains to keep widening the circle, to keep making room, to welcome every single child of God.  Because when we do, we welcome Jesus.  Thanks be to God.  Amen. 

[1] “Christ the King/Reign of Christ,” Presbyterian Church U.S.A. https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/worship/christianyear/christ-king-reign-christ/#:~:text=This%20festival%20was%20established%20in,the%20season%20of%20Advent%20begins.
[2] Matthew 25:35-36, 40, CEB.
[3] Matthew 25:46 and 41.
[4] William Sloane Coffin, Credo, 6.
[5] Laurence Hull Stookey, Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church, 140.

Photo by Tomáš Malík on Unsplash