Lectionary Readings November 22 Part 2
To celebrate Christ the King Sunday is to look forward to the time when the whole creation will live in harmony and peace. We worship on this day with this hope of renewal.
“The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad”! Psalm 97:1 (NRSV)
Reading. Ephesians 1:15-23. This reading reminds us of the great role that Jesus fulfils in creation for he is the one through whom all things hold together. It is hard to get one’s mind around just what that would encompass. Perhaps it is because of this “fullness” that Paul prays the believers will have the gift of wisdom and revelation so that we will know what true Christian hope is really. This hope affects not only each individual believer it shapes and reshapes the whole church, the body of Christ.
Christian hope is built on a foundation from the past. This is not simply a history lesson, it is revelation. Biblically we are warned against seeing and seeing and yet not seeing, and hearing and hearing and still not hearing. In other words it is more than just knowing, it is also understanding, and this understanding comes through guidance from the Spirit and through revelation. Mortal, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear; Ezekiel 12:2
Christian hope is based also on a present reality. If anyone is in Christ, New Creation, the old has gone behold the new. ( 2Cor 5:17) God is at work in our lives right now. God comes not only with full forgiveness but also with strength and guidance. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. Psalm 37:5
Christian hope is focussed on a future expectation: This is the hope that Christ will come again and will rule this world so all his people will live securely and in peace. Paul is praying that his listeners will hold on to all of Christ’s promises and so live a life filled with hope, a hope in God, faithful and active.
We live in troubled times; often it seems that our Christian values and ideals are being eroded one chip at a time. It is at times like these we need to remember that God is building his kingdom and within that kingdom all that Jesus has accomplished will be revealed and secured. It will be a place of everlasting harmony with God and with each other. The key word towards that hope is trust: Trust in what God has determined, trust in what Jesus has accomplished and trust that all we can do or need to do, is simply accept the fact of Jesus Christ’s sovereignty and get on with life.
Prayer. Holy, holy, holy Lord, the whole earth is filled with your glory and so in wonder love and praise we open our hearts and lives to you in prayer; humbled that you ask us to call upon your name; amazed that you hear us when we call; over whelmed by the love with which you surround us. In Jesus Christ you have secured for us a future filled with hope and day by day you give us confidence to face life always in your presence. We give to you all thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading. Matthew 25:31-46. The opening phrase of this reading says it all, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory,” This tells us that Matthew is envisioning a different aspect of Jesus’ ministry, a future aspect. We need to remember that the New Testament is not simply telling us about Jesus; it was all written long after Jesus had died and ascended to be seated at the right hand of the father. (Ephesians 1:20) Thus the New Testament is describing who Jesus was; why he had come; what he had achieved. Matthew in this passage is posing a vision of the summing up of Jesus Christ’s ministry. We often have an image of Jesus as the one who heals, forgives, is the champion of the poor, the caller of little children, etc. It is often an image from the bible stories we remember and it is also an image we can manage. Matthew is not denying any of those titles but also adding a image of the one who comes as king. Many years ago my wife and I were invited to Buckingham Palace to the annual Garden Party! No, we didn’t meet the Queen but we did get very close to her. The Queen is very small in stature but she has an amazing presence perhaps enhanced by the armed guards with sub- machine guns looking down on us from the parapets of the Palace. It sort of gave the message, you don’t mess around here! That is the message that Matthew is promoting as he describes the return of Jesus in all his glory.
In this picture the king commands and the king makes pronouncements and no one can gainsay his word: Matthew does describe a scene of judgement! It is interesting that the judgement criteria are couched in the same terms as Jesus’ own ministry: The hungry are fed, the thirsty are quenched, the lonely are welcomed and the naked are clothed. Those in prison are comforted and the sick receive ministry. An equally notable part of the story is that neither group of those gathered realises whether they had or had not done the ministry tasks. Perhaps this is suggesting that obeying King Jesus is not about ticking off good deeds done but is much more about living in relationship with the King and obeying his moment by moment direction. Living under the lordship of King Jesus leaves us with the same tasks that Jesus had: We are to be involved in his ministry.
One thing is certain, Matthew is describing a king who comes both to rule and to judge and who expects to be obeyed.
Our readings for this week mark the end of the Church year and so next Sunday we will begin the season of Advent and remember again Emmanuel, God with us. We rejoice in that season for it heralds the coming of our Saviour. Advent is the time to rejoice, however on this Sunday we celebrate Christ the King and also recognise that when Jesus comes again, he will come as judge. One of the ancient slogans was that “All roads lead to Rome!” perhaps today it might be good to remember “that not all life styles lead to eternal life”!
Prayer. Lord, you have done all things well and in sending your Son you have begun an act of salvation that will rescue the whole of creation. We are such a small part of that great work and yet in your mercy and grace your love overflows into every part of our life together. With thankful hearts and minds set on you, we offer our prayers not only for ourselves but for all our sisters and brothers across the world. For those who are in isolation we pray for companionship, for those who have lost loved ones we ask for comfort as they grieve. For those who have to make important decisions we ask for clarity and wisdom and for those who are unwell we ask for healing and restoration. We pray also for your church that in these times of turmoil and disquiet your church would stand strong and bear witness to your love and grace; and through your forgiving power be a beacon of light and hope, and may the Name of Jesus be lifted high that all the world may know that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father. Amen.
Collect. Jesus, outcast sovereign, you judge the world by its care for your sisters and brothers, the poor, the naked, the prisoner. Help us to discover your face in the face of the needy; and finding you there, may we find ourselves enriched; for you are Lord. Amen.
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