Christ the King

Eze 34:11-16,20-24; Eph 1:15-23; Mat 25:31-46

Danny came into my office. He had a hard luck story about lung disease, a sick aunt in Texas, and how he’s looking for work to buy a bus ticket there. Economy is hard, and finding work is tough.

I knew he wasn’t telling the whole truth. I didn’t know what he really wanted money for – but I had suspicions that were rather cynical. I started telling him that there wasn’t funds available for him, when this text popped into my mind. I heard Jesus saying, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” I found myself reaching into my pocket, and giving him money.

Christ the King is usually about one of two things: Christ’s most sovereign act – trial and accusation of being a king, then his death on the cross; or Christ as the judge at the end of time. Today is the end of time.

Lutherans believe first and foremost that we are saved by grace through faith, and not through good works. Yet this parable seems to go the other way. This parable seems to indicate that those who do good things are sheep, and they get into heaven and that those who don’t do good things are goats, and they’re going to hell.

But look more closely. It’s not really their actions that are being judged, but their identity. It’s not that they did good things, but that they are sheep. Surely some goats fed hungry people, and surely some sheep missed opportunities to feed hungry people. But they are separated based on their identity first – and then the deeds are pointed out.

And both groups are surprised! Neither one remembered doing anything special for Jesus. They were just goats or sheep.

Then, how do you get to be a sheep instead of a goat? How do you change your identity? How do you know?

Wrong question. We can’t change our identity.

But Jesus can. That’s what the Christ’s coming to earth, his death and resurrection are all about. God coming to us, breaking into our goat reality and bringing a new sheep reality. It’s through Christ that God gives a new life, a new identity, a forgiven, renewed, whole, image of God, new person. The new life that death can’t hold down is given to us in Christ, because it has come into the world in Christ.

So this text isn’t about us behaving like sheep: doing good deeds, behaving well, treating other people nicely, being considerate and generous. No! It’s about a gracious God who enters our world and changes who we are so that we can be sheep – people with a new life.

So why did I give Danny money when he came in? Was I trying to be like a sheep (less goat-like), so Jesus would notice and give me bonus points toward heaven? Probably that entered into my motives on some level. Did I do it because Christ the King has already forgiven me, given me new life, changed me from a goat to a sheep and I was just acting from that new life? Maybe. I don’t know why.

The bottom line is that we have to trust Jesus, the King of kings, to give us a new life in his kingdom. We can’t trust our sheep-like behavior, because there’s still plenty of goat in us.

Whether the world is full of sheep or whether it’s goats, we all need to try to do good things, we all need to help people. The world is better of with that. This isn’t about that. This is about God doing more than just making this world more tolerable. Christ the King is making it new. Christ the King comes into the lives of goats who are trying really hard, and gives them a new identity, a new life. Through forgiveness and love, Christ the King makes us into sheep – who still make mistakes, still sin, still goof up opportunities to make a difference in the world. But who have a new life, know they can start again when they mess up. Know that God is in love with them regardless of how much they act like goats.

Christ the King makes us sheep. Christ the King gives us life. Christ the King starts right now by offering us a forgiven new life.

Let’s pray.