By. Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp.
(Ezk.34:11-12,15-17, Ps.23, 1Cor.15:20-26,28 & Matt.25:31-46)
This Sunday, which is the last of the Thirty Four Sundays of the Church’s liturgical calendar, celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King. The Lord has graciously been leading us through the ministry of his word and sacraments. The reading of today presents us with the scenario of how it will be when Christ, the King of the Universe, will come again in glory to gather his people.
Right from the first book of Samuel when the Isralites requested for a king and God gave them King Saul, God entrusted the leadership of his people to the various kings of Israel and Judah. But they became disappointing and oppressive, neglectful, and even exploited the people. In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel announced God’s decision to take over the leadership of his people since those appointed have failed to provide the needed form of leadership. God would be like a shepherd to his people, going to seek the lost like a shepherd seeks the lost sheep where they are scattered, bringing back the strayed, binding up the crippled, and strengthening the weak. But there will be consequences for the oppressors and exploiters among his people. This judgment will also be executed at all levels of relationships that exist among his people. Thus, God will not only separate the oppressed from the oppressors as a shepherd separates sheep from goat, but will also judge between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats. This brings us to the idea of the king as the judge on the last day, as described in the Gospel reading.
Jesus took up this point in the gospel passage when he talks about separating people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He gave the criterion for the separation and judgment as based on how much one has loved God and neighbor. The passage reveals that this will be a great separation. The King will separate humanity into two like a shepherd does with his sheep and goats; one on his right and the other on his left. He will tell those on his right to come into his kingdom prepared for them from the beginning because they were able to see Him in the needy (the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, those in prison, etc) and come to his help. Conversely, he will order those on his left to go into the hellfire prepared for them because they neglected to see Him in the needy and so failed to come to His help. Jesus went on to emphasize that whatever we do or fail to do to anyone, even the least person on earth, that, we do or fail to do it to him (Mtt.25:40,45).
Jesus, invariably, teaches in this passage that we should see and love him in every human being. If we recall that the Genesis account of creation has it that every man and woman is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), it will be easier to understand that everyone is a perfect expression of God on earth. Consequently, no one who loves God will hate his or her neighbor and no one who hates God will love his or her neighbor. That is perfectly explained by the first two great commandments: love of God, and love of neighbor. “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt 22:35-40). It is, therefore, not so much about speaking for the poor but about doing so out of love for God. This teaching has inspired many saints like St Theresa of Calcutta (Mother Theresa) who virtually sees the face of Jesus in every human person in need and reaches out to them, irrespective of tribe, color or religion.
There is a new dimension that Jesus added to the separation that the prophet Ezekiel spoke of in the first reading, and it is very important to take note of it. Those who were condemned to hell by the King in the Gospel story were not necessarily sentenced because of evil things they committed (sins of commission) but rather because of the good things which they neglected to do. We call it sins of “omission”. Perhaps they did avoid doing negative things. However, in the end, they were still found wanting because they neglected or failed to reach out to the situation around them that calls for their compassion, help, and service. Indifference to the cry of the needy is indifference to Jesus (what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me, Matthew 25: 45). Taking a look at the life of Jesus while on earth, we could see that Jesus is the one that often went out of his way to teach the ignorant, feed the hungry, heal the seek and drive out the devil. Act 10: 38 notes “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” That is the same leadership that God expects from each of us, filled with the Holy Spirit.
In today’s society, it is easy to maintain blind eyes over a needy situation without feeling guilty. We can easily exonerate ourselves by arguing that it is the responsibility of this or that government agency to take care of it. We know that there are government policies concerning the poor in society, and there are agencies responsible for carrying out the recommended tasks. However, we also know that there are many needy people around us and that there are many ways to help them if we really want to. Logical self-exoneration does not help in this situation. Where there is the will, there is always the way. Worse still, it is easy to exonerate and commend ourselves presumptuously that we are not like the rest of ungodly men who commit grievous sins. By this, we tend to forget that, the avoidance of evil act, while at the same time remaining indifferent to doing what is good and challenging what is evil, contradicts the law of love and the Christian attitude of holiness, because holiness is all-encompassing.
Since holiness is not just the avoidance of evil acts but also about reaching out to others in need and doing what is good as Jesus would, the readings invite us to sharpen our sensitivity to people and events around us. The Jesus we are seeking is already among us in various forms: as a needy person, challenging situation, and opportunity to do good. These are the areas on which the last judgment will be based. Being sensitive and responsive to a situation that calls for one’s help is a noble and unique virtue; the type that enables one to identify and respond to a situation without waiting to be begged. St Paul gives us a rule of thumb on this point. He said, “As for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. (2Thess3:13). St James even puts it in a more challenging way, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (Jam 4:17).
Let us always remember that, when the roll is called on the evening of our life, we shall all be examined on the law of love. Our Lord, the Universal King spells out today this law of love in pragmatic and concrete actions like feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, accommodating the stranger or the neglected, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting those in prison. Certainly, these are not to be taken as an exhaustive list. Rather, it only serves us to develop the underlying Christian attitude of active concern to those around us who are in any form of human, material, or spiritual need. Jesus assures that every sensitivity and constant positive action in the face of every needy situation will be highly rewarded. But he also warns that any act of omission, neglect, or indifference to situations that call for our Christian service would attract the King’s blame on that great day of separation. The choice is, therefore, clearly laid out.
As wise children of God, let us choose to serve God in our neighbors because, as St John of the Cross said, ‘At the evening of our life, we shall all be examined on the law of love’.