• The Cobbler and His Guest, Matthew 25:31-46
  by HW in HI
   

• Who Cares? Matthew 25:31-46, by Dr. David Rogne
   

• The Feeding Trough of Justice, Ezekiel 34:11-24, by Rev. Randy Quinn
   
• When We See, Matthew 25:31-46, by Rev Randy Quinn

• Judgment Day’s a Comin’ Mathew 25:31-46, by Rev. Thomas Hall
   

• Meeting Christ's least brothers and sisters Mathew 25:31-46, by Rev. Frank Schaefer
   

• Sermon: Sheep and Goats, Mathew 25:31-46, by Rev. Thomas Hall
   

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The Cobbler and His Guest
Matthew 25:31-46
by HW in HI

We come today to the end of that season after Pentecost, and the end of the church year. We have come full circle. The church year begins with Advent, when we await the coming of the Messiah, both the infant Jesus, and the return of Christ. We move through the year to Christmastide and Epiphany, the seasons of Lent and Easter to Pentecost and the long season following Pentecost. And today we come to an end: we celebrate Christ the King. We celebrate Christ the King and we deck the altar with white. Because in the end, the babe born to Mary, raised by a simple carpenter in middle east 2,000 years ago – in the end, he reigned. And he continues to reign.

The feast of Christ the King is not particularly old. It was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, and rapidly accepted by many Protestant churches.

The scripture chosen to commemorate Christ the King is Matthew 25: 31-46. Jesus calls us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned and welcome the stranger. It seems appropriate that at this time of Thanksgiving we find ourselves called to remember our vows to Christ and the needs of the world. We find ourselves called to give thanks for our gifts, and to share those gifts.

The Gospel message suggests: God will judge us according to our response to human need. Some Christians ask people to stand up and make a decision for Christ. This is a good thing to do, but it does not go far enough. Others ask us to praise the Lord; also a good thing, but Jesus says it is not enough. Still others ask us to follow scripture carefully and to obey the commandments; all well and good, but still, it is not enough. Jesus tell us as directly and simply as he possibly could, that our final judgment is going to be based on what help we have given to others. At the same time, we understand that we are saved by grace, yet we cannot ignore the strength of Christ’s words.

This past week I had dinner with some friends. Try as I might, the preferred topics for the evening seemed to be politics and religion. Our religious beliefs were pretty much in line, I think, but our politics varied. How do we best address the need of the poor? Should we help those who have not chosen to help themselves? Must we be taxed to the hilt for programs that don’t work? This is the distilled essence of our discussion. At the center, we all want to do what was right. And to be sure, this is partly addressed by society, and hence by politics. [continue]