Scripture of the Day. January 1, 2023

Matthew 25:31-46

The Judgment of the Nations

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”

Reflection:

I was curious about what the lectionary would have as the reading to begin the new year.  This passage today is like the mini gospel.  It says it’s about judgement “when the son of man comes in glory.”  But it’s about teaching, really, not judgement. It’s the core of Jesus’ life and message.  On the surface, it’s about the second coming when Jesus will return and separate everyone into groups of “good” and “evil” and then God will give everyone what they deserve. 

It could also mean when “the son of man” — Jesus — “returns,” or becomes present to us in our lives right now, now in this new year when we start again with a clean slate.  A new year when we will have more opportunities to whatever we’ve learned of Jesus’ teaching and example.  In this interpretation, Jesus returns when he lives-through the ordinary routines of our lives.

This scripture passage IS about the end — of 2022.  And we expect to meet Jesus, the son of man, when he comes in glory, this morning, or afternoon or tonight.  Today.  He will help us separate the sheep and the goats from our thoughts and words and what we do.  He says to us, “Try to stay focused on the “sheep” — the uplifting thoughts, the thoughtful words, the kind acts.  When someone’s thirsty — give them something to drink.”

True religion, for Jesus, is not complicated.  I keep going back to when he fed the 5000 people, late in the day, they were hungry.  And the disciples, who were still learning, were tired and wanted the people to go home.  And if they’re hungry — let them buy their own damn food.  They told Jesus, “It’s late.  Send them home.  All Jesus said was:  “You feed them.”  The whole gospel in six words. 

Jesus isn’t about magic, or the spectacular, but he was interested in common, everyday things, like  sharing food, a drink, a visit, hospitality.  Welcoming the stranger, immigrant, refugee, “illegal alien.”  Jesus isn’t telling us to walk on water, but just give it — water — to someone who’s thirsty.

One of my earliest jobs growing up was to fill my father’s glass of scotch and soda on those nights he wanted a refill.  He taught me how to make them, how much ice, how much scotch (some nights two, some nights three fingers deep of scotch on the bottom of the glass), and last, the soda.  Dad would hand me his empty glass and say, “Here, make me another.”  I’d say, “Two or three fingers.”  Dad would say, “Two fingers.”  Dad wasn’t religious, yet he taught me the gospel.  When he was thirsty, he said, “Make me another.”  True religion.