November 26, 2023
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. This is a title derived from Jesus’ announcement that the kingdom of God had arrived with his Galilean ministry (Mk. 1:15). It is also the title that Pontius Pilate ironically had placed above his head to mock Jesus as he was nailed to the cross (Jn. 19:19). With his ascension, Jesus would ultimately fulfill this role taking his place at the right hand of the Father.
We see how Jesus serves as a king with an image that was created by the prophets of the Old Testament, like Ezekiel, who we hear from today in a passage called “The Parable of the Shepherds” (Ezek. 34:11-12, 15-17). When Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians, invaded Jerusalem, the prophet Ezekiel was among the first wave of exiles to be deported (597BC). The mission of Ezekiel was to prophecy to the people in exile who were cut off from the Temple and the land. Like most of the other prophets, the message of Ezekiel contained oracles against Judah and Jerusalem for their sins of apostasy and injustice, as well as words of hope and restoration for the Jewish people.
One specific message that God sends Ezekiel to preach is directed toward the shepherds of Israel, the leaders in Jerusalem. These leaders are condemned for the mistreatment they have given to their sheep, the citizens of Israel. They have kept the choice commodities for themselves, they have not helped the sick or injured, they have plundered the people’s possessions, and they have let them stray to false worship (Ezek. 34:1-6).
Ezekiel says that the scattered sheep, those who have been sent into exile, will be removed from the treacherous shepherds and taken into God’s possession, where they can be protected and cared for in the restored land of Israel (Ezek. 34:12-16). God promises to personally care for the lost sheep: “As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, and the sick I will heal.” (Ezek. 34:12,16a).
God also issues a warning to the leaders of Israel as a punishment for their poor leadership, “But the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them in judgment. I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.” (Ezek. 34:16b, 17b).
The promise for the sheep continues with the appointment of a new leader from the line of David, with whom God will renew the covenant (Ezek. 34:24-26). In the Gospels, the evangelists take several opportunities to compare Jesus to this new leader who will shepherd God’s people. One such example is found in our reading from Matthew for today in a passage titled “The Judgment of the Nations” (Mt. 25:31-46).
This passage appears as a follow up to the parables concerning the end of times from the last two weeks: “The Parable of the Ten Virgins” (Mt. 25:1-13) and “The Parable of the Talents” (Mt. 25:14-30). In the reading today we hear Jesus describing the scene that will occur when he returns. He says, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (Mt. 25:31-32).
The narrative that follows is a familiar one. Jesus talks about separating the sheep from the goats according to whether or not they have done the following: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’’ (Mt. 25:35-36).
Those who are present ask Jesus this question, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?” (Mt. 25:38-39).
And Jesus replies, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt. 25:40).
This appears to be a direct fulfillment of the judgment spoken by Ezekiel to the evil shepherds, the Jewish leaders of his day who failed to consider the needs of the oppressed in their society. These are the same as the needy described by Jesus – those who have little to eat or drink, those who are foreigners in a strange land, and those who are ill or imprisoned.
And, of course, we know that the message applies to us as much today as it did in biblical times. As the people of God, the Church, we are called to care for those less fortunate than ourselves and at the end of times we will be judged according to these standards put forth by Jesus. This is nothing new to us.
But there is also something else to consider from these passages. Although the prophet Ezekiel speaks for God, it is God who does the judging. God says, “I will shepherd, I will judge, I will destroy.” Jesus does the same in the story of the king saying, I will separate the sheep and the goats, I will place them on my right and my left, and I will be the one to grant eternal punishment, or eternal life.”
The lesson is that judging or formulating an opinion about a particular person as to whether they are good or bad ultimately falls to the Triune God, through the workings of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. It Is not up to us to judge others according to their appearance, background, words, or actions. For no one other than God truly knows what lies in the heart of a person and what motivates them to behave one way or another. And no one knows what upbringing or experiences have caused a person to act contrary to what we consider to be proper behavior.
In the end, we need only concern ourselves with what Jesus expects from each one of us and that we be responsible for our own actions. We are not to be concerned about separating the sheep from the goats according to our own standards. Only Christ the King, the Good Shepherd, deserves that right.
