CHRIST THE KING HOMILY – YEAR A

CHRIST THE KING HOMILY – YEAR A

THEME:  THE KING’S FINAL SEPARATION

BY: Fr. Karabari Paul

‘He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.’
Matthew 25:32

The last Sunday of the liturgical year is the celebration of the Universal Kingship of Christ. Here in our country, it is done with a procession meant for Corpus Christi celebration in June. And this is because June is a rainy season. All the Readings (Ezekiel 34:11-12,15-17, 1Cor.15:20-26,28, Matt.25:31-46 ) reflect the theme of judgment with an imagery of separation of animals.

As at the time of Jesus, the Romans had overrun their land of Israel, and the Roman representatives, like Pilate, were in charge of things. The Jews, for hundreds of years, were without a king. One thing that they needed more than anything else was a king. All their prophets had prophesied about the coming of a king, their king. And Jesus came as the king in answer to all their hopes, expectations, desires, needs, and longings, in accordance to all the Scriptures and the prophecies. But they had their own ideas about the kind of king they wanted, and He did not just fit into those ideas. What they wanted was a king that should just make possible the gratification of every earthly, selfish desire; an earthly rule with iron power that will dethrone Roman domination. The question of virtue, righteousness, and purity of life were of secondary importance.

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Jesus Christ was not that kind of king they desired. He was a matchless King. Solomon dressed in splendid clothes and built a magnificent temple; David led his army to victory in numerous battles; Pharaoh maintained an iron rule over the Egyptians and their Israelite slaves. Jesus, meanwhile, laid in a manger, shared meals with the poor and public sinners, and hung stripped upon the Cross. Christ never looked very much like a king. The same Jews who initially hated anything Roman would exclaim, “We have no king but Caesar”, in revolt and rejection of the Kingship of Jesus. It was strange that the mob who despised Caesar for his massacres, for all the harm that he had done them, and for his prostitution of the temple, proclaimed that they had no king but Caesar. By accepting Caesar as their king, they renounced Jesus their King of peace, and made themselves vassals of the Empire, thus preparing for the Roman armies that swallowed up Jerusalem within a generation (the reason Jesus cried over Jerusalem for rejecting the message and messenger of peace). Those who fear men rather than God lose that which they hoped men would preserve for them. As in the days of Samuel, they rejected the government of God in order to have a king which God gave them in anger, so, they rejected the Kingship of Christ they would be ground to the earth under the kingship of Caesar. But at the proper time, Jesus, whose Kingship had been rejected, will embark on Final Separation to reward loyalty and punish revolt.

In the Gospel Reading (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus describes the judgment day in these words: “Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at the left.”

Central to the readings are the sheep and goats. Both sheep and goats were valuable farm animals in ancient Palestine. This Gospel passage uses the commonplace Christian imagery that portrays them in very different lights.

How will Jesus separate the sheep from the goats? Jesus does not spell out exactly why the goats are the bad ones in this parable, but many have speculated. Sheep, which have ever been considered as the emblems of mildness, simplicity, patience, and usefulness, represent here the genuine disciples of Christ. Goats, which are naturally quarrelsome, lascivious, and excessively ill-scented, are considered the symbols of riotous, profane, and impure men.

The Final Separation of the great day will be a general judgment. All must be summoned before Christ’s tribunal; all of every age of the world, from the beginning to the end of time; all of every place on earth, even from the remotest corners of the world, most obscure, and distant from each other; all nations, all those nations of men that are made of one blood, to dwell on all the face of the earth.

The distinction that will then be made between the precious and the vile; He shall separate them one from another, as the tares and wheat are separated at the harvest, the good fish and the bad at the shore, the corn and chaff in the floor.

Both the wicked and godly here dwell together in the same kingdoms, cities, churches, families, and are not certainly distinguishable one from another; such are the infirmities of saints, such the hypocrisies of sinners, and one event to both: but in that day they will be separated, and parted for ever; Then shall He return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, (Mal. 3:18). They can not separate themselves one from another in this world (1 Cor. 5:10), nor can anyone else separate them (Matt. 13:29); but the Lord knows them that are His, and He can separate them. This separation will be so exact, that the most inconsiderable saints shall not be lost in the crowd of sinners, nor the most plausible sinner hid in the crowd of saints (Psalm. 1:5), but everyone shall go to his own place.

This image of a shepherd dividing between the sheep and the goats; is clearly seen in the first Reading (Ezek. 34:17); Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep. Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd; He now feeds his flock like a shepherd, and will shortly distinguish between those that are His, and those that are not, as Laban divided his sheep from Jacob’s, and set three days’ journey between them, Gen. 30:35, 36.

The godly are like sheep, innocent, mild, patient, useful: the wicked are like goats, a baser kind of animal, unsavoury, and unruly. The sheep and goats are here feeding all day in the same pasture, but will be coted at night in different folds. Being thus divided, He will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on His left, Matt. 25:33. Christ puts honour upon the godly, as we show respect to those we set on our right hand; but the wicked shall rise to everlasting shame, Dan. 12:2. It is not said that he shall put the rich on his right hand, and the poor on his left; the learned and noble on his right hand, and unlearned and despised on his left; but the godly on his right hand, and the wicked on his left. All other divisions and subdivisions will then be abolished; but the great distinction of men into saints and sinners, sanctified and unsanctified, will remain for ever, and men’s eternal state will be determined by it. The wicked took up with left-handed blessings, riches and honour, and so shall their doom be.

We individually belong in one category. The question is: where exactly? The sign of the saved is their concern for those in need. Salvation is the work of Christ. But compassion is the consequence of salvation. Try to keep that in mind as you go through this world. God lives in everyone you meet especially helpless souls. Be mindful of your actions and inaction. None shall escape divine scrutiny. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. Father grant us the grace to be compassionate in all we do through Christ our Lord Amen. Happy Celebration. Good morning!

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