“JUDGED IN HIM”
Saint Matthew 25. 31-46
The Second Last Sunday in the Church Year: 13 November Anno Domini 2005
Fr Watson
The Son of Man came in glory. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Son was there with all His glory, "God of God, light of light, begotten not made..." And God said "let there be Light." The Son of Man came in glory. All things were made through His glory. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Adam preferred the stygian blackness of his deathly first state to the light and glory of the Lord. Adam did not wish to know the true light and thus fell from glory; fell from the Son of Man.
The Son of Man came in glory to Abraham and especially to Moses and his charge. The Son of Man came in the blazing glory of Sinai and the Pillar of Fire. He there too was in the world and the world did not know Him.
Don't be too unforgiving to your children when they disobey you for the "millionth time." Don't think it strange when your friends chronically let you down and disappoint you.
He is not unforgiving towards you. For all the times you have not shared food and drink with those who were hungry and thirsty; all the times you did not share the Word of Life with those who were spiritually hungry and thirsty, the Lord forgives you. For all the times you neglected to clothe the naked and supply the basic needs of the poor; for the times you did not cover up their spiritual nakedness, their sins and affronts against you with the blanket of Christ and forgiveness, the Lord forgives you.
The Son of Man will come again, soon, to Judge the "quick and the dead." He will judge not just those who happen to have body temperatures of 98.6 and those who have decomposed. But He will judge those who are dead in unbelief from those who are "quick," that is, alive in Him. Those who are to go to everlasting punishment will be those who did not believe in Jesus as Lord; in Jesus as God, their Savior. The damned will be all who rejected Jesus' work, life, death, and resurrection on their behalf, but instead, tried to "do themselves" into paradise. There are many, who, every time they visit a hospital, give money to a charity, or donate clothes to Goodwill, mentally pat themselves on the back and make the addition to their surplus side of good works. This is hypocrisy. This is confusing who does what. Pagans who are good people do this all the time. Christians such as yourselves also do this.
Who has done all that Jesus demands? No one; no not one. So, what is the difference? Only one. Those who believe in the God/Man will go into eternal life; those who did not, will go into everlasting punishment. And even this belief, this faith is not a "work" to be done, earned, chosen, or bragged about. Having Christ as Savior is a gift of the Holy Spirit given freely by faith, worked by God Himself in those He chooses to Glory; Glory in His Son.
The real coming of the Son of Man in Glory took place on the hillock covered with bone fragments and rotting skulls. The real Glory was when the Light of the World was overshadowed by the darkness of hell and wrath for 3 long hours. The real Glory was that the Son of God became sick with your disease of death and sin; that He became thirsty for you, thirsty for righteousness; that He became ill-clad and imprisoned in the devil's torments for all your mis-deeds, mis-thoughts, and mis-words.
The real Glory is that by giving you faith to believe Who He is, and What He did, and continues to do, you have all that Glory yourselves. He gives you Calvary and He gives you the empty tomb every time He gives you forgiveness in your baptisms; and that is every day. He gives you His broken body and spilt blood, for peace, health and life every time He gives you His Supper.
When did you feed Him, nourish Him, visit Him, help Him, clothe Him, and love Him? You did these things for Him when you believed, and now when you believe and Confess the Faith; Confess Christ Crucified. You love God and you love your neighbor In Christ Jesus as you remain in Christ Jesus. You are already judged in His wounds. Your trial is finished. Your final public declaration to the universe comes when all the angels return at that final time of Glory; but right now, today, come forward to His Banquet of Glory and be told again that you are In Him, even as He is given to be In You.
In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost