Trinity Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Sermons 

Title: "Are We Sheep or Are We Shepherds?"

Text: Matthew 25:31-46

How many of us remember seeing one or more of these commercials? [show of hands] And how many of us root for the nerdy agent who wants to say "yes"? [show of hands]. This morning, I hope to provide you with new insight into the parallel between this very successful commercial campaign and our Gospel lesson.

On the surface, this morning’s Gospel lesson is about a fairly common theme in the Old Testament and in the Gospels – a shepherd and his sheep. The connection in the Jewish tradition between shepherds and kings set the stage for listeners of the first century to hear in this text far more than a proclamation of judgment. They also could discern a manifesto for righteousness among all the peoples of the world, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether oppressed or oppressors.

Of course, we do not live in the first century in a Roman-dominated empire whose borders had come to include our little nation on the eastern Mediterranean. Far from it! We are living twenty centuries later in a powerful nation whose leaders, like those of ancient Rome, seem intent on extending a pax americana throughout the civilized world.

Where we are and who we are gives us a distinctive perspective on this unique text, which is found only in the Gospel of Matthew. But there is more. This morning we come to the end of what the Revised Common Lectionary calls "Ordinary Time" with a Sunday designated as "Christ the King" (alternatively, "Reign of Christ"). This special designation is not of apostolic or even Nicaean origins. Nor does it come from the era of the Reformation – Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and Knox knew nothing of it. In fact, "Christ the King" Sunday is younger than many of us in this sanctuary!

This celebration of Jesus Christ as Lord over creation was established by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Quas Primas, issued on December 11, 1925, and originally was assigned to the last Sunday in October. In 1969, as a result of revisions in the liturgical calendar promulgated by Pope Paul VI, it was moved to the last Sunday of Ordinary Time (immediately preceding Advent), where its theme of Christ’s dominion made it a fitting climax to the liturgical year and an appropriate inspiration for the new Season of Advent.

Our challenge then is to deal with this magnificent and daunting text as it comes to our ears on this special Sunday. Only in the last eighty years, and only in those dominations and congregations in which the Revised Common Lectionary is followed, has this special connection come into being between this Gospel text and the ecclesiastical tradition of Christ the King.

In this context, most of you have heard this apocalyptic discourse many times. For others, this may the first time that you are encountering this story – that seems to focus on Last Judgment. Understood more broadly, this discourse is the culmination of a series of parables and warnings that began in chapter 24:32 with the story of the fig tree, and continued through the parables and stories of the days of Noah, the thief, the good and wicked servants, the bridesmaids, and the talents. Taken together, these parables and warnings are not so much about final judgments as about taking proper care of the resources placed in the environment and at our disposition. Thus, what we have this morning is an appropriate culmination to this extended consideration of pastoral care.

In this morning’s lectionary lesson, the "Son of Man" quickly becomes "the king" (v. 34) who will have all the nations gathered before him, "and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left" (v. 32-33).

Thus, we are told, there will be two kingdoms – one for the righteous (here called sheep) and another for those who are not righteous (here called goats). But this separation of the people of all the nations into these two groups is not the key to understanding this passage. The important questions are: what is the basis for such a division? What determines who is righteous and who is not? And, how does this make a difference in the world?

Reading this discourse carefully, we may be surprised to learn that the answer is not a personal confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Nor is it grace, justification, sanctification, or the forgiveness of sins (cf. M. Eugene Boring [1995:455], in his commentary on "Matthew" in The New Interpreter’s Bible). What, then, is the key to answering these questions? It is nothing more or less than following Jesus’ command to love and care for others, especially those in need. As the king expresses it here, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me" (v. 40). Whether it be food or drink to those who are hungry and thirsty, a welcome to the stranger, clothes for those with nothing to wear, care for the sick, or visits to those in prison – all of these actions are marks of righteousness and all make a difference in the world.

However, this is not what some call "works righteousness." We can see this clearly in Matthew’s text. Neither the righteous sheep or the unrighteous goats were aware that their actions (or inactions) in dealing with the poor, the sick, the homeless, and the suffering represented their key to the kingdom. On the contrary, both groups asked the king, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' Thus, their behavior does not depend on a prior awareness that eternal life depends on attending to and caring for others rather than themselves.

In fact, with regard to being oblivious, there is little to separate the sheep from the goats. Neither sheep nor goats exhibit much intentionality when it comes to purposive behavior. Nor do most people. Like goats and sheep, we need different kinds of leaders to show us the way home. Some of us – like goats – need to be kept on the right path by someone who comes along from behind and picks us up, dusts us off, and encourages us when we fall down. Others among us – like sheep – are more comfortable following in the pack behind a leader who knows the way.

This brings us to the heart of the matter: are we to be followers or are we to be leaders when it comes to caring for all those in need? Some of us prefer to let others design programs in which we participate. Some of us would rather develop new programs for assisting those in need and then convince our friends to serve in these efforts. Whether we are followers or leaders, the point is to be caring members of our communities in the here and now.

For those of us who prefer the role of follower, let us find trustworthy shepherds. For those of us who see ourselves as shepherds, let us be careful to check that the flock is still behind us when we turn around to look for them. To be successful, either as a member of the flock or as a leader, the interaction between sheep and shepherd must be one of confidence and trust.

Now, perhaps, we are ready for the ultimate test – what we might call the ultimate S.A.T. – the Shepherd’s Aptitude Test. This is the ultimate S.A.T. because it contains just one, multiple-choice question. Get it right and we pass; get it wrong and we fail. One important point: when the word "we" is used in a statement, it refers to all of us in our community; when the word "you" is used in a statement, it refers to you individually. Are we all ready? Listen carefully to the elements of the question:

a) we see that you are hungry and give you food;

b) we see that you are thirsty and give you drink;

c) we see that you are a stranger and welcome you;

d) we see that you have lost everything, and give you clothes;

e) we see that you are sick and care for you;

f) we see that you are imprisoned and we visit you.

And the correct answer is "Yes."

Everyday, we have the opportunity to take the Shepherd’s Aptitude Test and say "yes." In the process, we discover that sometimes we are caregivers and sometimes we are the "little lost ones" who need care.

In the end, are we sheep or are we shepherds? The answer is "yes." God knows that we are both, and judges us accordingly. Amen.