Saturday 11 May 2013

Background

The final judgement in today's passage is the climax of Jesus'last discourse in Matthew's Gospel. Whereas parables tend to beginwith familiar, earthly situations and move towards the mysterious,this passage begins with the glorious and terrible arrival of theSon of Man and his angels. It then moves to the earthly andordinary in the ethical tests by which the nations are judged. Assuch, today's passage is an inversion of the usual parable pattern.It is the last parable before Jesus is arrested.

In today's passage the Christ is identified personally with eachhungry or naked person, prisoner or foreigner. The judgement of theSon of Man is very much in line with the ethical thrust of the lawand prophets: what God requires is not confession of faith orperfect ritual. God requires the breaking of the yoke ofoppression, justice for workers and hospitality to foreigners andthe vulnerable (eg Isaiah 58:6-12 where the prophet speaks of a'true fast' in these terms).

But like every parable this one is not just an allegory forethical behaviour. It cannot be turned into a generalisedhumanitarian charter. Nor does it argue that good works alone cansave.

It is right to serve the vulnerable not for their own sake, butbecause in so doing one serves Christ. Readers are taught toidentify Jesus with the world's suffering in each hungry, thirsty,naked, foreign, or imprisoned person. This identification cannothelp but associate the passion Jesus will suffer with the sufferingof the world: Jesus joins the rejected and emerges victorious overthe sin of their pain and exclusion.

The climactic judgement in today's passage puts ordinary actionsand people at the heart of Jesus' self-sacrifice. The angels andSon of Man descending to earth in their terrible glory are notconcerned with temples or palaces any more than the baby Jesus wasat his birth. The Son of Man is concerned with sacrificial love andeveryday acts of kindness. This self-sacrifice is then become thepattern for Christian living, and dying.

To Ponder

• How far do you find this parable encouraging? And how farnot?

• With whom do you identify in this parable?

• How well do you think the Church does in speaking about God'sjudgement?