Today's reading isn't comfortable. It reminds us that Jesus is a judge, and that doesn't always fit in with the imagery we prefer to use for him. We like to think of Jesus as meek and mild; we like to remember the image of the good shepherd; but wrapped up in that role is the role of a judge and it's an important one to remember.
So what is judgement, well for us it's something scripture expressly discourages us from doing - not easy because it's second nature for pretty much all of us. We are discouraged from doing it because Jesus will do the judging. We are also discouraged from it because normally we are so bad at it! We are influenced by all of our own prejudices and bad experiences, by hearsay and stereotyping.
But Jesus isn't. So what is Jesus judgement like? Well let's think about some of the modern images we have with judgement. [Simon Cowell and Judge Judy on screen]
Jesus pronounces judgement at several points in the gospels, and his judgement has something in common with those two images. He's straight talking. He doesn't mince his words; he tells it like it is. (Of all the images I ever thought I'd use in a sermon, I never thought I'd be using Judge Judy as a sermon illustration for Christ!)
But one thing we know and can trust about Jesus' judgement - is that it will be fair, that it will understand - because Jesus knows the secrets of our hearts. No legal technicalities or arguments - Jesus knows.
So why does Jesus judge? This is the bit that niggles for us, the bit that doesn't sit with our image of the good shepherd. And yet when we think about the good shepherd, the reasoning is laid bare. A good shepherd has to tend over his flock, has to look after them, and that includes being aware of the presence of wolves. To be the caring shepherd Jesus has to provide retribution for those who fail to live up to the calling he has placed on them. What kind of shepherd allows the wolf to go unpunished? What kind of shepherd would allow some sheep to get fat while other sheep starve? What kind of King would tolerate evil and fail to reward good?
So what does Jesus judge us on? When he comes in glory to judge the living and the dead and we stand before him what will he be looking for?
Jesus says -
Jesus' judgement focuses on how we treat him in others; we are reminded that we can see Jesus in the poorest and most marginalized of people. These are the people Jesus reminds us to show his love to, probably because it's very easy to show love to the people we like and get on with, the people we have things in common with.
One of my favourite songs is "What if God was one of us?" is a challenging reminder that Jesus is at work in this world and we need to be on the lookout for him. One of the problems with grabbing hold of the idea of Jesus' judgement is not that it is unclear - nor is it that we would be unwilling to love Jesus in all these people, rather it is that we may not have to face these issues every day.
Crime and hunger and thirst and nakedness rarely touch us, they are not a part of our ordinary lives.
One of the reasons why I am so fond of the song "One of us" is that it reminds me that Jesus is the stranger on the bus, that everyone we don't know is a stranger and so we should remember that Jesus is in them.
As we move through our cities we encounter hundreds of people: Is he Jesus? Is she Jesus? Is one of them Jesus?
We're called to extend our love and concern to all the people we meet, especially those who are marginalized and suffering, I hope that it is in all our natures to want to do this, but so often we build a wall in front of our emotions, perhaps trying to block out what we feel tugging on our heartstrings. The call we have, to respond to the sacrifice of Jesus is to break down our own walls to find a way of saying our thank you to the one who went to the cross for us. Jesus says his judgement will relate to how we treat other people and people in need in particular, that's a very broad commission - some of these problems are huge and it's easy for us to become disheartened if we dwell on what we can't do. But the way for us to respond is to put our energy into thinking about the things we can do - the things that we do have the opportunities to influence.
We need to find a way to reach out to those people who have made themselves prisoners because their society tells them that being gay or transgendered is wrong. And we can reach out to those people who are prisoners because of unjust regimes.
For
years, the church used to carry such an emphasis on the notion of Jesus judging
us - the bottom line seemed to be 'Love God - Or Else'.
To me that seems to be only one perspective and not necessarily the most productive
one. Everyone
dies. And after that, JUDGEMENT. And there's no point hiring the best lawyers
and trying to buy our way out. We're guilty. Except for one thing. Christ
was sacrificed to take away our sins.
The judgement of Jesus is not just about failing to love him and being punished. It is about loving Jesus and being rewarded.
Amen.
(Dan Joseph)
This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.