Sheep or goats? That’s what it seems to come down to in our gospel reading for today. The sheep go to the right hand of Jesus and into heaven. The goats go to the left hand of Jesus and into hell. This passage should be deeply troubling for us. Is the distinction between heaven and eternal damnation simply acts of charity? And if it is just acts of charity, then how come the goats didn’t realize it? They were never given a chance to understand the criteria!
All of us live in the great joy and mystery of being alive. And all of us have the basic anxiety of death. What happens after you die? It seems to be a cruel twist of fate or act of God that we face the certainty of death but have nothing definite in this life to go on.
Think of it this way. If we knew the criteria to ensure that existence after death would be good then we’d be able to surely live properly now. We’d endure whatever temporary pain, inconvenience, shame, or even torture in the short term in order to have the long term be good. That’s smart. That’s strategic.
Perhaps that’s part of the problem. The problem being, our human desire to have control.
Whether you like our national president or not, he is certainly one who likes to make deals. Making a deal involves negotiations, leverage, pressure, and concessions. Our minds easily think this way. When you were a child did you ever want something from a parent or teacher or someone in authority over you? Of course you did! But before you ask for that thing you pause and strategize. What tone of voice should you use? Should you be bold or meek? Should you hide your real intentions? Should you compliment that person before the ask? Should you offer to do a favor in exchange for what you hope to get? Again, whether you like our president and his deal making or not, it’s a life pattern that we’re all familiar with.
Except that doesn’t work with God at all. Perhaps that is the fundamental anxiety we feel about death. It is something we all face. It is something we are powerless to stop. And it is something over which we have no leverage.
Let’s look at those who are the goats in the judgment scene. When they discover their fate they reply, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Do you see how that’s transactional, like a deal? Behind the question is the assumption that if they had known there were the ‘right’ people to help they would have done so… had they known what the consequences would be. Their attitude all along was that there were people deserving of being seen as Christ’s presence and those who were not.
Now consider the sheep in the judgment scene. They say, “Lord when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And what 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?” For them this work was not strategic. It was not a deal. It was not a judgment of who was or was not worthy of being seen as Christ’s presence. They simply lived out who they were. They saw value and dignity across the board.
Though politics, business, and many interpersonal relationships might work through making the cost/benefit calculations of making deals, a relationship with God does not. Go ahead and try to make a deal with God. What are you going to offer God? What can you give to God that God can’t get better somewhere else. The God who made you can certainly make someone better than you if he wanted to.
God’s relationship with you is, in a sense, purely one way. God loves you. You can respond to that love, but you cannot leverage it.
This judgment scene also shows that we should not exploit it. Jesus is rarely recorded as talking about hell and damnation. But he did talk about it occasionally. This gospel text is one of those times. We need to pay attention to it and take it seriously.
I frequently hear that God is love. I hear about God’s abundant and never-ending love. There are texts like 1 Corinthians 13 that talk about the nature of love. You know it: “Love is patient. Love is kind,” etc. Romans 8 says that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Indeed, God is loving. But in regards to this love, let’s remember both the depth of human cunning and the sovereignty of God.
Our human cunning can easily conclude that if God is infinitely loving and the love is absolutely sure, then we can do whatever we want and God will forever love and forgive us. Thus: exploit, hurt, and destroy now and still enjoy eternal bliss later. I think everyone would agree that is not an appropriate response to God’s love. But, it is a logical conclusion you can reach if you are promised infinite love.
There is also God’s sovereignty. God is God. God can do as God wants. God will never be bound or limited by the conclusions of human logic.
We humans are fools if we do not have respect and a healthy fear of the sovereign, all-powerful, creator of this universe. We are creatures who had no say in our creation, but we find ourselves here and alive. While St. Paul wrote in Romans 8 of the certainty of God’s love, he also wrote to the Philippians that they should work out their own salvation in fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12) That was not a threat, but a statement to cause them to be in awe of God and obedient. Similarly, Proverbs 9:10 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
And so, while God is loving, God can still do as God pleases. God can also certainly hold people accountable. If you were an abused, oppressed, and exploited slave, how does it feel to be told that your owner is solidly and eternally loved by God, and that your owner will never be held accountable for anything done to you? How fair is that? How can that be a God of justice?
So, as Jesus describes the judgment scene the clear message is that justice and accountability will be carried through by God. What you do in this life matters. Your actions and attitudes are important. Yes, there is forgiveness. Yes, God is deeply loving. You can count on that. But God also brings about justice. And, it is within God’s power to bring about ultimate everlasting punishment if God so chooses.
That is not the point of this passage however. The point is not to condemn us or frighten us. The point is to inspire us and move us.
I have one of those now old-fashioned clock radios by my bed. Instead of some blaring alarm to wake me in the morning, it turns on the radio. The first thing I hear most days is a run down of current events. I hear about what important and powerful people across the world have done. It’s usually bad news. Good news doesn’t have as much of a market. It is also a humbling experience. Here I am, just waking up, an average citizen of this nation; one of a few hundred million. Of what consequence is my life? Perhaps, being a pastor, you could say that I have slightly more power than most, but not by much. What does my life matter? What do my decisions matter? Surely I can be a part of a trend or a voting block that brings about significant change, but then I am still just one of many – not an individual.
The gospel reading reminds us that we are individuals. Our lives do matter. The things listed - acts of charity to unimportant people – are of no worldly consequence. Yet they are noted by God. Also noted by God is the attitude of those who did the acts. It was of great importance.
So, don’t hop on 490 and drive down to the Goodman St. exit in Rochester, hand one of the beggars a couple of bucks, and think you’ve secured yourself a place in heaven. That’s still trying to manipulate God. You’ll probably also enable a homeless person’s unhealthy choices. But do realize that even your smallest actions have consequences. Realize that what the world deems important does not align with what God deems important. Knowing that you are loved by God, live out that love and be a sheep at Jesus’ right hand.
