The King's Judgment: Embracing The Least Of These

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, our hearts are drawn to the profound and challenging words of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 31-46. In these verses, we encounter the powerful image of the King's final judgment, a scene that vividly portrays the destiny awaiting all humanity.

Jesus begins with a striking vision of the Son of Man coming in his glory, accompanied by all the angels, to sit on his glorious throne. This is a moment of ultimate significance, a time when the King will separate the people as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. The sheep, representative of the righteous, will be placed on the right, while the goats, symbolizing the unrighteous, will be on the left.

What is truly awe-inspiring is the criteria by which this divine division occurs. The King does not assess based on outward appearances or worldly achievements. Instead, the measure of judgment lies in how we have treated the least of these—those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, and imprisoned. In other words, our response to human need becomes the litmus test of our faith.

To the righteous, the King declares, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." Why? Because they fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed strangers, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited the imprisoned. Astonishingly, they unknowingly ministered to the King himself in the process.

Conversely, the unrighteous, perplexed and troubled, are confronted with their neglect: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." Their failure to respond to the needs around them reflects a missed opportunity to encounter the divine in the midst of human suffering.

As Anglicans, we are called to take these words to heart and live out the Gospel in tangible ways. Our faith is not an abstract concept but a living, breathing reality that is expressed in our love for others. It's about being Christ's hands and feet in a broken world.

Let us be a community known for our compassion, mercy, and justice. May we actively seek out the marginalized, the oppressed, and the suffering, recognizing the face of Christ in them. In doing so, we participate in the ushering in of God's kingdom, a kingdom characterized by love, justice, and peace.

As we navigate the complexities of our world, let us remember the words of our Lord: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." May our lives be a testimony to the transforming power of Christ's love, and may we, with humble hearts, hear the King's invitation to enter into the joy of his eternal kingdom.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.