Sunday Lectionary: Of Sheep and Kings

Feast of Christ the King: November 20th, 2011

In this last week before Advent, we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. In the First Reading, through the Prophet Ezekiel, the Lord describes Himself as a shepherd who will gather together his sheep. The Lord ends by saying that He will judge the flock and this theme of judgement is picked up in the Gospel Reading where Jesus contrasts the “sheep and the goats”, those who loved Him through loving the afflicted and those who did not.

Reading I: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17

Ezekiel was a prophet in 592 BC when the Jews were in exile in Babylon. In this passage the Lord speaks through His prophet. The Lord describes Himself in terms very similar to that of Jesus “The Good Shepherd”. Speaking through Ezekiel the Lord says how He will gather up his sheep and personally look after them, tracking down those who have strayed and healing their sicknesses.

The tone of this passage changes in the last sentence when the Lord says that there will be a judgement and the flock will be divided…

Thus says the Lord GOD:

I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.

The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.

Questions:

• Who is Ezekiel? What do you know about him?
• In what terms does the Lord describe Himself?
• What does the Lord say He will do?

Commentary:

“Thus says the Lord GOD…”

The Lord is about to speak through His prophet Ezekiel.

“I myself will look after and tend my sheep…I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD…shepherding them rightly…“

Jesus described Himself in similar terms:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” – John 10:11-16

Just prior to this passage, the “Shepherds of Israel” (those in authority) are condemned. God now says that it will be Lord Himself who will look after His people. As the saying goes “If you want something done properly, do it yourself”…

“As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark”

The reference to “when it was cloudy and dark” refers to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Israelite exiles were then scattered widely and a large number were taken to Babylon. This verse is a promise to gather Israel into a great people once again.

“The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal…”

The Lord is not only going to gather the herd together again, He is going to heal their infirmities. Reading this with New Testament eyes, it’s hard to not see Jesus…

“…but the sleek and the strong I will destroy”

The tone of the passage changes here. It appears that some have been using their power selfishly, oppressing the other “sheep” and fattening themselves up…

“As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.”

There is a judgement coming…

 

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

The theme of God as Shepherd, which began in the First Reading, is continued through to this week’s Psalm. The author, King David, was himself a shepherd prior to ascending to the throne. In this psalm, the shepherd-king David declares who is his own shepherd. It reminds me of the letter of Ignatius to Polycarp:

“Ignatius…sends warmest greetings to Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, or rather, to he who has as his own bishop God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” – Ignatius to Polycarp

The major theme of this psalm is trust. David has complete confidence in His shepherd…

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose.

Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake.

You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

Questions:

• Who wrote this psalm? What was his background?
• What are the main themes of this psalm?

Commentary:

More more details, see the commentary from before.

Reading II: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

Last week we concluded Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. For the next two weeks we’re going to hear from his letter to the Corinthians. In today’s passage Paul is looking forward to the fulfillment of Christ’s Kingdom.

Priest: “Let us proclaim the Mystery of Faith…”
Congregation: “Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!”

Paul explains the meaning behind these words which we say at every Mass.

Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power.

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Questions:

• What is this passage about?
• Who are the men referenced in this passage? Through one came death and through another came life.
• What is the “proper order” that Paul is talking about here?
• How is Christ’s reign described?

Commentary:

“Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”

Paul is saying that Christ died but he rose again. As we learnt last week, “fallen asleep” is a euphemism for those who have biologically died.

The reference to “firstfruits” is a concept which we find in the Old Testament. At harvest time, the first portion of the harvest would be offered to God in the Temple as both sacrifice and thanksgiving. It was meant to consecrate the entirety of the coming harvest:

“…When…you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath [Sunday]. On [that] day…you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, together with its grain offering of…the finest flour mixed with olive oil…and…[a] drink offering…of wine…This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live” – Leviticus 23:10-14

Paul is drawing a parallel here between this and Jesus’ resurrection.

“For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man”

Death entered the world through Adam and resurrection comes through Jesus, the Second Adam. Paul draws a parallel between the two. In Catholic thought, Mary is often referred to as “The New Eve”. This idea is first found in the writing of the Early Church Father St. Irenaeus:

“[Jesus] has regenerated [the dead] into the life of God, He having been made Himself the beginning of those that live, as Adam became the beginning of those who die… And thus also it was that the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fastthrough unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith” – Against Heresies 

“For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life”

We are all “in Adam” through birth and we are “in Christ” through our re-birth in baptism:

“Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” – John 3:5

“…but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ…”

Paul is describing the divine ordering. Christ has risen from the dead and those who are in Christ will also have their bodies raised at the Second Coming. Up until then they will be just spirits. Christ’s Resurrection is the pledge of our future resurrection.

“…then comes the end when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death”

Jesus here is describing His Second Coming. Those who oppose Him will be brought to justice (“sovereignty and…authority and power” refer to demonic spirits) and death will finally come to an end.

The phrase “put all his enemies under his feet” is an expression we find in the Old Testament to describe the conquering of enemies by a king.

“When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him…”

After all things are subject to Christ, Christ will then hand everything over to the Father. This verse has more than a passing resemblance to Psalm 8.

“…so that God may be all in all”

The Trinity will be recognised as supreme.

 

Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

The judgement which was mentioned at the end of the First Reading is put on full display in Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ 

Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Questions:

• Who is the “Son of Man”?
• What event is Jesus describing here?
• What is the criteria for judgement that is used?
• What are the actions performed?
• For whom are they performed?
• For whom are they ultimately performed?
• Examine your conscience. Could Jesus truly say that you fed Him, gave Him a drink, welcomed Him, clothed Him or visited Him?

Commentary:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

The “Son of Man” here is Jesus. It is a Messianic title we find in the Book of Daniel.

The judgement described here can be seen as two different historical events:

1. The judgement which came upon Jerusalem in AD 70 in which Jerusalem was destroyed. The Christians were saved, having previously fled to the nearby city of Pella.

2. The General Judgement at the end of time following Christ’s Second Coming.

The Book of Revelation also paints a picture of this judgement:

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” – Revelation 20:11-15

Because of the scarcity of green pastures, in arid lands such as Israel the sheep and the goats would often graze together. However, at nightfall the shepherd would gather his flock together and then separate the sheep and the goats. Goats are too aggressive and can’t remain in the same pen as sheep.

“He calls the one sheep and the other goats, to denote the unprofitableness of the one, and the fruitfulness of the other, for sheep are greatly productive in fleece, milk, and lambs” – St. John Chrysostom

“Also the goat is a salacious animal, and was the offering for sins in the Law, and He says not ‘she goats’ which can produce young, and come up shorn from the washing” – St. Jerome

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…”

The king gives his decree…

“‘This prepared for you from the foundation of the world’, is to be understood as of the foreknowledge of God, with whom things to come are as already done” – St. Jerome

“Besides that kingdom of which He will say in the end, Inherit the kingdom prepared for you, though in a very inferior manner, the present Church is also called His kingdom, in the which we are yet in conflict with the enemy until we come to that kingdom of peace, where we shall reign without an enemy” – St. Augustine

“…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'”

The “sheep” did good and receive what was prepared for them.

“And it is to be noted, that the Lord here enumerates six works of mercy which who shall study to accomplish shall be entitled to the kingdom” – St. Remigius

“Mystically, He who with the bread of the word and the drink of wisdom refreshes the soul hungering and thirsting after righteousness, or admits into the home of our mother the Church him who is wandering in heresy or sin, or who strengthens the weak in faith, such an one discharges the obligations of true love” – Raban

The criterion against which they were judged was whether or not they loved the Lord (Jesus’ First Commandment)…

“Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'”

…and they did this by loving their neighbour (Jesus’ Second Commandment). Here Jesus clearly identifies Himself with the afflicted:

“In Holy Communion we have Christ under the appearance of bread. In our work [with the destitute] we find Him under the appearance of flesh and blood. It is the same Christ. ‘I was hungry, I was naked, I was sick, I was homeless.’” – Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

(Some interpret “brother of mine” to be mean specifically the Jews and others interpret this to mean fellow Christians)

“It is from humility that they declare themselves unworthy of any praise for their good deeds, not that they are forgetful of what they have done. But He shows them His close sympathy with His own” – Origen

“It were indeed free to us to understand that it is Christ in every poor man whom we feed when he is hungry, or give drink to when he is thirsty, and so of other things; but when He says, ‘In that you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren’, He seems to me not to speak of the poor generally, but of the poor in spirit, those to whom He pointed and said, ‘Whoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother'” – St. Jerome

“But if they are His brethren, why does He call them the least? Because they are lowly, poor, and outcast. By these He means not only the monks who have retired to the mountains, but every believer though he should be secular, though hungered, or the like, yet He would have him obtain merciful succors, for baptism and communication of the Divine mysteries makes him a brother” – St. John Chrysostom

To those who affirm that we are saved “by faith alone” (the problematic word here is “alone”), I bring them to this passage and ask them on what basis are the sheep and goats separated? Their belief? Or their love?

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” – Galations 5:6

How we treat others is how we ourselves will be treated:

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment” – James 2:12-13

James’ entire epistle emphasises this point again and again.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ “

The “goats” do not fair so well. They failed to love the Lord… (Jesus’ First Commandment)

Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 

…by failing to love their neighbour (Jesus’ Second Commandment).

And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

The result of this judgement will either be “eternal punishment” or “eternal life”. Every now and again you get a “scholar” say that there’s no such thing as Heaven or Hell. Jesus seemed to think otherwise…