{"id":7884,"date":"2011-11-15T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2011-11-15T16:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/?p=7884"},"modified":"2015-03-19T15:02:38","modified_gmt":"2015-03-19T22:02:38","slug":"of-sheep-and-kings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/2011\/11\/15\/of-sheep-and-kings\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Lectionary: Of Sheep and Kings"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Feast of Christ the King: November 20th, 2011<\/h2>\n<p>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 <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;sheep and the goats&#8221;<\/span><\/em>, those who loved Him through loving the afflicted and those who did not.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7947\" src=\"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/sheep_and_goats.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/sheep_and_goats.jpg 500w, https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/sheep_and_goats-300x223.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3>Reading I: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17<\/h3>\n<p>Ezekiel was a prophet in\u00a0592 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\u00a0to that of Jesus &#8220;The Good Shepherd&#8221;. 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.<\/p>\n<p>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&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">Thus says the Lord GOD:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">I myself will look after and tend my sheep.\u00a0As a shepherd tends his flock\u00a0when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,\u00a0so will I tend my sheep.\u00a0I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered\u00a0when it was cloudy and dark.\u00a0I myself will pasture my sheep;\u00a0I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">The lost I will seek out,\u00a0the strayed I will bring back,\u00a0the injured I will bind up,\u00a0the sick I will heal,\u00a0but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,\u00a0shepherding them rightly.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,\u00a0I will judge between one sheep and another,\u00a0between rams and goats.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who is Ezekiel? What do you know about him?<\/li>\n<li>In what terms does the Lord describe Himself?<\/li>\n<li>What does the Lord say He will do?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Commentary:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Thus says the Lord GOD&#8230;&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The Lord is about to speak through His prophet Ezekiel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;I myself will look after and tend my sheep&#8230;<em>I myself will pasture my sheep;\u00a0I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD&#8230;shepherding them rightly&#8230;<\/em>&#8220;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">Jesus described Himself in similar terms:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.\u00a0The 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.\u00a0The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me\u2014\u00a0just as the Father knows me and I know the Father\u2014and I lay down my life for the sheep.\u00a0I 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&#8221; &#8211; <\/span><\/em><span style=\"color: #993300\">John 10:11-16<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">Just prior to this passage, the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Shepherds of Israel&#8221;\u00a0<\/em><\/span>(those in authority) are condemned. God now says that it will be Lord\u00a0<em>Himself<\/em>\u00a0who will look after His people. As the saying goes &#8220;If you want something done properly, do it yourself&#8221;&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;As a shepherd tends his flock\u00a0when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,\u00a0so will I tend my sheep.\u00a0I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered\u00a0when it was cloudy and dark&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The reference to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;when it was cloudy and dark&#8221;<\/em><\/span>\u00a0refers to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.\u00a0The Israelite\u00a0exiles\u00a0were 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.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;The lost I will seek out,\u00a0the strayed I will bring back,\u00a0the injured I will bind up,\u00a0the sick I will heal&#8230;&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">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&#8217;s hard to not see Jesus&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;&#8230;<em>but the sleek and the strong I will destroy&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The tone of the passage changes here. It appears that some have been using their power selfishly, oppressing the other &#8220;sheep&#8221; and fattening themselves up&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,\u00a0I will judge between one sheep and another,\u00a0between rams and goats.&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">There is a judgement coming&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6<\/h3>\n<p>The theme of God as Shepherd, which began in the First Reading, is continued through to this week&#8217;s Psalm. The author,\u00a0King David, was himself a shepherd prior to ascending to the throne. In this psalm, the shepherd-king David declares who is\u00a0his <em>own<\/em>\u00a0shepherd. It reminds me of the letter of Ignatius to Polycarp:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000\">&#8220;Ignatius&#8230;sends warmest greetings to Polycarp, Bishop\u00a0of Smyrna, or rather, to he who has as his own bishop God the Father and the Lord\u00a0<\/span><\/em><em><span style=\"color: #000000\">Jesus Christ&#8221; &#8211; Ignatius to Polycarp<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The major theme of this psalm is trust. David has complete confidence in His shepherd&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\"><strong>R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">In verdant pastures he gives me repose.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\"> Beside restful waters he leads me;<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">he refreshes my soul.<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">He guides me in right paths<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">for his name&#8217;s sake.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\"> You spread the table before me<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">in the sight of my foes;<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">you anoint my head with oil;<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">my cup overflows.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\"> Only goodness and kindness follow me<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">all the days of my life;<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">for years to come.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who wrote this psalm? What was his background?<\/li>\n<li>What are the main themes of this psalm?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Commentary:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">More more details, see the commentary from\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/2011\/10\/04\/jehovah-jireh#psalm23\">before<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #993300\"><strong><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Reading II: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28<\/h3>\n<p>Last week we concluded Paul&#8217;s letter to the Thessalonians. For the next two weeks we&#8217;re going to hear from his letter to the Corinthians.\u00a0In today&#8217;s passage Paul is looking forward to the\u00a0fulfillment\u00a0of Christ&#8217;s Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Priest:\u00a0<em><span style=\"color: #000000\">&#8220;Let us proclaim the Mystery of Faith&#8230;&#8221;<\/span><\/em><br \/>\nCongregation:\u00a0<em><span style=\"color: #000000\">&#8220;Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!&#8221;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Paul explains the meaning behind these words which we say at every Mass.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">Brothers and sisters:\u00a0Christ has been raised from the dead,\u00a0the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.\u00a0For since death came through man,<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">the resurrection of the dead came also through man.\u00a0For just as in Adam all die,\u00a0so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,\u00a0but each one in proper order:\u00a0Christ the firstfruits;\u00a0then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;\u00a0then comes the end,\u00a0when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,\u00a0when he has destroyed every sovereignty\u00a0and every authority and power.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.\u00a0The last enemy to be destroyed is death.\u00a0When everything is subjected to him,<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">then the Son himself will also be subjected\u00a0to the one who subjected everything to him,\u00a0so that God may be all in all.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is this passage about?<\/li>\n<li>Who are the men referenced in this passage? Through one came death and through another came life.<\/li>\n<li>What is the <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;proper order&#8221;<\/span><\/em> that Paul is talking about here?<\/li>\n<li>How is Christ&#8217;s reign described?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Commentary:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Brothers and sisters:\u00a0Christ has been raised from the dead,\u00a0the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">Paul is saying that Christ died but he rose again.\u00a0As we learnt last week, <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;fallen asleep&#8221;<\/span><\/em> is a euphemism for those who have biologically died.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The reference to <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;firstfruits&#8221;<\/span><\/em> 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\u00a0entirety\u00a0of the coming harvest:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>\u201c&#8230;When&#8230;you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.\u00a0He 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].\u00a0On [that] day&#8230;you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect,\u00a0together with its grain offering of&#8230;the finest flour mixed with olive oil&#8230;and&#8230;[a] drink offering&#8230;of wine&#8230;This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; Leviticus 23:10-14<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">Paul is drawing a parallel here between this and Jesus&#8217; resurrection.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;For since death came through man,\u00a0the resurrection of the dead came also through man&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">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 &#8220;The New Eve&#8221;. This idea is first found in the writing of the Early Church Father St. Irenaeus:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;[Jesus]\u00a0has regenerated [the dead] into the life of God, He having been made Himself the beginning of those that live, as Adam\u00a0became the beginning of those who die&#8230;\u00a0And thus also it was that the knot of\u00a0Eve&#8217;s\u00a0disobedience was loosed by the obedience\u00a0of\u00a0Mary. For what the\u00a0virgin\u00a0Eve\u00a0had bound\u00a0fastthrough\u00a0unbelief, this did the\u00a0virgin\u00a0Mary\u00a0set free through faith&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; Against\u00a0Heresies\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;For just as in Adam all die,\u00a0so too in Christ shall all be brought to life&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">We are all <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;in Adam&#8221;<\/span><\/em> through birth and we are <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;in Christ&#8221;<\/span><\/em> through our re-birth in baptism:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Jesus answered, \u201cVery truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of\u00a0water\u00a0and the\u00a0Spirit&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; John 3:5<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;&#8230;but each one in proper order:\u00a0Christ the firstfruits;\u00a0then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ&#8230;&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">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&#8217;s Resurrection is the pledge of our future resurrection.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;&#8230;<em>then comes the end\u00a0<\/em><\/em><em><em>when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,\u00a0when he has destroyed every sovereignty\u00a0and every authority and power.\u00a0<\/em>For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.\u00a0The last enemy to be destroyed is death&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">Jesus here is describing His Second Coming. Those who oppose Him will be brought to justice (<span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;<em><em>sovereignty\u00a0and&#8230;authority and power&#8221;<\/em><\/em><\/span>\u00a0refer to demonic spirits) and death will finally come to an end.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The phrase <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;put all his enemies under his feet&#8221;<\/span><\/em> is an expression we find in the Old Testament to describe the conquering of enemies by a king.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;When everything is subjected to him,\u00a0then the Son himself will also be subjected\u00a0to the one who subjected everything to him&#8230;&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">After all things are subject to Christ, Christ will then hand everything over to the Father. This verse has more than a passing\u00a0resemblance\u00a0to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=psalm%20110&amp;version=NIV\">Psalm 8<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;&#8230;so that God may be all in all&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The Trinity will be recognised as supreme.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46<\/h3>\n<p>The judgement which was mentioned at the end of the First Reading is put on full display in Jesus&#8217; teaching in today&#8217;s Gospel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">Jesus said to his disciples:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;When the Son of Man comes in his glory,\u00a0and all the angels with him,\u00a0he will sit upon his glorious throne,\u00a0and all the nations will be assembled before him.\u00a0And he will separate them one from another,\u00a0as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.\u00a0He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">Then the king will say to those on his right,\u00a0&#8216;Come, you who are blessed by my Father.\u00a0Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.\u00a0For I was hungry and you gave me food,\u00a0I was thirsty and you gave me drink,\u00a0a stranger and you welcomed me,<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em> <span style=\"color: #993300\"> naked and you clothed me,\u00a0ill and you cared for me,\u00a0in prison and you visited me.&#8217;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">Then the righteous will answer him and say,\u00a0&#8216;Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,\u00a0or thirsty and give you drink?\u00a0When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,\u00a0or naked and clothe you?\u00a0When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?&#8217;\u00a0And the king will say to them in reply,\u00a0&#8216;Amen, I say to you, whatever you did\u00a0for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.&#8217;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">Then he will say to those on his left,\u00a0&#8216;Depart from me, you accursed,\u00a0into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.\u00a0For I was hungry and you gave me no food,\u00a0I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,\u00a0a stranger and you gave me no welcome,\u00a0naked and you gave me no clothing,<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\">ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.&#8217;\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em><span style=\"color: #993300\">Then they will answer and say,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8216;Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty\u00a0or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,\u00a0and not minister to your needs?&#8217;\u00a0He will answer them, &#8216;Amen, I say to you,\u00a0what you did not do for one of these least ones,\u00a0you did not do for me.&#8217;\u00a0And these will go off to eternal punishment,\u00a0but the righteous to eternal life.&#8221;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who is the <span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;Son of Man&#8221;<\/span>?<\/li>\n<li>What event is Jesus describing here?<\/li>\n<li>What is the criteria for judgement that is used?<\/li>\n<li>What are the actions performed?<\/li>\n<li>For whom are they performed?<\/li>\n<li>For whom are they <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">ultimately<\/span>\u00a0performed?<\/li>\n<li>Examine your conscience. Could Jesus truly say that you fed Him, gave Him a drink, welcomed Him, clothed Him or visited Him?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Commentary:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;When the Son of Man comes in his glory,\u00a0and all the angels with him,\u00a0he will sit upon his glorious throne,\u00a0and all the nations will be assembled before him.\u00a0And he will separate them one from another,\u00a0as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.\u00a0He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Son of Man&#8221;<\/em><\/span>\u00a0here is Jesus. It is a Messianic title we find in the Book of Daniel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The judgement described here can be seen as two different historical events:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\">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.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\">2. The General Judgement at the end of time following Christ&#8217;s Second Coming.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The Book of Revelation also paints a picture of this judgement:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;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.\u00a0And 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.\u00a0The 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.\u00a0Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.\u00a0Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0&#8211; Revelation 20:11-15<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">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&#8217;t remain in the same pen as sheep.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;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&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; St. John Chrysostom<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;Also the goat is a salacious animal, and was the offering for sins in the Law, and He says not &#8216;she goats&#8217; which can produce young, and come up shorn from the washing&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; St. Jerome<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Then the king will say to those on his right,\u00a0&#8216;Come, you who are blessed by my Father.\u00a0Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world&#8230;&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The king gives his decree&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;&#8216;This prepared for you from the foundation of the world&#8217;, is to be understood as of the foreknowledge of God, with whom things to come are as already done&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; St. Jerome<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;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&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; St. Augustine<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;&#8230;for I was hungry and you gave me food,\u00a0I was thirsty and you gave me drink,\u00a0a stranger and you welcomed me,<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>naked and you clothed me,\u00a0ill and you cared for me,\u00a0in prison and you visited me.'&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;sheep&#8221;<\/span><\/em> did good and receive what was prepared for them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;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&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0&#8211; St. Remigius<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;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&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0&#8211; Raban<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The criterion against which they were judged was whether or not they loved the Lord (Jesus&#8217; First Commandment)&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Then the righteous will answer him and say,\u00a0&#8216;Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,\u00a0or thirsty and give you drink?\u00a0When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,\u00a0or naked and clothe you?\u00a0When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?&#8217;\u00a0And the king will say to them in reply,\u00a0&#8216;Amen, I say to you, whatever you did\u00a0for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">&#8230;and they did this by loving their neighbour (Jesus&#8217; Second Commandment). Here Jesus clearly identifies Himself with the afflicted:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>\u201cIn 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. \u2018I was hungry, I was naked, I was sick, I was homeless.\u2019&#8221;<\/em> &#8211;\u00a0Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">(Some interpret <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;brother of mine&#8221;<\/span><\/em> to be mean specifically the Jews and others interpret this to mean fellow Christians)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;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&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; Origen<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;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, &#8216;In that you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren&#8217;, He seems to me not to speak of the poor generally, but of the poor in spirit, those to whom He pointed and said, &#8216;Whoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother'&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; St. Jerome<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #000080\"><em>&#8220;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&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; St. John Chrysostom<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">To those who affirm that we are saved &#8220;by faith\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">alone<\/span>&#8221; (the problematic word here is &#8220;alone&#8221;), I bring them to this passage and ask them on what basis are the sheep and goats separated? Their belief? Or their love?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;The only thing that counts is\u00a0<strong>faith\u00a0<\/strong>expressing itself through\u00a0<strong>love<\/strong>.&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; Galations 5:6<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">How we treat others is how we ourselves will be treated:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,\u00a0because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; James 2:12-13<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">James&#8217; <a title=\"Bible Study Notes: The Epistle of James\" href=\"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/2011\/02\/09\/bible-study-notes-the-epistle-of-james\/\">entire epistle<\/a>\u00a0emphasises\u00a0this point again and again.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>&#8220;Then he will say to those on his left,\u00a0&#8216;Depart from me, you accursed,\u00a0into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.\u00a0For I was hungry and you gave me no food,\u00a0I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,\u00a0a stranger and you gave me no welcome,\u00a0naked and you gave me no clothing,\u00a0ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.&#8217; &#8220;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;goats&#8221;<\/span><\/em> do not fair so well. They failed to love the Lord&#8230; (Jesus&#8217; First Commandment)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>Then they will answer and say,\u00a0&#8216;Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty\u00a0or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,\u00a0and not minister to your needs?&#8217;\u00a0He will answer them, &#8216;Amen, I say to you,\u00a0what you did not do for one of these least ones,\u00a0you did not do for me.&#8217;\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">&#8230;by failing to love their neighbour (Jesus&#8217; Second Commandment).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><span style=\"color: #993300\"><em>And these will go off to eternal punishment,\u00a0but the righteous to eternal life.&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px\">The result of this judgement will either be <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;eternal punishment&#8221; <\/span><\/em>or <em><span style=\"color: #993300\">&#8220;<\/span><span style=\"color: #993300\">eternal life&#8221;<\/span>.\u00a0<\/em>Every now and again you get a &#8220;scholar&#8221; say that there&#8217;s no such thing as Heaven or Hell. Jesus seemed to think otherwise&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7949 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/last_judgement.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/last_judgement.jpg 750w, https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/last_judgement-243x300.jpg 243w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[631,2969,634,632,288,625,363,633],"class_list":["post-7884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-lectionary","tag-ezekiel","tag-featured","tag-final-judgement","tag-goats","tag-lectionary","tag-second-coming","tag-sheep","tag-shepherd"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7884"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56409,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7884\/revisions\/56409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}