Matthew 25:31-46New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Judgment of the Nations

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,^[a] you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, ‘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?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 

In these cold dark winter months of long nights and short days we depend a lot on lights. Before artificial light was easily and cheaply available our daily lives were shaped by the natural daylight between sunrise and sunset. Now we have light pretty much whenever and wherever we want it.

And that’s good because light reveals the world around us. It can make our world safer when it reveals the uneven ground on which we walk so that we are able to go without stumbling or falling. It can make our world more productive when it allows us to work longer or more efficiently. It can make our world more caring when we use it to see and dress the wounds of others.

Of course, it can also make the world less safe when the bright lights of the oncoming car blind us. It can make us less productive when it allows employers to press production times to points beyond weariness. It can make our world less caring when we use it to see our way around those along our path who could use our help.

Light can reveal for good or ill. God’s son, Jesus, came into this world to be a light for good. The words and example of Jesus and his cross-bearing way, serve as a light to guide us out of our inner darkness. In our darkness of guilt, he reveals the promise of forgiveness. In the darkness of shame, he reveals the possibility of reconciliation. Jesus is the light that reveals our enemy as a person who could use, and even deserves, our love. He is the

light that reveals despair as the breeding ground for hope. When the light that is Jesus is used in this way, God is revealed to us and to the world.

But this isn’t always the case, is it? Can Jesus-the-Light be used in dark ways? Sure. We can use him like one of those Maglite flashlights when we use his words, or the words of his followers, to verbally knock people out. We can use him like a laser when we use his words to burn bridges in our relationships. We can use him like the high-beams of an oncoming car when we use his words to shine on our righteousness, our superiority, compared to others.

In this church season we call Epiphany, we celebrate that God has done something good and wonderful by giving to us the light of the world, and we ponder an even more wondrous thing: that God allows us to hold this light in our hands, in our lives. God knows we can use it for good or ill. Will we use it to reveal God to the world?

As you know, this is the kind of thing we, as the Church, think about and talk about when we get together. I’m sure we’ll see each other soon. If you get there first, please turn on the light.

Thanks,

Pastor Lamb

 

 

Have you ever had an “epiphany”? Many can say that they have had one, when speaking of a new idea, a new way of seeing a situation, or discovering a unique connection. In the church,”Epiphany” has a specific meaning, and a central one to our faith.

To Christians, Epiphany is the revealing of Jesus’ being as divine. It originated in the Eastern Church in AD 361, beginning as a commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meanings were added – the visit of the three Magi, Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. These three events are central to the definition of Epiphany as events where the divinity of Jesus was shown to all.

So, take down the Christmas tree and pack away the decorations. Be open to the epiphany that Jesus is divine and came to show us how to live rightly with God!

 

New Year Resolutions, Repentance, and the Good Life

 

Do you see how New Year’s resolutions are like repentance? Just as our resolutions describe ways in which we resolve to change our behavior to improve our lives, so does repentance.  And we make resolutions because we want to live a new way that is better for us and, hopefully, better for those around us, too.  We want our lives to be good! Repentance aims at that same goal.

 

If you’ve been to worship at St. James during Advent, you probably heard me describe repentance as a change in life’s direction.  It’s when I lay my way of living my life alongside of the way Jesus would live my life, and then make course corrections so that my way and Jesus way line up better.  In other words, repentance is making changes in our lives to follow Jesus better.

 

So, if we want our lives to be good (at least better) who is better equipped to offer advice about living a good life than the One who created our lives?  Who is better to listen to than the One who, at great cost, came so that we might have light burdens (Matthew 11:30) and life abundant (John 10:10)?

 

In that light, here are some suggestions we might draw from Jesus’ life with his disciples (apprentices) and his teaching:

• Set aside time each day for conversation with God (prayer).
• Visit regularly other members of our church family.
• Attend Bible study classes or other faith formation gatherings to grow your understanding of the One we follow.
• Speak the name of Jesus in your daily conversations so that it becomes more natural for you to spread the good news.
• Come to worship and stay for fellowship more often.
• Take stock of all the gifts God has given you and think of new ways to share them.
• Thank God and people more often for the blessings you experience through them.
• Look for God in the people and events around you especially among the powerless and poor (look for positive reversals in fortune, surprisingly gracious behavior, or great generosity) and then share these observations with others.

 

You can probably think of other resolutions, other ways to repent.  But, if you start with this list and decide to adopt any or all of these changes and actually do them, I am sure you will find that:

• you will be an encouragement to others;
• you will strengthen the body of Christ;
• God will be revealed to those in your world;
• your connection with God will become more deeply rooted in your soul;
• your life will be better in ways you can’t imagine or make happen by yourself

 

How can I be sure of this? Because these are ways that align our lives with Jesus’ Way, and good always results from that.  You will probably find it to be more fun and fulfilling, too!

 

May your new year be filled with an awareness of God’s love for you and others, and may it be fun!

 

Your brother in Christ,

Pastor Lamb

 

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