I’m going to pretend like I’m a doctor for a minute and ask a question. How many of us have been for an annual physical in the last year? This is a relatively routine question, isn’t it? Our primary care physicians hound us with this question every year. For those of us in the work force, our human resources office often asks the same question. The insurance company may even send us a letter each year reminding us that the full cost of an annual physical is covered by our insurance.
So it is that most of us, hopefully, arrange for an annual physical. We make an appointment, drive around for a half hour looking for a parking place, sit patiently (or maybe impatiently) in the waiting room, and then have a complete physical examination. And we do all this so that a team of medical professionals can measure our wellness. Indeed, it’s not a very comfortable experience, which is why we often try to avoid it. However, these examinations give us an overall picture of our health. If the tests show our LDL cholesterol is on the rise, we know to cut out the cookies and start walking a few extra miles each week. If a lump is found, we return for more testing, and hopefully nothing more than a surgery to remove it. We do what needs to be done to maintain our long-term physical wellness. And in the end, no matter how things go, these check-ups could end up saving our lives.
In many ways, the same sort of thing is happening here in Matthew’s depiction of the final judgment that you heard a few moments ago. Jesus’ words about his ultimate return are not meant to condemn or to scare, even though it may feel that way. Instead, Jesus’ description of the separating of the sheep and the goats is meant to provide a snapshot of our overall health as disciples of Christ. Are we developing? Are we learning? Are we growing in ways that will lead to new habits and ways of life? Are we experience the full life our God intends for us? Because, after all, as our doctor wants us to flourish, so does our Creator, Redeemer, Shepherd, and King.
Christ's ministry on earth was about establishing a whole new system of justice, a kingdom completely different from any kingdom the world had ever seen; a new social structure based on the God-given dignity and value of every human being. This parable of the sheep and the goats is a description of that new kingdom, and it is also a challenge to begin making that kingdom real today through our own works of compassion and mercy in Christ's name. If this is the goal, the vital question for us is, “How are we doing?”
As Jesus tells the parable of the sheep and the goats, he is seeking to convey the importance of serving the needs of the least, the last, and the lost. The image of the Shepherd King one day separating the sheep and the goats is a diagnostic tool designed to inspire faithfulness, to root out self-centered living, and to help each of us measure who and where we are as we grow in the likeness of Christ. Because “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” This is what it means to be a Christian, a healthy disciple. We love those who probably can’t give anything in return. And we do that not with a goal of earning God’s love or anyone else’s, not to curry favor, not even to make sure we are considered righteous at the end of time. We feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, care for the ill, visit the imprisoned, and serve the needy because these are the ways of healthy disciples. When we are doing these things, we can know that we are ready, that we have a long and healthy life ahead of us.
We all know what it is to feel healthy, right? When we are sick, we pray that we will get better quickly so we don’t feel miserable. When people start exercising or dieting and lose a few pounds, they always comment about how much better they feel. And the same is true in our life as Christians. I imagine many of you have experienced this phenomenon as well. Whether it’s serving the homeless downtown with Mustard Tree, or building a school in an impoverished country halfway around the world, or dropping some change in the beggar’s hand, or providing shelter for someone displaced by fire, or visiting the sick in the hospital, or wrapping up a Christmas gift for a child that will receive no other presents, when we serve the least, the last, and the lost in Christ’s name, we always find it to be a rewarding, joy-filled, life-giving experience, do we not? This is the measure of our vital signs.
And here’s what we need to know and understand about this parable. If we measure ourselves in this “health-check” and find that we’re not doing too well at the moment, we still have time to change. We can start living for and serving Christ this very minute. But if we continue to put it off, our Christian health will only decline, and we may find before long that it’s too late to reverse the trend. Where do you stand? Are you working on growing as a healthy Christian disciple? Or are you waiting for something, putting off these duties until life’s not so busy? Are you ready?
Robby Robins was an Air Force pilot during the first Iraq war. After his 300th mission, he was surprised to be given permission to immediately pull his crew together and fly his plane home. They flew across the ocean to Massachusetts and then had a long drive to western Pennsylvania. They drove all night, and when his buddies dropped him off at his driveway just after sun-up, there was a big banner across the garage—“Welcome Home Dad!”
How did they know? No one had called, and the crew themselves hadn't expected to leave so quickly. Robins recalls, “When I walked into the house, the kids, about half dressed for school, screamed, ‘Daddy!’ Susan came running down the hall—she looked terrific—hair fixed, make-up on, and a crisp yellow dress. ‘How did you know?’ I asked.
‘I didn't,’ she answered through tears of joy. ‘Once we knew the war was over, we knew you'd be home one of these days. We knew you'd try to surprise us, so we were ready every day.’”
Indeed, there is great joy in living the way Christ has called us to live, even as we await Christ’s coming kingdom. “When will Jesus come again?” is the wrong question. It’s the question that puts the focus in the wrong place. The soldier was always there, even though he wasn’t at home. And Jesus is already here, too, and we need to live as if that is so. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be “right” with God, but most of the time, we miss the mark on what “right” really is. We just need to act as Christ did; to live, and to love.
When John Wesley was a young preacher, he came over to America to begin the work of establishing the Methodist movement here. It’s a long story, but the short of it is this; his first visit to the colonies was disastrous, and he left in shame. As he sailed back across the Atlantic to England, he befriended a group of Armenians. They shared their struggles, and Wesley shared with them his doubt about his ability to carry on in this ministry. He was at his lowest, his faith was waning, and he did not feel worthy to continue. Recorded in Wesley’s journal is the wisdom shared by one of the Armenians on that boat, who said to John Wesley, “Preach faith until you have it. And then, because you have faith, you will preach it.”
This is what we must do as Christians. We don’t have to know when Christ will return. We don’t have to understand the nuances of all his parables or the methods of all his miracles. We don’t need to have all the right answers to all those complicated theological questions. We just need to live the life he showed us how to live. We just need to serve people in the same sacrificial way Christ served. And in the same way that faith can be fostered in the preaching of faith, so can belief be nurtured in right action; we will grow as Christians, we will be healthy disciples, and most importantly, in those moments of kind service, we will feel God closest and our faith most unwavering.
And you see, my friends, when we live in such a way, we don’t need to wonder about Christ’s return because we already know him. We already see him. We see him in those we may consider least among us. We see Jesus in the child going to bed hungry. We see Jesus in the stranger who doesn’t look like that. This is Christ in our midst, and when we serve Christ, we know Christ. And when we know Christ, we live.
We may not like warnings or wellness checks; after all, they ask us to recalibrate our lives. Yet, loving those for whom Jesus gave his life, particularly those who are undervalued, is a primary expression of our love of God and of our experience of God’s love for us. And our God is a God of love who wants us to be healthy, who wants to save our souls and redeem us and give us life. God wants to save us by touching our hearts with love. God wants to save us by persuading us to care and see other human beings who need us. God wants to save us from obsessing about ourselves, our own needs, by persuading us to forget about ourselves and worry about others. God wants us to know the fundamental lesson, the truth; that to love is to live.
May we ever live in love.
