Christ the King A: The Third Sacrament
Dear Partner in Preaching,
First, a note of profound apology. I was experimenting over the weekend with embedding different kinds of links on blog posts and, much to my surprise and embarrassment, they were sent out to you on Saturday and Sunday. I’m assuming I had the temporary post up – oddly, for no more than 5 minutes – when the program that sends out new posts to subscribers went out. As I immediately deleted all temporary posts when I was finished, I have no idea how or why one went out again on Sunday. In event, this was not a meant as a sales-pitch, endorsement, or Christmas wish-list! J I’m so sorry to add junk mail to your day and will not be experimenting on my blog again anytime soon!
And now to the passage at hand:
Two things. First, not to sound too much like a broken-record, but I’m not sure I have a whole lot that is new. Yet, second, I heard this passage, and some of the exegetical work I’ve done before, in a new way. I’ve written on this passage three times previously over the last decade or so. And, if you’re interested, can find those posts here, here, and here.
What has come back to me this year is the possibility of thinking as this parable (or, perhaps, metaphorical teaching as it’s not specifically a parable) less as one of judgment and more of a parable/teaching of visible grace. And, by choosing the word “visible,” I want intentionally to link this interpretation to our understanding of the sacraments as “visible words.”
Here are the couple of elements of the passage that lead me in this direction:
1) The minority report/interpretation of this passage that nevertheless rings true to me is that Matthew isn’t actually warning his community that they will be judged by their treatment of the poor, but rather is promising his beleaguered flock that the “nations” (v.32 – ethnos in Greek, usually referring to Gentiles or “foreigners” in Matthew and Septuagint) will be judged in accord with how they treat them, that is, Matthew’s community. That can feel like a problematic interpretation given the church’s influence and power through most of history, but would have been a very meaningful and comforting word to Matthew’s vulnerable and harassed folks. In fact, it would be a promise of presence, reversal, and, indeed, salvation.
2) Everyone is surprised. Sheep and goats, righteous and unrighteous. No one knows or anticipates that, when they are dealing with the most vulnerable and overlooked – the “least of these” – they are actually interacting with the Lord. As with the surprising appearance of God in both manger and cross, God continues to show up where we least expect God to be. The command to care for the most vulnerable is clear throughout Scripture; the promise that God is revealed to us when we do is the surprise.
3) God’s manifestation and presence is not some mountain-top experience or the result of an arduous spiritual journey but instead connected to actual, physical bodies and circumstances. Want to see Jesus? Look to the needs of your neighbor and, especially, your most vulnerable neighbors.
A promise of salvation attached to a command of Jesus involving a physical element and surprising us with God’s unexpected presence. Sound familiar? Pretty much the hallmarks of the way we – particularly in the traditions stemming from Luther and other 16th-century Reformers – describe the sacraments.
So here’s my question: might we this week, Dear Partner, remind ourselves and our folks that in this time of isolation and division and unrest and wondering how we’re going to get by and whether there’s anything we can do… might we during all this remind our people of the promise – and it is a promise – that Jesus is really and truly available to us in the real and concrete needs of those around us and that God takes all of this so very seriously, blessing our efforts and meeting our deepest needs when we reach out to those who are struggling?
I guess what I’m proposing is that the practices of outreach, advocacy, listening, mercy, and empowerment each and all have a sacramental character to them, so that at a time when fewer of us are gathering and receiving the traditional sacraments, this non-traditional (or at least less-sanctioned) sacrament is still available to us. And as with the other sacraments, when we avail ourselves of it by seeing Christ in others and striving to meet their needs, we once again see the grace of God made visible and accessible in our midst.
Blessings on your proclamation this week and always, Dear Partner. Your work has never been more needed!
Yours in Christ,
David
Hi, you have no need to offer “profound apologies.’ I receive, and very often make use of, your lectionary thoughts. It took me 20 seconds to work out your email over the weekend was a mistake and delete it. Please feel absolutely free to experiment on your blog anytime, None of us will mind the occasional mistake it it leads to improvements in an already invaluable blog. All the very best to you and thanks.
Thanks very much, Graeme. Maybe “sincere” would have been more to the point. 🙂 I just hate adding junk mail to everyone’s inbox. Thanks, again, for taking the time to write! –D.
David,
Thank you so much for your posts. I was thrilled to read your apology because I was worried that you had been hacked and that another Dear Partner would not be forthcoming. I appreciate your thoughts, ideas, encouragement and the ways you have challenged my thinking. Over the last several years, your words have given me much to think about and encouraged me in challenging times. Thank you for your leadership in the church.
David,
Thank you so much for this post. I can get stuck on the parts of the reading that I struggle with and miss the beauty and blessing elsewhere. I found a new understanding of this passage when I read: “God’s manifestation and presence is not some mountain-top experience or the result of an arduous spiritual journey but instead connected to actual, physical bodies and circumstances. Want to see Jesus? Look to the needs of your neighbor and, especially, your most vulnerable neighbors.” As we respond to the needs around us, we find within ourselves the very things we seek from God: compassion, patience, forgiveness and love.