Sermon - Trinity 26

Text: Matthew 25:31-46

Several years ago I received a subpoena to be a witness at a divorce hearing. It was a sobering experience.

A man and a woman who had stood before God and His church and had promised to love each other in adversity and prosperity until death do they part; were reneging on their promise. As each one told their story, it was clear that there was no longer any love left in their marriage. They hated each other. And as I listened something else became clear… both were to blame. Both had contributed to the problems in their marriage. There was no “innocent party.”
The judge listened carefully to both sides. Each lawyer was cut throat. When the wife’s lawyer announced one failure after another of her husband… she gleamed with a sinister joy that seemed to say, “I’ve got him now.” And when the husband’s lawyer had his turn he had an equally impressive list of wrongdoings… and he too rejoiced to see his wife ripped apart by her failures.

Also present were three little boys (K, 2nd and 4th grades). The judge had a decision to make. Who would get primary custody of the boys? So he asked the oldest, “If it were up to you son, who would live with?”

“I love them both,” the little boy said. “But Mommy and Daddy have been so busy fighting they haven’t paid any attention to me or my brothers. I have to make all of our lunches for school. I even tried doing the laundry but I put to much soap in and all of our underwear has turned pink. Mommy and Daddy sit in opposite rooms and they don’t sleep together. But us three boys have to share the same bedroom even when we’re not getting along. I love them both sir. But to tell you the truth, I don’t know that I would want to live with either one of them.”

How sad The two were so focused on tearing down each other that they did not minister to their own children. They did not serve (they had no mercy for) the children that God had given to them. In the end, not only was there a divorce between a man and a woman… but the children had become divorced from their own parents.

Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

What I find most amazing about this apocalyptic judgment scene that will come on the Last Day (and is even happening now) is that both the righteous sheep and the cursed goats asked the same question, “When Lord?”

The righteous asked, “When Lord did we feed you or give you something to drink? When did we welcome you or clothe you? When did we visit you?” They were completely unaware of their good works. You see, for the sheep it is like this… they live the passive life. God works so mightily and lovingly through these faith-filled sheep even while they are completely unaware that when they served even the least of the sons and daughters of God, they were also serving Christ Himself.

And the unrighteous will ask the same oblivious question, “When Lord? When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?” They too are unaware. But their ignorance is founded in their unbelief. Oh they may have been good moral people. They may have donated plenty of money to this or that charity, served soup to the poor and needy on Thanksgiving Day and gone Christmas caroling to shut-ins. Their list of good deeds might be a mile long… but none of them… not a single one was done to Jesus. Simple morality will not get you into heaven. That’s the point.

Jesus the righteous King will come in His glory on the Last Day. “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven.” It will be the day of the Great Divorce. That Day will be a day of divorcing sheep from goats… righteous from unrighteous. It will be a day of judgment… a final verdict. In this life the righteous feebly struggle but after the Great Divorce they will in glory shine.

Therefore, dear sheep, since you are waiting for this Great and Final Divorce of yourselves from the goats, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

On that Day, a eulogy will be read on your behalf. They will be sweet and kind words. Jesus, your Shepherd will speak them on your behalf. He will stand as both your Good Pastor and King. You will know His voice. You will see His holy, precious wounds for you. You will know Him and He will know you. He will recognize you as one to whom He has clothed in a baptismal gown… a robe of righteousness. He will know you because he has fed you all these years with His own Body and Blood. He will know you who have confessed your sins and been forgiven.

On the Day of the Great Divorce the unrighteous goats will weep and gnash their teeth to hear their verdict. “Guilty! Get away from me and go into eternal punishment.”

But for the His righteous sheep there will be only joy and everlasting peace. The King has declared you justified, not guilty. To you he will say, “Come into eternal life.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.