"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Jesus Christ is the Universal King. When He was resurrected, He was glorified by the Father and, in the end of time, He shall assemble and judge all nations. But looking back at Jesus' life here on earth, He appears to be a different kind of king.
Jesus was born in a manger, not in a palace or even somewhere fitting for humans. He was visited by lowly shepherds and wise pagan men, not by Jewish religious leaders and political giants. He was crowned with thorns and adorned with wounds, not with a gold crown and with precious stones. He was exalted on a cross, not on a throne. He was mocked and was considered a criminal, an enemy of the state and of religion. Jesus is very different from what we consider a powerful king. He Himself confirmed this when He said, "My Kingdom is not of this world." (Jn 18:36).
Jesus is a king who comes to us, His people. He is a king who is loving enough to dwell among us, becoming like us in all things but sin. He is a king who, wanting to save us, extended His hands and allowed them to be pierced by nails and be crucified. He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mk 10:45).
Because He obeyed the will of the Father, He was resurrected and glorified. After forty days, He ascended into heaven, leaving behind a cloud of witnesses with a world-shaking story of Divine love. He is destined to come back and judge all nations, as our Gospel shows us.
It is noteworthy that Jesus, as the Gospel tells us, will not judge us according to worldly achievements. Neither will He judge us according to how much we know God. He will judge us according to our actions. He identifies Himself with the poor and those in great need.
Non-Catholics argue that faith alone is enough for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Our Gospel for today proves otherwise. The failure to translate into action our faith and love brings condemnation. What is faith if it is not accompanied by good deeds? Many people claim to be Christians but are indifferent to the poor, not even remembering them in their prayers. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my heavenly Father." (Mt 7:21). Saint James reminds us that "faith, if without works, is dead." (Jas 2:17).
Let us, therefore, be obedient to our King. Let us live according to His will and we will be happy - eternally happy. His Kingdom has come to us, although not entirely. It is up to us, His people and brethren, to build His Kingdom here on earth. Let love for each other, especially for the poor, be the foundation of this Kingdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment