Trinity 26
November 13, 2022
Matthew 25:31-46
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
As we observed All Saints Day last Sunday, we transitioned into the final Sundays of the Church year. This week and next, firmly focus on the end times, the day of Christ's second Advent, His second coming.
Our Gospel today began with these words, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”
Luther remarked regarding this second coming this way: “He will then not be bedded in the manger, nor ride on an ass, as He did in His first advent, but burst forth from the clouds in great power and glory.”[1]
Think and ponder these words; they are earnest and heavy.
But this raises the question, do we ponder these words regularly and honestly?
One of my theology classes recently began studying the Apostles Creed, and one student in class raised their struggles to truly focus on the words of the Creed, to think through the words they speak aloud. I had to tell them they weren't alone. We all struggle.
We struggle to remain focused for a few reasons. One is that our attention span continues to shrink with every passing day. While the rise of technology can be a gift, it can also negatively affect our ability to truly concentrate on a singular object. This is why many increasingly believe public speakers should limit their remarks between 18-20 minutes to ensure their message is fully received. Some online platforms that publish thought-provoking content, like Ted Talks, strive to keep their talks within these parameters. I have a cartoon on my office door with a congregation half asleep. The caption says, “There is a fine line between a long sermon and a hostage situation.”
But whether it’s true or not that goldfish now have a longer attention span than man, the reality is that we are easily distracted and lack the patience required to wait upon the coming of the Lord.
Except that's precisely what the confession of the Creed invites and calls us to do daily as we will soon recite the words of the Nicene Creed, “And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.”[2]
But why is it so crucial for us to remain watchful for the second coming of Christ?
Because if you do not patiently keep watch, you risk falling away from the Christian faith. In this context, keeping alert implies exercising your faith, confessing your faith with words, and ensuring you are kept within the sheepfold. For those who do not exercise this faith, they grow weak, their awareness of the coming of Christ is dampened, they are no longer vigilant, they are as cold as a log separated from the burning fire, and they are now at great risk of falling away as the goats in today’s Gospel.
Another reason we are called to be watchful from permitting our faith to drift comes from our Epistle today, as Peter wrote,
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Did you catch these words, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
This leads us to the sheep and the goats…
We often find ourselves acting as goats, independent and stubborn people who may attend church, who even appear similar to the sheep, but lack patience for the Gospel. But, unfortunately, the goats do not grasp or appreciate the patience of God and the ways He is granting you time to come to be repentance.
But the sheep are those who flock together. They know their Shepherd's voice, they follow Him, and have taken the Psalmists' words to heart,
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)
To be watchmen implies one is vigilant and prepared. They have not fallen asleep but continue to watch the city.
And that is what the pastoral office is called to do: keep watch over you. To speak to you the words of the law, but also the words of the Gospel. Here, however, one must ask themselves, are you humble enough to see yourself as a goat, that you might confess your sins and be received as a sheep?
The pastoral office is established by Christ Jesus Himself to tend His sheep. And Jesus says, how you receive those whom I have sent and the words they speak to you matter. He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”
Yes, you probably haven't seen your pastors needing a drink, nor have you needed to cloth us or visit us in prison. But where was Jesus hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, and weak? On the cross.
And ultimately, this is where your life leads you, to where Jesus suffered the judgment of sin for you. As He called out, “It is finished.” He declared His victory over sin, death, and the Evil One.
Yet, as you live within this world, this unholy trinity of sin, death, and the Devil continues to distract your thoughts and words. They strive to silence your confession and vigilance so that you won't be ready for the day of the Lord. This is why we must exercise our faith that through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will be made ready and kept faithful in thought, word, and deed.
It all begins with confession and absolution. Every time we gather and confess our sins, we exercise our trust and faith in Christ Jesus to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We are also coming before the judgment seat of God. We stand before God and say, we have not kept your law. We have acted as stubborn and rambunctious goats toward the gifts you freely gave us. And as the Father looks upon you, He sees His Son’s death upon the cross for you and renders His judgment, not guilty.
This is the pattern of faith you must continue to exercise throughout your lives as you strive to remain vigilant for the day of Christ Jesus' second coming. It's a pattern of calling upon Jesus for forgiveness, a way of waiting and watching, and a life that has hope in His Word.
The Lutheran Theologian Albrecht Peters wrote regarding the second coming of Christ,
For this reason, true Christians must tirelessly beseech their Lord to return, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; with heads held high, they are to run as fast as possible toward that day of judgment (Luke 21:28), which even Christ Himself describes as our redemption, “that is, not death, but eternal life, no wrath, but pure grace, no hell, but the kingdom of heaven, neither terror nor danger, but pure comfort and joy.” (Creed, pg. 202)
Aren’t these words wonderful? While the term judgment often causes us unease, here, Albrecht Peter tells the Christian to look forward to the day of judgment because you are God's saints. You are His children. And He provides for all of you the words to beseech Him, exercise your faith every day, and wait patiently as you pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come.”
So, how do we exercise our faith and remain vigilant for the Lord's return? By praying, by speaking the words Jesus has given to us in the Lord's Prayer. These words are our petitions for all that is needed within this life: for our Lord’s kingdom to come, for His will to be done here within our lives today, for us to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving, for our sins to be forgiven as we forgive those who sin against us, for us to be kept from temptation and at last, delivered from the evil one.
Through these words, you are given the faith needed to keep watch throughout the days of life, your hearts are turned to Christ's second coming, and with eagerness, you await the day, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, [the day when] He will sit on the throne of His glory.” And to you, He will say, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” +INJ+
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Associate Pastor, Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church
Alexandria, VA
[1] Pieper, F. (1953). Christian Dogmatics (electronic ed., Vol. 3, p. 516). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.
[2] McCain, P. T. (Ed.). (2005). Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (p. 16). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.
