Trinity 26
Matthew 25:31-46
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
We have firmly entered the final Sundays of the Church year. Just like last week, this week, and next, stay focused on the end times, the day of Christ’s second Advent, His return.
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 the 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]
This is a transcending image.
But it also raises the question: Do we regularly reflect and ponder these words of Jesus from the Gospel?
Honestly, if you are like me, you probably find it hard to stay focused on anything these days, especially the words we recite week after week, for many reasons. One reason is that our attention span keeps getting shorter every day. While technology can be helpful, it can also hinder our ability to concentrate on a single task. That’s why many now think public speakers should limit their talks to 18-20 minutes, so their message is fully understood. Some online platforms that share thought-provoking content, like TED Talks, try to keep their presentations within these time limits. I’ve had a cartoon on my office door in the past showing a congregation half asleep. The caption says, “There is a fine line between a long sermon and a hostage situation.”
Whether it’s true that goldfish now have a longer attention span than humans, the truth is that we are easily distracted and lack the patience needed to wait for the Lord's coming.
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 stay watchful, you risk falling away from the Christian faith. In this context, staying alert means exercising your faith, confessing it with your words, and making sure you remain within the sheepfold. For those who do not practice this faith, their awareness of Christ’s return fades, they become less vigilant, and they are as cold as a log separated from the burning fire. As a result, they are now at great risk of falling away, like the goats in today’s Gospel.
Another reason we’re called to be watchful about preventing our faith from drifting 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 like goats—independent and stubborn people who may attend church, even appearing similar to sheep, but lack patience for the Gospel. Unfortunately, the goats do not understand or appreciate God’s patience and the ways He is giving you time to turn to 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 over the city, even in the waning hours of the night.
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 oneself, are you humble enough to see yourself as a goat, so that you might confess your sins and be received as a sheep?
The pastoral office is established by Christ Jesus Himself to care for His sheep. And Jesus emphasizes that how you receive those whom He has sent and the words they speak to you are important. 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 me, your pastor, needing a drink of water, nor have you needed to clothe me or visit me 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 bore 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 in 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 you won't be ready for the day of the Lord. This is why you must exercise your faith that through the work of the Holy Spirit, you will be made ready and kept faithful in thought, word, and deed.
It all begins with confession and absolution. Every time you gather and confess your sins, you exercise your trust and faith in Christ Jesus to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You approach the judgment seat of God and stand before your heavenly Father and admit that you have not kept His law. You have acted like stubborn and rambunctious goats toward the gifts you freely receive. And you know what? As the Father looks upon you, He sees His Son’s death on the cross for you and renders His judgment: not guilty (Forgiven).
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 word judgment often causes us discomfort, here, Albrecht Peter encourages Christians to look forward to the day of judgment because you are God’s saints. You are His children. And He provides you all with the words to beseech Him, to exercise your faith daily, and to wait patiently as you pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come.”
So, how do you exercise your faith and remain vigilant for the Lord's return? By praying, by speaking the words Jesus has given to you in the Lord's Prayer. These words are your petitions for all that is needed within this life: for your Lord’s kingdom to come, for His will to be done here within your lives today, for you to receive your daily bread with thanksgiving, for your sins to be forgiven as you forgive those who sin against you, for you to be kept from temptation and at last, delivered from the evil one.
Through these words like those of the Creed and of Confession and Absolution, 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
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
[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.
