This week we’re going to be looking at a passage that has both formed me and given me much need for self-reflection. The passage is Matthew 25: 31- 46. 

Today I want to talk about the concept of the Christian year. If you follow along with our Wednesday Night Bible studies here at St. Matthews you may remember that we spent some time recently talking about the church year. The church year is organized, starting with Advent runs through the season of Pentecost. 

During each season of the year, there are certain days that are important in the life of the church, we’re familiar with Advent as the four weeks leading to Christmas. And we also know a fair amount about Lent and the preparation that it gives us in the days leading up to Easter. But there are other days throughout the year that are very important as Methodist we focus on Aldersgate Sunday when we remember John Wesley’s heartwarming experience.  We have Sunday’s like All Saints Day. We remember those who have passed into glory this year. 

This week, we will celebrate a Sunday. That is called, or that is called Christ the King Sunday.

It is sometimes called the Reign of Christ Sunday.  On this Sunday we take time to think about what it means to say that Jesus Christ is Lord.

I believe one of the mistakes that we often make as Christians, is that we live with a concept that maybe one day Jesus, might possibly be Lord, instead of living in the reality that he is Lord. Now, what does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord.  What does that look like, what does that cause us to do.  Matthew 25 is an interesting passage because it casts a vision for what it would look like for Jesus Christ to be Lord, we see in this passage that he is even upon his throne.

We see in this passage that when Christ is Lord the hungry are fed. The naked are clothed, the sick and the prisoner are visited the least among us, are not forgotten, but are cared for.  I think for us as a church today this should be a guiding principle.

We need to understand that Jesus Christ is Lord now.

His Lordship is not something that will come in the future. But it’s something we live under now, regardless of our current context, regardless of politics. Our conflict, or even church issues. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.

We need to live in that present reality.

This Sunday we will take time in our worship service to talk more about that and what that looks like.  This passage of scripture is one of the keys to understanding what that Lordship looks like.  

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