Sermon | Year A - The Year of Matthew

November 9, 2008 | Pentecost 26

Amos 5:18-24; Psalm 70; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

Since I may not be here for Christ the King Sunday, I am going to say a few things about it. Then, if I am here for Christ the King, that will simply give me an opportunity to talk a little more about what I think is a wonderful day of the church year.

We measure a year by how long it takes to go around the sun. It takes about 365 days for earth to circle the sun. A day is measured by how long it takes the earth to rotate. In the day, we face the sun. At night, we are away from the sun. Therefore, wherever it is 8:00 a.m., it is morning. Wherever it is 8:00 p.m., it is evening. This is true wherever we go on earth. When it is 8:00 a.m. in Paris, it is morning, just as 8:00 a.m. is morning in Viborg. We have time zones because of the rotation of the earth; but within the time zones, 8:00 a.m. is still 8:00 a.m.

Now, a year is divided into a series of days and we call a week. Again, we have time zones because of the rotation of the earth, but Wednesday is the middle of the week. When it is Wednesday in China, it is the middle of the week. When it is Wednesday in Canada, it is the middle of the week. They may have a different name for Wednesday, but the middle of the week by whatever name we call it is the middle of the week.

Now, let us say we travel to the other side of the galaxy, as far as we can from earth; and we land on a planet. What time is it there? We measure time by our sun, but our sun is not there. They have a star, but it is different from the sun. So, what time is it? There is no 8:00 a.m. there. There is no Wednesday there. Time is relative because time is measured relative to their sun.

Now, let us take our relativity experiment in a different direction. We travel to the other side of the galaxy and arrive at a planet. One of the people I have been traveling with I have found very annoying. When we land, I decide to take care of things, so I pull out a gun, and “Boom,” I kill him.

I am not on earth, so is what I did murder? Of course it is. Murder is murder wherever it is done. It does not matter if I am on earth or on a planet on the other side of the galaxy. The same holds true if I rob the man, or if I assault him.

Similarly, if someone I am traveling with dies in attempt to save my life, is his action an honorable thing? Of course it is. What is honorable remains honorable be it on earth or somewhere far away. Time may be relative, but human behavior is not.

We are almost at the end of the church year. In two Sundays, we will be at Christ the King Sunday. That ends the church year, and celebrates Christ who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. His truth is enduring. His love is forever. His reign extends to every part of the universe, and every place in our lives. His salvation goes to all people with no distinction.

At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

He said that he was Christ for all nations, all people, there is no distinction; all are part of Christ’s reign. There is nothing relative about Jesus. What is true for him is true forever and everywhere. His truth remains the same for us when we are infants just as it is true when we are old. Unlike people, Jesus does not vary or make distinctions. He is for us no matter who we are or what place we are in our lives.

We might feel that we are unlovable. We might believe that we are unworthy. We might see ourselves as not being of the same “stuff” as others. However, those are the relative distinctions that we make. Christ sees no such distinction. He is the ultimate king. He is the ultimate Lord. Unlike earthly kings his rule is not arbitrary. What he does he does for us, and for the whole of creation.

Sometimes we in the Church tend to go from Reformation Sunday and skip right over to Advent. We maybe wave at Christ the King as we go by failing to see the day for what it is. However, Christ the King is ours to celebrate. It is ours to hear the triumphant note of the day. It tells us that there is nothing relative about our Lord. He is not confined to one people, place, or even time in our lives. He is not for just the healthy. He is not just for the poor. He is for all of us. He is for us when others are against us. He is ruler of our lives when our lives seem to be in chaos. He is ruler to bind up the broken hearted, and to free us when we are captive. He is Christ the King. Amen.