When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
A lthough the appellation meant only that one is an ordinary fellow, and might use it to refer to himself, Jesus so often spoke of himself as the son of man that the Evangelists used it only of him. But there is still a certain irony in this ordinary fellow coming in glory, calling the entire human race to stand before him, and then separating them into two groups, the wicked and the just.
Who is this guy? Where's he from, and where did he get this right to judge me and my buddies? As readers of Saint Matthew, we might also wonder what his glory means. Will he be enormous like a giant sitting on his throne? (He's often represented that way, as in the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.) Or will he simply walk among us and, one by one, tell us which way to go with the assistance of very persuasive angels, as we wonder what this is all about?
But there is no room in this story for doubt about the authority of the Son of Man, and the finality of his decision. Not everyone will be happy about it, and just about everyone will be surprised. "When did we see you...?" they'll say.
And he will reply, "When I was helplessly hungry, thirsty, sick, or imprisoned!"
"Oh." we might say; and perhaps we'll remember. But whether we remember or not, the decision will be made, notwithstanding our questions, objections, and equivocations. The angels will see to the rest.
This is a problem for many people today. They don't believe anyone should have authority over them. They ardently believe they are the sovereigns of themselves and their bodies, and of everything that happens to them. Even as they stand before a county or city judge they complain that their rights are being violated, and the cops had no right to wrestle them to the ground and haul them away. Many will be less surprised when they find themselves subject to the predations of fellow prisoners.
Lent reminds us that the Lord God who created the universe does indeed have his eye upon the sparrow and cares about how we treat one another. He hears the cry of the poor, as our Bible insistently reminds us. And we are subject to the judgment of one who was crucified.
O Lord, have mercy on us who had no mercy on you.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.