Dread Judgement Seat – Last Judgement
Last Judgement (2nd Sun. before Lent) Matt. 25: 31-46, Feb. 27, 2022
Today is the the Sunday of the Last Judgement and Meatfare Sunday, Next Sunday we begin the Great Fast after Forgiveness Sunday Vespers. We have had three Sundays now, Zacchaeus Sunday, The Pharisee and the tax Collector, and the Return of the Prodigal Son where we hear of the great mercy, patience and immeasurable love od God. Today, we are warned that while God’s mercy and forgiveness are a freely available gift to all who come to Him in repentance; we must make this decision and choose to continue on the path of repentance while we are able – before time has run out. Every Liturgy we pray twice with great fervour for “A Christian ending to our life: painless, blameless, and peaceful; and a good defence before the dread judgement seat of Christ” When we come for confession; the priest prays “May God… forgive you all things through me a sinner both in this world and in the world to come and set you uncondemned before His terrible judgement seat…” There is a time of righteous judgement for each of us, and the destination of our souls will be decided based upon our choices and actions. For they demonstrate the truth and reality of our love for God and all of mankind, right here and now. We should not fantasize that somehow at our inevitable appointment at the Last Judgement we will be able to then wake up and repent of our entire manner of living and frame of mind. It must start NOW. This is the day of our salvation. Every day, every hour we must continue to choose, 100 times or more each day. We don’t profess that if we once made a decision to follow Christ we are now good for life. Eternal security is NOT an Orthodox concept.
What is this dread judgement seat? We hear in bible passages of the gnawing worm, the burning fire, the gnashing of teeth… Rather than literal physical realities, describing a punishment imposed from a wrathful God, these can allegorically describe our own potential state of consciousness, when we wake up to true reality in the kingdom of God. Comprehending how we have squandered our opportunities and our destinies as children of God. Think of how it gnaws at our guts in the interior depths of our being when we do or say something monumentally stupid, something cruel and impulsive, and wound someone we love deeply – our parents, our spouse, our children, or any of our human companions. This would be a tiny foretaste of the great anguish we may feel as we stand before Christ at the last judgement, great regret at our selfishness, and for not making the most of our brief time here, to unite with Christ and to seek the kingdom of God above all.
In that moment, standing before God, we will understand that apart from God’s grace, mercy, and love, nothing exists. Apart from God, life itself does not exist. The essential prayer the Church gives us “Lord have Mercy,” will be our only hope. (Rom.8:23)“ For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We will fully understand “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” This fear is not that we will suffer torment and pain, but understanding that apart from God we are nothing, for all life exists in Him alone.
In today’s gospel reading we are told what is it that is asked of us, what love looks like, what it means to live like a Christian. “Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe and give shelter to the poor and needy, visit and comfort the sick and the prisoners.” This is the way of the kingdom, pretty simple really. We are told to lay down our lives for others, to put their needs even before our own, to “deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Christ.” We are to pray for those in need and do what we can to help.
I got a call from a stranger yesterday. She was weeping. She wanted to know if we were the Ukrainian Church and if she could donate to help the poor suffering victims of the attack on Ukraine. I told her we were in communion with them, and they were our precious brothers and sisters, and connected her with a Calgary friend, Lloyd Chernenko with HART, who is on the ground helping the thousands of refugees and suffering Ukrainian people. Her heart was with the suffering. This is where the tire hits the road before the dread judgement seat of Christ. She DID this for Christ! We have so many opportunities to DO as Christ tells us in today’s gospel. Through our outreach to the local “least of these,” to those in Ukraine right now, starting Great Lent by being bombed and driven from their homes, to those we directly encounter in our daily lives. All of these are given to us to help, that we may not arrive at the judgement seat, hungry and thirsty and naked of true spiritual food and clothing. We are given countless opportunities to choose to invest our time and resources in the kingdom of heaven. This is heart changing work.
Christ Himself experienced all these things, and as He tells us today in the gospel reading, “When you help the least of My brethren suffering any of these things, you do this directly to Me.” When you ignore them, you ignore Me! Christ has also transformed and sanctified each of these things. We hunger and He gives us the bread of life, His very body as real food. We thirst and he gives us living water that springs up into everlasting life. We are strangers and pilgrims in this world desiring to be truly known, and He prepares a true home for us in His kingdom – one prepared from the foundation of this transient world, and He tells us that we are known by God down to the very hairs of our head. We are naked and He clothes us with a garment of light, our baptismal robe, and we put on Christ Himself. He heals our passions through His passion, cures our wounds through His wounds, and although we have often forsaken Him, He never forsakes us. He came that we might have life and be renewed in the likeness of His image. He has proclaimed liberty to the captives, those imprisoned and tormented by the evil one, and has shattered the gates of hades freeing from prison all who would follow Him. We in the Church are now His body. We continue this work in Him, until He returns in power and glory at His second coming!
Christ told us that the two most important commandments are to “Love your God with all of your heart, soul, strength and mind; and to love your neighbour as yourself.” Our works are a testimony of our love towards God through our love of our neighbour. Wherever the Church exists in truth and love, the suffering world notices and wants in. (Rom. 12:10) “See how they love one another, preferring the other one first.” This is the way of the kingdom of God, both here in this age and in the world to come. (John 13:34) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you…” There is nothing new about a commandment to love one another, even criminals often look out for each other – thick as thieves. But rather we are to love “as Christ has loved us.” Christ demonstrates what that love looks like by willingly, purposely choosing death on the cross; laying down His life for those who persecuted, reviled, rejected and spit upon Him. For the life of the world!
So, let us enter into Great Lent with renewed commitment to feed and comfort the suffering humanity that surrounds us, sharing with them both physically and with the gospel, the true love of Christ. Even the rude and difficult. May each of us arrive at our final appointment, the Great Judgement seat of Christ, and with great joy hear, (Matt. 25:34) “Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” For this is the true purpose of our journey here on earth.
Glory to Jesus Christ!