King, Shepherd and Judge

Solemnity of Christ the King

Acknowledging Christ as King of the Universe seems easy enough. But how is He a king? The readings today provide us with two additional concomitant images: this King of ours is also a Shepherd as well as a Judge.

Out of these three images, King, Shepherd and Judge, the one which least sits well with a modern audience would definitely be that of Christ as Judge. We have no issues acknowledging that Christ is Lord and King of our lives, nor would any reasonable person reject the image of a kind and loving shepherd who tenderly cares for his flock. But the notion of Christ being the Supreme Judge flies against our modern sensibilities which frowns on any attempt by individuals or institutions to pass moral judgment on others.

But there is a great deal of hypocrisy at work here. Notice that those who profess and say that they strive to make our society more open, inclusive and tolerant have no qualms coming up with an array of insults and labels for their perceived ideological enemies. It’s quite rich to profess that one is striving to be non-judgmental whilst labelling others as Pharisees, sexists, misogynists, homophobes, xenophobes, fascists etc. Seems like “rules for thee but not for me.” This is the very definition of unfairness and also the very reason why we need a fair, just and objective Judge who can defend the truth and expose the lies. Our society, no matter how enlightened it may claim to be, cannot be trusted to make that final judgment.

The parable of the sheep and the goats is wonderfully simple: there will be judgment for all; all of us will end up in one of two destinations: eternal life or eternal punishment. Here, we are presented with the Catholic teaching of the Last Things: death, judgment, heaven and hell. But the parable is not about what heaven or hell are like. What the parable seeks to set out are the grounds by which the determination of each person’s destination is achieved. So, the parable is about who gets to go there and on what basis. The criteria is determined by Christ our Judge.

It is vital to understand that in first century Palestine, sheep and goats were basically regarded as the same animal, and were not distinguishable, as they are now. In the account of the first Passover, the Passover lamb, could have actually been a goat. ‘Take a lamb from the sheep or the goats’, they are told. Sheep and goats would graze together, only to be separated at the end of their lives. This tells us that ultimately God makes distinctions that we do not, and when those distinctions are made, there will be an element of surprise. Likewise, in the parable, no-one knows whether they are a sheep or a goat, and only God can tell the difference and He will sort us out in the end, like a divine Hogwarts sorting hat.

Even more important in this parable is the rationale behind the Day of Judgement. The parable makes it clear: where you go when you die depends on how you have lived. And the good guys are those who have shown compassion and care for the weak and vulnerable. It doesn’t require knowledge in rocket science to understand the basis of judgment: if you cared for them you will be saved, if you didn’t, woe betide you.

So, this parable is meant to provide us with an important lesson that the Last Things are certain – death is certain, judgment is certain, both heaven and hell are certain – and we should orientate our lives and make the correct choices in line with the intended final outcome. The Church views this as a serious obligation on her part to teach this. The importance of this lesson is demonstrated best during the period of the mediaeval Western Church, when the emphasis at funerals was that of judgment. Hell and purgatory were very much in evidence in the liturgy. Funerals became a public event at which the Church attempted to instruct the people about the Last Things, and artists depicted the torments of the damned and the rewards of the faithful. Similarly, ‘mystery plays’ portrayed the souls of the damned being dragged into hell, or purgatory, and Dante emphasised this in his Divine Comedy, which actually, isn’t that funny.

Over the centuries, as human society claims to have become more enlightened, we have witnessed a movement away from this traditional image of the End Times. For example, our funerals have come to look more like extended eulogies, celebrating the life of the person, canonising the virtues of the deceased, rather than an occasion to intercede on behalf of a sinner, pleading with God to pardon his sins. By obscuring the judgment of the soul at his death, we have done so to our detriment and his. For when the spectre of a final judgment is obscured from our vision, the consequences are dire.

First, immorality and sin are normalised with no accountability to God.

Secondly, we attempt to find perfect solutions to every problem in this life because we have stopped believing that Christ is the Final Solution and His solution would only be made manifest at the Last Judgment.

Thirdly, we eventually grow desperate and fall into despair when we recognise the folly of our solutions and the continued prevalence of injustices in this world.

Finally, we neglect our duty to pray for the dead. We forget that the dead do not need our praises. They need our prayers.

As you can see, contemplating the Last Judgment is not all just dark and dreary and feeds on some morbid Catholic preoccupation with death and destruction. Contemplating the Last Things gives us a renewed ability to rely on the hope that there is a Final Solution and only in Christ will we find it. He offers us the hope of the resurrection.

For those who wonder whether it makes any difference to be good in this life or if our wicked deeds will have any consequences, be certain of this truth: the wicked “will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.” Ultimately the road of human life divides into two, one half splitting off towards a punishment that never ceases and the other towards an undying life and an unquenchable love with the Lord in His kingdom. This is no empty promise nor toothless warning. Let us not treat these words lightly because they were spoken by the One who is King of the Universe, the Shepherd who pastures His sheep, seeks out the lost, bandage the wounded, the Judge who will separate the sheep from the goats. If we are prepared to take His words seriously, we should therefore live accordingly.