Ezekiel 34:11-17, 23-24
Psalm 23
Corinthians15:20-28
Matthew 25:31-46

For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.  As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats:

The Gospel according to Matthew 25:31-46

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THE SPIRITUAL "EZEKIEL SAW THE WHEEL?" "EZEKIEL SAW A WHEEL A-TURNING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR." STRANGE SONG. I WONDER WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WAS BROUGHT UP IN AN UNCHURCHED FAMILY, SO I DIDN’T HAVE THE FUN OF LEARNING ABOUT CHARACTERS IN THE BIBLE IN SUNDAY SCHOOL. AND I CAN’T REMEMBER WHERE I FIRST SANG THIS SONG, HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS? COLLEGE GLEE CLUB? I CAN ONLY SAY THAT IT WAS MANY YEARS BEFORE I HAD ANY CLUE AS TO WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT. "WHEEL, A-TURNING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR?" "LITTLE WHEEL TURNED BY FAITH, BIG WHEEL TURNED BY THE GRACE OF GOD?" WHAT CRAZINESS IS THIS?

WHEN I WAS IN SEMINARY ALONG WITH BITS AND PIECES I HAD HEARD IN CHURCH, I MET UP WITH EZEKIEL. HE WAS A HEBREW PRIEST AND A PROPHET IN THE SIXTH CENTURY, LIVING AT THAT TIME, SOMEWHERE IN MESEPOTAMIA. SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT DURING A THUNDERSTORM, EZEKIEL HAD A WONDROUS VISION OF GOD. HE SAYS "AS I LOOKED, A STORMY WIND CAME OUT OF THE NORTH; A GREAT CLOUD WITH BRIGHTNESS AROUND IT AND FIRE FLASHING CONTINUALLY." HE GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT FOUR LIVING CREATURES IN THE SKY. "AS I LOOKED AT THE LIVING CREATURES, I SAW A WHEEL ON THE EARTH BESIDE THE LIVING CREATURES, ONE FOR EACH OF THE FOUR OF THEM." THEN THERE IS A LONG DESCRIPTON OF THE LIVING CREATURES WITH THEIR GLEAMING WHEELS UNDER THEM`LIFTING THEM FROM THE EARTH, AND AT THE END HE SAYS ‘THE APPEARANCE WAS OF THE LIKENESS OF THE GLORY OF GOD." IT IS THEN THAT HE GETS HIS WORKING ORDERS FROM GOD. A VOICE SAYS TO HIM, "MORTAL, I AM SENDING YOU TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL....YOU SHALL SPEAK MY WORDS TO THEM, WHETHER THEY HEAR OR REFUSE TO HEAR; FOR THEY ARE A REBELLIOUS LOT."

WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THIS TAKES PLACE DURING THE TIME THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAD BEEN CARRIED AWAY TO BABYLON AS CAPTIVES, NOT A HAPPY TIME FOR THEM. AND IN THE MIDST OF HOMESICKNESS AND DESPAIR OF EVER GETTING BACK, EZEKIEL EMERGED AS A LEADER OF THOSE EXILES. HIS SPECTACULAR VISIONS, HIS CALL TO BE A PROPHET SET HIM UP AS ONE CALLED BY GOD. THE PEOPLE DIDN’T ALWAYS MAKE IT EASY FOR HIM, BUT HE PLOWED ON WITH PERSISTANCE. WHEN HE TOLD THEM ABOUT THAT AMAZING VISION OF THE WHEELS HE SAID THAT THOSE WHEELS MEANT THAT GOD WAS NOT IMPRISONED OR IMMOBILIZED BUT COULD MOVE WHERE HE WISHED, AND THAT GOD, WOULD BE ABLE TO RESCUE THEM, AND THEY WOULD BE SAVED. PERHAPS THEY WOULD BE TRAVELING HOME TO ISRAEL ON WHEELS. AS I SAID, I DID"NT LEARN ABOUT THIS INTERPRETATION UNTIL LONG AFTER I LEARNED THE SPIRITUAL!

THE READING WE HAVE JUST HEARD FROM EZEKIEL, SEEMS VERY APPROPRIATE TODAY, THE LAST SUNDAY IN THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. IT IS A DAY WHICH IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS "CHRIST THE KING" SUNDAY, IT IS A DAY WHEN WE LEARN OF SHEEP AND SHEPHERDS.

IT IS A DAY WHEN EZEKIEL FOCUSES ON THE KINGSHIP OF YAHWEH, OF GOD.

AND THIS IS WHAT HE TELLS THE FOLK. AS THE SHEPHERD, GOD WILL RESCUE HIS SHEEP, HIS PEOPLE FROM ALL PLACES TO WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN SCATTERED. THIS ROYAL JAHWEH WILL RETURN THEM TO THEIR OWN LAND AND FEED THEM ON THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL WITH GOOD PASTURE. HE WILL FIND THE LOST SHEEP, HE WILL STRENGTHEN THE WEAK, BIND UP THE INJURED, AND FEED THEM WITH JUSTICE. THIS IS THE VERY OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE EARTHLY KINGS OF JUDAH HAD DONE FOR THESE FOLK. THEIR RULERS HAD BEEN USING THEIR POWER TO EXPLOIT THEIR PEOPLE, NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO GOD’S COMMANDS AND THE EXILE IN BABYON WAS PERHAPS THE ULTIMATE PAYMENT TO THE PIPER. IS IT A WONDER THAT THOSE EXILES WERE HAPPY TO HEAR EZEKIEL PROPHESY! IT WAS GOOD NEWS.

THERE IS A WORD OF WARNING IN THIS GOOD NEWS. EZEKIEL REMINDS THE FLOCK THAT GOD WILL SEPARATE THE FAT SHEEP FROM THE LEAN SHEEP. IF THE FAT SHEEP DO NOT MAKE ROOM FOR THE LEAN TO PASTURE, IF THEY DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO THE WEAK, AND IF THEY BULLY THEM AROUND, GOD’S HARSHEST JUDGEMENT WILL BE UPON THEM. I FOUND THIS IRONIC FOR A MOMENT. I AM STRUGGLING ON THE ATKINS DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT, WHILE THOSE WHO LEAST CAN AFFORD MEAT AND EGGS AND CHICKEN, EAT PASTA AND FATBACK AND BECOME HEAVY WITHOUT WISHING TO. THE CATCHWORD IN OUR SOCIETY IS "YOU CAN’T BE TOO RICH OR TOO THIN." BUT THESE ARE THE WORDS OF THOSE WHO DON’T SEE

ARMS OF THE SKINNY CHILDREN OF HAITI, WITH BLOATED STOMACHS FROM HUNGER, REACHING FOR BREAD.

I THINK WE CAN NEVER BE REMINDED OFTEN ENOUGH ABOUT GOD’S CALL, TELLING US OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE WEAK. BY WEAK I MEAN THOSE WHO ARE IMPOVERISHED IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, YOU KNOW THEM. MOST OF US ARE PRIVILEGED. AND DAILY I AM FORCED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE AS A NATION ASSUME PRIVILEGE WITHOUT ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY. THE ISRAELITE LEADERS ASSUMED THAT AS A CHOSEN PEOPLE, BLESSED WITH DIVINE RIGHTS, THEY DIDN’T NEED TO RESPOND TO THE CRYING NEEDS OF THEIR PEOPLE OR OF OTHER PEOPLE. AND IS THE SAME TRUE HERE, FOR US AND FOR OUR LEADERS. IF THERE WERE EVER PRIVILEGED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, WE ARE THE ONES!

ONE OF THE THINGS WHICH CONCERNS ME ABOUT MYSELF, AND PERHAPS YOU EXPERIENCE THIS AS WELL, IS THAT I OFTEN DON’T SEE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. I LIVE IN MY LITTLE COMFORTABLE NEST WITH MY PETS, DRIVE MY NICE CAR, AND BUY FOOD AT KROGERS. IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO BE BLIND TO THE WORLD AROUND ME, AND I DON’T LIKE BEING THIS WAY.

WE FIND THIS THEME AGAIN IN OUR GOSPEL TODAY. REMEMBER THE QUESTION TO JESUS IN MATTHEW THAT STARTS, "LORD WHEN WAS IT THAT WE SAW YOU HUNGRY....? IT GIVES ONE PAUSE FOR THOUGHT. AND THEN COMES JUDGEMENT. AS EZEKIEL REPORTS, GOD SAYS " I SHALL JUDGE BETWEEN SHEEP AND SHEEP, BETWEEN RAMS AND GOATS." CLEARLY WE ARE CALLED TO OPEN OUR EYES, TO REMAIN ALERT, AND TO ACT WHEN WE CAN.

NEXT WEEK WE BEGIN THE SEASON OF ADVENT. IT IS THE TIME WHEN WITH GREAT JOY WE PREPARE TO REMEMBER THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. IN ADDITION WE LOOK FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF HIS PROMISE TO RETURN IN GREAT POWER AND GLORY. AS I READ THESE LAST FEW VERSES FROM EZEKIEL, IT SEEMS, AS THE ORACLE OF GOD, THAT HE, TOO, WAS TELLING OF THE COMING OF A GREAT "PRINCE." GOD’S WORDS GO LIKE THIS. "I WILL SET OVER THEM ONE SHEPHERD, MY SERVANT DAVID, AND HE SHALL FEED THEM: HE SHALL FEED THEM AND BE THEIR SHEPHERD. AND I THE LORD WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND MY SHEPHERD DAVID SHALL BE PRINCE AMONG THEM; I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN."

SOME SIX HUNDRED YEARS PASSED BETWEEN THOSE WORDS AND THE COMING OF JESUS. WE CAN SEE HOW HE WAS IN A SENSE A FULFILLMENT OF EZEKIEL’S VISION OF A DAVIDIC AND MESSIANIC PRINCE . JUST LIKE KING JAHWEH, JESUS BROUGHT BACK THOSE WHO HAD GONE ASTRAY, BOUND UP THE INJURED, AND STRENTHENED THE WEAK. HE ALSO BROUGHT DOWN THE STRONG. GOD’S WORD TO EZEKIEL WAS A TRUE PROMISE.

I DON’T OFTEN PREACH ON THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON. BUT TODAY IT SEEMED IMPORTANT TO LOOK BACK AND SEE HOW GOD IS AND HAS BEEN A SHEPHERD TO THE PEOPLE THROUGH THE AGES. HOW I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A PROPHET EMERGE NOW, ASSURING US THAT IN THE MIDST OF THE CHALLENGES THAT FACE US, THERE ARE SOME WHEELS TO CARRY US BACK TO GREEN PASTURES. AND AS ALWAYS, I NEED TO BE REMINDED OF GOD’S JUDGEMENT SEPARATING THOSE OF US WHO ARE SELF-INDULGENT FROM THOSE THAT ARE WEAK AND HAVE BEEN ABUSED. AND I NEED TO TRUST. I NEED TO TRUST THAT GOD WILL INDEED ACT IN OUR TIME.

WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE, GOD ONLY KNOWS. EZEKIEL, IN SPITE OF THE DIRE CONDITIONS IN WHICH HE LIVED, WAS AN OPTIMIST. HIS GOD HAD SPOKEN TO HIM AND THROUGH HIM TO HIS PEOPLE AND HIS TRUST IN GOD WAS BEYOND MEASURE. SO WE MUST LOOK FOR GOOD NEWS, AND TRUST.

THIS WEEK WE WILL CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING. I GIVE THANKS FOR MY MANY BLESSINGS, FOR THE HOPE WHICH I FIND IN GOD’S VOICE ECHOED BY EZEKIEL. AND MOST OF ALL, I GIVE THANKS FOR THE SHEPHERD/PRINCE WHO CAME TO US IN THE MAN JESUS, WHO PROMISES TO COME AGAIN.

The Rev. Ruth T. Healy - Priest Associate

Home