THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST AS A SHEPHERD AND JUDGE

Traditionally, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the last Sunday of ordinary season as Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. This Solemnity marks the end of liturgical year A in which, we adore and worship Christ our King, whose kingship is expressed as a good shepherd who looks after his sheep and a just judge who separates the sheep from the goat.

Originally, Pope Pius XI established this solemnity in 1925 against the influence of secularism and for pastoral reasons the Church in Nigeria combines it with the solemn procession of Corpus Christi, which ought to be celebrated on Thursday or Sunday after Trinity Sunday as thanksgiving for the institution of the Holy Eucharist. The title of this feast was “Iesu Christi Regis” (Jesus Christ the King). Later in history, Pope Paul VI in his “Motuproprio Mysterii Paschalis” of 1969, gave it a new title as: “Iesu Christi Universorum Regis" (Jesus Christ, King of the Universe) and it was transformed from feast to Solemnity. Interestingly, today’s readings bear witness to the Kingship of Christ.

The first reading takes our mind back to the unfaithful shepherds of Israel who have failed to shepherd the people faithfully. So, through the prophet Ezekiel who exercised his career in exile with the people of Israel in Babylon, God promised to eliminate the middle men who stood as leaders, pastors or shepherds and care for his people himself. He uses the personal pronoun emphatically saying, “I myself will search for my sheep…” (Ez. 34:11). He has a personal interest in us as the ideal shepherd, which gives us a picture of the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:4-7. There are many references to God as shepherd in the Scripture (Gen 48:15; Ps 23:1; 80:1; Is 40:10). These references speak of God as a tender, caring shepherd who understands the sheep’s vulnerability and provides for their needs. The scattered sheep abroad are evidence of poor shepherding. A good shepherd works diligently to prevent scattering, because he cannot protect scattered sheep. Scattered sheep are isolated, alone and vulnerable.  

In God’s personal interest for the scattered sheep, he says, “I will rescue them… I will be their shepherd… I will seek the lost, I will bring them back… I will strengthen the weak… I will feed them with justice” (vv. 15-16). The prophet utters this with great dismay at the poor earthly leadership, and great hope in the transcendent God who fulfilled his manifestos as the ideal Shepherd in Jesus Christ. Interestingly here is the deity of Christ as he took the title of God as the Good Shepherd without ambiguity as clearly seen in John 10:1-18, demonstrating that He is God and King with an expression of sovereignty and power.

God proves to us that He is not just a king like man or like of political leaders who make promises and fail. They have allowed our people to be scattered all over the world and cannot govern or shepherd them. They have their manifestos of good governance, good roads, free and quality education, constant power supply, provision of jobs, efficient heath care centers or hospitals, economic benefit such as reduction of fuel price pump, equating one dollar to one naira, and so many other promises before they assume power and when they are in power, years pass without fulfilment.

More so, the readings points to us as individuals when it says, “As for you my flock… I judge between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats” (v.17). The flock will be purified not only of its bad leadership but also of its members as it is customary for shepherd to have their sheep and goats in the same flocks. This implies separation or judgment to some of us that are good in making promises and fail to keep them. God keeps to his word, which is wonderfully fulfilled in Jesus Christ who came down and dwelt among the scattered sheep, in other to be our King.

Christ in the Gospel said to his disciples, “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne… and he will separate the sheep from the goats and will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left” (Mt 25:31-33). The gospel expresses the reign of Christ in his coming in glory, the judgment and reward for those at his right hand, and condemnation on those at his left. As King, he will judge and reward each one according to his deeds. To the righteous he will say, “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (v.34). To the unrighteous he will say, “Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (v.41). It is clear that hell is prepared for the devil and his angels. Men only go there because they have willingly cast their lots with the devil and his angels. They have joined the devil in refusing allegiance to the supreme King and Lord of all. Invariably, anyone who imitates the rebellious attitude of the devil will share in his punishment.

As regards the distinction between the sheep and goat; those on the right and left hands of the King is evident in the second reading as St. Paul presents it as death and resurrection when he said, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be made alive” (1Cor. 15:22). He reminds us of Christ’s Kingship and reign, who will continue to reign until He conquer the last of his enemy, which is death and after death comes judgment. After death, all will have the resurrection body but not all will have eternal life. The righteous shall be rewarded with eternal life in the kingdom of God and the unrighteous with eternal condemnation, together with the devil and his angels. The imagery of the final judgment is never to scare us but to teach us something important: the reign of Christ our King in our lives.

Dear friends in Christ, today’s liturgy reminds every shepherd and flocks of our responsibility on earth and accountability on the last day. It reminds everyone never to compromise with responsibilities entrusted to us. The offices we hold are our kingdoms, which are subject to the heavenly kingdom and we must let Christ reign in our hearts in order to reign with Him in His kingdom. For religious leaders who feed the flocks of God with what they want to hear, and how they want things to be instead of instructing the flocks on “how God want things to be,” should be mindful of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Let us pray for shepherds in all aspects of life, to faithfully lead the flock of God and shepherd them in truth, not in deceit, so that both the shepherds and flocks will all reign with Christ in His kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Happy Feast Day!

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ