You are here: Home / General / Homily Notes: Sunday of Judgment… Is Worship Useful?

Homily Notes: Sunday of Judgment… Is Worship Useful?

February 19, 2017 By

Sunday of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46)
Connecting the dots between the call to do good … and Sunday worship.

Introduction: we are supposed to make the connection

  • The judgment takes place IN THE THRONE ROOM OF GOD
    • More a place of worship and awe than courtroom
      • His audience would have intuited that and filled in the details with OT and Second Temple imagery
      • Throne is surrounded by the cherubim and seraphim
      • Even the River of Fire is the heat and light of God’s glory
    • WE ARE BEING TRANSPORTED TO THAT PLACE NOW
      • It is revealed to us here and now “as much as we can bear it”

Point One: there is a connection between “doing good” and going to Church

  • Sundays are a “little judgment” if you will;
    • Time to take stock; how have I done?
    • Ask God’s forgiveness for failing to see and meet the needs of others
    • Ask for God’s strength as we sacrifice ourselves in defense of the weak and powerless

Point Two: Sunday worship is where we actually do this work of serving the least among us

  • Look at the prayers we say!
    • All of them are directed at the service of others
      • Some are obvious: for the sick, the traveling, those in prison, etc.
      • Others are less obvious; e.g. why do we pray for the government? (we pray that the provide a safe place to do God’s work)
  • Look at the main thing that we offer here on Sunday morning!
    • The Divine Liturgy is not some kind of dead ritual, but a well designed tool for doing exactly what it is that God has told us we need to do.
    • Strangers are welcomed and given a home!
    • Those in prison are freed from the shackles of sin and the sentence of death!
    • The naked are given baptismal garments!
    • The thirsty are given living water!
    • The hungry are given the Bread of Live!
  • This is not mere allegorizing
    • God Himself tells us to care even more for the spirit than for the body
      • During the week we sacrifice ourselves to care for the bodily needs of others; we do this work now and we will work at getting better at it
      • But on Sunday, we do this, the most important work, that God has commanded us to do!

Lastly (Third Point): Sundays are when we receive a foretaste of the reward of good and faithful servants

  • The ability to “rest” in God’s mercy, strength, and protection (enjoy the fruits of the motions created during the prior six days)
  • The eternal calling to be strong and consistent in doing good
    • 1 Corinthians 6:2-3a. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels?
    • We are part of the Judgment… and we are part of God’s plan for ruling the future world.

In Conclusion

What we do here is the automatic response of the Church – that is, of all people who are devoted to sacrificing themselves for the weak and vulnerable – to following God’s command to care for others as we care for ourself. This liturgy is not a dead ritual, but an incredibly powerful tool designed for getting important work done.

Let’s continue that work together as we offer ourselves to God and the service of our neighbor in this Divine Liturgy.

Filed Under: General, Homilies