The Final Exam

 

Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46

 

Judgment day is upon us, but we have good news: we have been given the questions in advance.  It is not a surprise test; its contents are not arcane or obscure.  And what is more, the content is relevant to every human being of all times and all places, for it is of a set of skills we can always use for the good of all.  They are fairly simple: did we, or did we not feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, visit the imprisoned, and welcome the stranger. 

 

It is instructive to note what the final exam is not about.  There are no questions about theology, none on the catechism.  There is nothing about your membership in a particular church or group or popular movement.  It is not at all about your attendance or lack thereof at church services, your allegiance to a particular liturgical form, or your voting record.  In short, the final exam is not about any of the things we commonly hear regarding judgment or what we consider to be religion in our time. 

 

No, the final exam ends our story where it began with the giving of the Beatitudes.  They form a set of bookends by which we are to understand the entire path of discipleship.  As Jesus was going about living the Beatitudes and doing all these deeds of mercy which are the questions of final judgment, what was our reaction? Were we discouraging him from healing that person, or grumbling and complaining when he ate with sinners, or were we jealous when he invited all and not just my own? Or are we eager to join the Lord Jesus in this work of mercy to all, the work of the kingdom of God?