A Cycle – Feast of Christ the King 23

EZ. 34:11-12, 15-17

Christ said, “I have come for the lost sheep of Israel” (Mt.15:24) and that He came “…to do the will of the Father who sent me” (Jn.6:38).   Can you articulate God’s will for us?  God clearly reveals in the scriptures what His will is for each of us?  His will is not beyond our understanding.  We only need to read a few verses of today’s first reading and meditate on it for fifteen minutes to grasp the reality of what is God’s will for us. On this day when we focus on Jesus Christ, King of the Universe we are reminded by the Church how God’s desire for us is eternal and unrelenting. 

Through the prophet Ezekiel God once more tells us it is His will that each of us allow His grace to transform us.  There are five verses spoken to us through Ezekiel which we need to hear and acknowledge.  Those words should be a catalyst to help us understand why we must embrace Jesus as Lord of our lives.

Because we are self-sufficient in our faith journey, Ezekiel’s words provide us with an image of how we stray from the protective shield of God.  We are a scattered flock.  Separated from the main body, each in a place where there is no protection and are easy prey for the one who seeks to destroy us. The image of us as sheep is accurate for sheep will wander away from the protection of the shepherd. They are not concerned about anything and are unaware of the dangers that surround them.  God knows this about us, and He reminds us how “we follow our own thoughts and walk in a way that is not good (Is.62:2). 

That was Adam and Eve’s problem; they followed their own way, and it did not end well.  God knows that independence is in our nature. You may want to deny it, but it is a good description of the average person who goes to church every Sunday.  Without realizing it we have become Pharisees.  We ignore God’s will while at the same time believing we are following His will. 

But God has does not want us to stumble and fumble around hoping we will find our way to His arms.  God tells us He will shepherd us and He “…will rescue them from the place where (we) were scattered, where it was cloudy and dark” (Ez.34:12). He is always coming to us, nudging us, guiding us and He will never abandon us.  God’s desire is clear; He wants us to allow ourselves to be guided to holiness by His plan. He wants to feed us, nurture us, heal us and protect us.  His desire is to “…give us rest; (for) He will seek us out” (Ez. 34:14-15).    

What is our response to this? Are we unwilling to acknowledge we ignore what God wants to do as we continue to do what is our will.  Look at the cross with the body of Christ upon it! That, my brothers, and sisters, is God’s answer to our sin.  The God made man; the One from whom all things were made, came to earth, set aside His divinity to do what. Be a symbol of our belief or to be our Redeemer.  Why, because God wants us to acknowledge how we, if left our own devices will wander from doing His will. We will follow our own desires and we never experience the life God desires us to live.

God wants to bind up our wounds, heal our hearts, forgive our sins, and transform our hearts so they long for God and long to do His will.  Christ came so that we may experience life to the fullest. Jesus cane to show us the Father’s heart so that we would run to Him. Just as He ran to embrace and restore the prodigal son. 

Christ is the sheep gate. He is the only way to the Father and He is also the one who said He would send us the Spirit to teach us and guide us.  We fail to realize how the Spirit is like the sheep dog who keeps the flock together. The one who goes after those who wander off and nudges them back into the flock. The Spirit is the sheep dog, who chases away the predators who are lurking near waiting for an opportunity to destroy us. 

Chris our King does not rule over us, nor does He demand subservience, or obedience out of fear. No, Christ our King does not demand but instead He invites us into His presence. Invites us to dine with Him, to dance with Him and to allow His embrace to change our hearts.

Our response is not to cry out “Hail to the King.”  Our response is not one of submission out of fear.  It is a response of the heart out of love. Our response is to acknowledge we have been set free to willingly follow Him because He offers us green pastures and His protection.