Given at St Mary’s, Potterne
Matthew 25. 31-40
Do we want to live in a universe where Jimmy Saville got away with it?
I walked over the fields on a gorgeous spring evening to this wonderful church and then gave a reflection on judgement, damnation, and one of the vilest characters ever to disgrace British public life… © Gerry Lynch, 3 April 2023.
I found myself asking this as I prepared the readings for tonight’s service. Many of us will know the famous parable of the sheep and the goats that our bible reading tonight came from. It was rather too long for this short service, so I left out the bit about what happens to the goats. I left out the bit that may be the most important for us to hear, because I didn’t want to frighten or upset anyone.
The idea of God as divine judge is frightening and upsetting. Maybe, however, that’s no bad thing. It’s a pity that Jimmy Saville wasn’t a bit more afraid of being judged by God.
The Church has in recent decades downplayed the idea of divine judgement. It wanted to be positive, to celebrate the best in humanity; it often said that judgement really wasn’t what Jesus Christ, Love incarnate, was about. People weren’t fooled. They knew this was a rewrite of what Christianity had always said. You can’t escape for too long that the Biblical record is pretty clear that Jesus did talk a lot about judgement. Worse yet, nobody seemed much interested in this rewrite, which is probably part of the story of why the churches slowly emptied. If we don’t need redeeming from our sins, then why do we need a saviour?
The trouble is that without judgement, there can be no justice. Jimmy Saville got away with it, his whole life, and died laughing at us all. Or what about Josef Mengele? The notorious Nazi doctor was regarded as vile even by other concentration camp staff, but died a free man at a ripe old age in a swimming accident at a beach resort in Brazil.
If we refuse to proclaim the coming of God’s judgement, we acquiesce in an unfair universe where those to whom life has been good have nothing to worry about – even if they have grossly abused God’s goodness towards them; while those who have suffered the grossest injustices will never be vindicated.
And, of course, we should not presume that God’s justice will be as selective, fallible, or cruel as human justice often is.
So, if God’s judgement is a central part of Jesus’ teaching, and the universe looks like a terribly unfair place without it — should we fear it? I think the question to ask yourself is: why are you afraid? Remember that God made you for His love, and made you as you are, and knew that none of us would be perfect when He made us. So while I think it does us all the power of good to have a healthy respect for God’s judgement, most of us shouldn’t be consumed with fear about it.
But perhaps some you do have good reason to fear God’s judgement. Quiet villages often harbour dark secrets. In that case, remember that God offers forgiveness for all those who are truly sorry for their sins and intend to lead a new life. One of the last acts of the risen Christ was to give the authority to forgive his sins to his apostles, something which has been passed on by the Church to priests of every generation. Do come and see me if you are afraid of God’s judgement.
For whatever you may have done, Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross was enough to atone for your sins, and my sins, and the sins of the whole world. Amen.
