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November 26, 2023: Feast of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Cycle A
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There’s the old saying, “Welcome to the real world.” Or, “Wake up and smell the coffee.” Which means pretty much the same as “Welcome to the real world.”
Whenever these phrases are used, the meaning of it can vary. It can refer to a reality check that all of us need at some point on this journey. I like to think that even some of the Saints in the Communion, even they had reality checks come their way, usually from God in heaven.
I think of St. Augustine, one of the supreme Doctors of the Church in the higher echelon of Saints. He had a reality check in his life when he went from a life of dissipation and unbelief like the Prodigal Son, to waking up one day telling the world for generations to come that “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O God.” Without this Divine reality check, St Augustine of Hippo would now be just another Augustine spending eternity as a goat in the lowest echelon God has prepared for the devil and his angels.
Maybe the most familiar reality check of all time, in a good way, of course, was Saul of Tarsus, become St. Paul. He’s the Saint every Christian looks at square, asking ourselves, “Am I persecuting the Church in any way, shape, or form whatsoever?” “Am I taking Jesus down, hurting his brothers and sisters, and his Mother too, by way of physical or verbal assaults, or even neglect?” Persecution is alive and active in God’s Church, from both inside and outside.
Saul of Tarsus lovingly met his match on his persecuting trip to Damascus one day. It’s like he ran into the Patriots defensive line when they used to be good. Jesus personally flipped Saul into Paul, from the devil Saul to St. Paul, touching him with a reality check that led him away from persecution to becoming a humble servant for the risen Christ, as well as the Apostle to the Gentiles.
From a goat to a sheep. From hell to heaven. From darkness to light, in an instant. His coffee began to smell good.
To offer a female example of a reality check, and smelling a different cup of coffee, how about St. Mary Magdalene. A previous life of squalor, self-disrespect, living in a body and soul that was lost and confused, just like that Samaritan Woman at the well, whom Jesus said to, “Give me a drink. And I don’t want any bad-tasting coffee.”
Rather, he gave that woman a drink, as well as Mary of Magdala. He gave them his personal menu with a variety of drinks on it, and those two women ordered one of each. Like the drink of purity, and self-respect. The drink of hope and self-worth. They ordered from him the drink of dignity, and how to be an authentic female made in God’s image and likeness. They were goats who became sheep, from the evil side on the left of God, to the good side of being right with God. And that’s not a political statement.
As we draw to the end of another Church year, celebrating Jesus as the King of Kings, as King of the Universe, we celebrate the reality check God has given to all of us. And like all those Saints mentioned above, we can either go with him into the land of milk and honey.
Or, we can stand there at Jacob’s Well and argue with Jesus, refuse his offer of a reality check, get stubborn with him and defend our personal sinfulness, not give him a drink of water or a cup of good coffee, tell him to get lost for being so honest about our weaknesses, choosing to be a goat.
The reality check Jesus gives to all people is his Cross. And a short time later, his resurrection. Totally unexpected from the Jewish angle of belief. A suffering Messiah who conquered death through God raising him after 3 days, that was on the bottom of the list of options of what their Messiah would look like. Talk about a reality check!
It’s why Peter and the others tried to stop the Lord from going up to Jerusalem to be handed over, suffer, and be killed. It’s why they scattered like frightened goats when Jesus was arrested in the Garden. And its why only John was standing at the foot of the Cross as Jesus was dying up there.
He was the wrong type of Messiah with the wrong qualities. He was supposed to fight like Barabbas, and destroy other people. Kill them, and not be killed. He gave them all a reality check of God’s plan for us.
And then his reality check of suffering, his bitter tasting cup of coffee, is brought forth and laid on our laps in this Gospel. As he suffered for us while all his friends abandoned him in fear, he commands us to alleviate the burden of others.
To not abandon the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the naked, and the prisoner. Because if we do abandon them, we’re no different from the fearful Apostles who scattered from Jesus when he needed them.
He lays the essence of his Kingdom on our laps, and in our hearts, which is to care for his people. This is a daily reality check for us. A cup of coffee that does not always smell good. But what does make it taste good, what flavors it, is being a sheep in the fold of Christ Jesus, in serving others.
“Welcome to the real world.”