So close your eyes! Now – could you tell me, what is the picture on the central stained glass window behind the altar?

- ( A picture of Jesus Christ, seated on a throne as Judge and King . )

I wont ask how many of you got it right!

Here is an image of Jesus - Christ, the Judge of the world -- that is now virtually absent, nonexistent, in our scaled-down, affordable postmodern churches. I cant remember seeing any recent stained glass windows, or paintings in modern churches, which depict Christ as Judge.

I guess its not a popular concept or notion these days – that there will come a time when we are judged. I don’t think we like the idea of accountability or judgment very much at all, do we, – and especially the idea that at the end of our lives we must give an account of ourselves to God.

And yet accountability, judgment, is what many of our students have been facing in these past weeks, isn’t it. The day of reckoning has arrived – they are faced with examinations which reveal - or judge – how well they know their subjects. Why should be consider it unthinkable that at the end of our days in this life we should not be asked a question or two ?

When it's all over, says Jesus in this parable of the last judgement, - when we reach the end of our days - we shall be judged!

The Son of Man shall sit upon the throne and judge all of the peoples of the earth, then he will separate some to his right and others to his left - the sheep, and the goats. Nearly every sermon I have heard on Matthew 25, and a number I have preached ass well, have basically stressed this particular parable as an exhortation about how we are supposed to reach out to "the least of these". We are exhorted to visit the sick, to feed the hungry, to clothe those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Many reputable caring ministries and organisations would trace their earliest motivation to be involved with the sick and the needy, back to this parable.

And I think there is something about us that loves to hear that kind of sermon. After all, most of us are people of some means, comparatively speaking. We may not be all that rich, but we are not poor either. So we have the means to help those who need help. Furthermore, we would like to think that most of us are basically good people. And when we see someone in need, we like to respond. I know that is the case with you – because when our Special Missions envelopes come out, or there is some other special appeal, you give generously, again and again, to "the least of these".

But you know, on the whole, the parables of Jesus are meant to shock us, to surprise and dislodge us, not to confirm and to reassure us, and make us feel good!

In our non-judgemental, permissive society where we like to believe that there is no higher standard of judgment than our own consciences, this is the Sunday, at the end of our Church’s year, when we are reminded that, "we shall judged." It’s a sobering reminder, isn’t it?

One day we shall each stand before the throne of God, we shall hold our lives in our hands, and we shall render account.

There is a story about a First World War Chaplain, who had the nickname of ‘Woodbine Willie" – and he used to tell the troops that he believed that when we get to the end of this life and we stand before God, there would be just one question asked of us – and that question would be - "What did you do with the life I gave you". Its not a bad question to ponder , is it?

God shall surely consider all that we have been given, in judging us; - all of our opportunities and advantages, and we shall be judged. The parable for today reminds us that finally the things that are wrong in this world will be set right. Injustice will NOT forever be overlooked, defended, or ignored. Jesus shall judge injustice for what it is, and it shall be made right. -- And the judge is Jesus, the Christ, the one who loved us, even enough to die for us,- who returned to us, even after we had betrayed him, and He forgave us.

Next Sunday we begin the Church’s New Year with Advent Sunday – a reminder that, in the words of the Creed – "He shall come again, in glory, to JUDGE both the living and the dead".