The God King

The Lord says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in

view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle

of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them

from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. I myself

will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest – it is the Lord who

speaks. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded

and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a

true shepherd to them.

As for you, my sheep, the Lord says this: I will judge between sheep and sheep,

between rams and he-goats.

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen

asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of

the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men

will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as

the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him.

After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the

Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he

must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the

enemies to be destroyed is death. And when everything is subjected to him,

then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all

things to him, so that God may be all in all.

Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all

the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be

assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd

separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats

on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, 'Come, you whom my

Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the

foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and

you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you

clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.' Then the

virtuous will say to him in reply, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or

thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome;

naked and clothed you; sick or in prison and go to see you?' And the King will

answer, 'I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these

brothers of mine, you did it to me.' Next he will say to those on his left hand, 'Go

away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil

and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you

never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome,

naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.' Then

it will be their turn to ask, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or

naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?' Then he will answer, 'I tell

you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you

neglected to do it to me.' And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the

virtuous to eternal life."