Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Hope In The Eschatological Judgment

Hope In The Eschatological Judgment

Last updated on: February 12, 2023 at 3:46 am by Henry Karlson

0 Comments

Hope In The Eschatological Judgment 2023-02-12T03:46:02-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Lawrence OP: Christ the Judge / flickr

We must care for each other. We can’t ignore those suffering from abuse, those facing injustice, if we love them. This is because we can’t stand on by seeing a loved-one suffer if there is something we can do about it. Even if we can’t, we will try to comfort them the best we can. Love is the key. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. If and when we ignore someone in need, we more than we show them how little we care for them, we also end up demeaning Jesus himself. This is because Jesus joined himself with all who suffer. He shares with them their suffering. He is in solidarity with them. When we look at those who suffer, we should see Jesus is there with them. And, if we are careless, we can make their pain worse. We can make their suffering greater. Or, we can make someone else needlessly suffer, and in doing so, bring more suffering to Jesus, because he will then join himself with them. We need to be concerned about others, not only their wants and needs, but their feeling, because if we do something to offer them, we can cause them the pain and suffering we should not wish them to have. We should always take the feelings of others into consideration. This is why Paul, who promoted Christian freedom, said that we should consider the implications of our actions and even if, in some level, they can be said to be something permissible, we should not do them if our actions will cause some undue pain and sorrow to our neighbor:

Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if any one sees you, a man of knowledge, at table in an idol’s temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall (1 Cor. 8:8-13 RSV).

We should be charitable to and with each other, for when we are, we are also being charitable to Christ. Jesus is human, and in and through his assumption of human nature, he finds himself in solidarity with every one of us. He takes on our suffering so as to help shoulder the burden, indeed, to perhaps help take it away. The more we cause people pain, the more Jesus embraces it, and the more he is willing to suffer to help relieve the suffering of others. Thus, the more we treat someone with contempt, the more we ignore their feelings, the more we do so not only to them, but to Jesus.

Therefore, if we want to say Jesus is Lord, we need to do more than say it, we must prove we mean it by acting on the implications of those words. We must seek to understand how Jesus is connected to each and every one of us, for that will help motivate us and encourage us to do what is right and just. And, how we treat others, either with compassion or with contempt, will be something which Jesus experiences with them, and that experience will be something Jesus remembers and use in the eschatological judgment to come. Both the good and the bad will come together and be used by him to help reveal to us and others who and what we are by what we have done. In the eschatological judgment, all that we have done to hide our true selves from ourselves will be cast aside, and we will truly come to know ourselves. We will find that the good and bad which we have done, even if we have tried to hide it from ourselves, will establish our eschatological character, the character which will then be judged by Christ. Such judgment, coming as it is from Jesus, that is, coming from the one who came into the world not to condemn it but save it, should be seen as a part of Jesus’s work to save us, not damn us. This why Jesus will discern all the good which we have done and use it to help save us:

Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from 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 welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. ( Matt. 25:34-40 RSV).

Similarly, if we not only acted with contempt towards others, but if hold onto it, and let such contempt become a major part of who we are, we risk losing everything, that is, we risk being sent away from his presence (cf. Matt. 25:41-46).

The last judgment is a revelatory act; and, as with all revelation, there is the potential for grace to come and perfect the person who receives it. While the last judgment can be said to be a dread tribunal because nothing will be hidden, all things we which we have tried to hide will become reveal, it can still be said to be a thing of hope. In it, Jesus will work with us and use whatever good which remains in us to be the place where grace can come in and perfect us. He will use that good to encourage us to be with him and follow hm into the kingdom of God. We don’t want the worst instincts we have to get in the way of receiving that grace, which is why we should embrace charity now, for the more we do, the more we embrace the love which God offers us, the more we will accept the grace connected with the last judgment, allowing the last judgment to transform us and turn us completely towards what is good and true. If, on the other hand, we constantly denigrate charity and justice, we risk forming a habit which will keep us from accepting that grace, and in this way, form a perpetual habit that will prevent us from receiving the glory God intended us to experience. Let us not let that happen. Let us embrace grace, and the way of love, before it is too late.

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

General Christian

Previous Post

February 9, 2023

Education, Racism, And Black History Month

Next Post

February 14, 2023 Universal Salvation: Hope Vs. Presumption

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Gosh, did that hit the spot. I have been having great anxiety lately. And I ..."

Mark Wilson

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human ..."

"Justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Where there is justice, there ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Thank you for your very, very powerful and very, very insightful analysis of the relationship ..."

alwayspuzzled

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Given the amount of lethal malevolence that has prevailed in human history for the past ..."

alwayspuzzled

We Must Value Our Health

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz