Appeals

I recently spent several days serving on the Admissions Appeal Panel for a popular school. Many parents had applied to send their children to be educated there, but there were not enough places for everyone. The school had used strict criteria to determine which children would be admitted and which would not, but parents had the right to appeal against its decision. Our task was to listen to those appeals and decide whether any children should, in fact, receive a place.

Some parents came alone, others brought advocates and friends. Some spoke quietly, others were more combative. Some had prepared lengthy dossiers of information to support their case, others simply talked. Some were eloquent, others were emotional and struggled to speak. Some told us about complex or painful family situations. Although some of the things we heard were painful and disturbing, we had to listen carefully to all that was said and dispassionately come to our verdicts. We were well aware that our decisions would have a profound and lasting impact on every family involved.

Modern school admission procedures didn’t exist in Bible times! But Jesus did speak about appeals in a discourse recorded by St. Matthew. In the dramatic but chilling passage which speaks of the Son of Man “sitting on the throne of his glory” with “all the nations gathered before him”, we read of people being separated from one another “as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats”. Jesus makes his momentous decisions but many people plead for them to be reversed: “Surely”, they cry, “we deserve to get into the Kingdom of heaven? Please listen to our pleas for mercy”.

My experience during that week of appeals gave me two insights on this passage. The first was that, just as we had strict criteria for deciding which appeals would be upheld and which would fail, so Jesus has his criteria for deciding who is a “sheep” and who is a “goat”, who will enter his Kingdom and who – sadly – will not. Perhaps surprisingly, those criteria are based on actions rather than faith: did we give food to the hungry, did we welcome strangers, did we visit those in prison? Jesus is clearly looking for a faith which is expressed in costly deeds: cheap words are not enough.

The other thing is more personal. Our panel was genuinely distressed at having to reject some appeals, however we had no choice if we were to be fair to everyone. Christians believe that Jesus loves all people and always prefers to forgive rather than to condemn: so how distressed must he be at having to deny anyone a place in his Kingdom? We cannot imagine that he will take pleasure judging the world – yet justice requires him to do it.

What Jesus said seems harsh. The thought of people unsuccessfully appealing for his mercy isn’t one we want to dwell on. So let’s make sure we not only cast ourselves upon his grace but also satisfy the admission criteria he has so clearly set down. And let’s be confident that the Judge of all the earth will always do what is right.

Best wishes,

Andrew