Christ
the King
It is
Christ the King Sunday. I reminded you
of that last Sunday – sort of looking ahead.
And, as promised, I did sit back there and listen to the chatter as you
were coming in – whether you were talking about your preparation for Christ the
King; recounting stories of Thursday’s meal; bragging about Friday’s shopping;
or bemoaning or Saturday’s football game.
I had
no intention of shaming you with the results to such an informal and completely
unscientific poll. I know that Christ
the King Sunday is a difficult sale.
There are just too many things vying for our attention. It comes at a bad time, right? This time of the year is given over to family
gatherings, and to parties, and to wrapping up the fall’s activities. It is difficult enough, when it comes the
Sunday before Thanksgiving (which is usually the case.) When it comes Thanksgiving weekend – you can
almost forget it.
Calendar
aside – Christ the King is a difficult sale.
It isn’t a concept which plays very well in our society or among our
culture. This great nation was birthed
at the overthrow of a “King.” We are
getting along just fine without one, thank you very much. Aren’t practically all the images of “king”
negative ones? Aren’t they the folks who
sit on thrones and expect loyal subjects to be – well – subject to them? It is difficult to convince freedom-loving
people everywhere that we need to place ourselves under the control of a
“king.”
Something
within the psyche of most red-blooded Americans recoils at such a suggestion.
That may
be our reaction at the front of our cerebral cortex. But deep within our subconscious and down
there within our learned behaviors allegiances have been made and we do allow
ourselves to form strong devotions. And
those glittering images which have competed for our attention these past seven
days are working to expose the king or kings to which we are devoted. There is a reason why advertising folks make
so much money. They are really good at
selling us an image of ourselves – an improved self-image. Of course that improved self-image involves
owning their automobile or giving the perfect diamond to our
love-interest. It is not all about
buying things – there are also many allegiances sought for listening to the
right kind of music or following a particular political agenda, or presiding
over the ideal social gathering.
We do
allow a number of “kings” to rule over us – we just aren’t always aware of
their power and influence.
The task
of Christ the King Sunday involves asking us “to which king will you devote
your life?” It is also devoted to
helping us realize that some kings are power-hungry and demanding, while other
kings (can be) serving and life-giving. This
day is not merely a choice between which king you will serve; it is a choice
about the kind of king we will follow.
Practically
all the language about Christ as King comes from those portions of the Gospels
where Jesus is on trial or about to be executed. This reading from John 18 has been very
carefully selected. Inherent in the
exchange between Jesus and Pilate is this debate over what kings and kingship
is all about.
Pilate
was the most powerful man in Jerusalem.
He was there, assigned to this post, by the Emperor. He was the ruling authority; he was the one
to whom allegiances were to be made. And
yet, particularly in the Gospel of John, we can see his wavering over what to do
about Jesus.
Look carefully,
back at the 33rd verse. See that
word, at the end of the first phrase? “Again.” Pilate enters the praetorium “again.” He had been moving between Jesus and the
Jewish leaders and the angry crowd – trying to find a way around this impasse. In the extended story (which stretches from
John 18:28 to 19:16 Pilate moves back and forth a total of nine times. This movement back in forth of the one who is
supposed to be the one with authority is contrasted with Jesus, who will not be
moved – physically or in his words.
Jesus remains. Jesus is unflappable.
Pilate
asks him if he presumes to be a “King.”
Notice in verse 34 Jesus’ reply to him.
Jesus, on trial for his life, remains unimpressed with Pilate’s power
and authority. Jesus’ reply moves Pilate
to the point of personal decision. “Do
you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” It is practically the same question put
before the disciples as Jesus moves them past “Who do people say that I am?”
to ”But who do you say that I am?”
Remember that it is that question which leads to Peter’s confession, “You
are the Christ.”
It is
pretty clear, by this point in the story that Jesus isn’t going to make
it. All of the forces have been aligned
against him. He has been warned of the
danger which awaits him in Jerusalem but goes there anyway. He was told to stay out of the Temple but
goes back and continues to heal on the Sabbath.
But it is not a defeatist attitude which motivates Jesus at this point –
it is his single minded dedication to bringing the Good News to the poor,
mislead people. “You want to know what
kingship looks like?” he asks. “Here it
is.” he says. “Devotion to God and to
God’s created ones.”
Here
is where you need your Bibles. If you
have them, look at the verse which is cut off from today’s appointed text. Look at John 18:38. (By the way – this is the latest excuse for
your smart phone going off during worship.
If you download a bible on your phone, and start to use it, you have a
built in excuse if yours starts to ring.
“I had it on so I could look up the verse the pastor said wasn’t in my
bulletin.”)
Look
at John 18:38. Jesus and Pilate have
been going back and forth about Kings and kingship and whether Jesus fits the
mold. Jesus is working to break the
mold. In the exchange (and this part is
on your bulletin,) Jesus says “For this reason I was born, and for this I
came into the world, to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Jesus isn’t about public opinion or presumed
power. Jesus is dealing with “Truth.” The stinger is when he says that everyone
(not just some but EVERYONE) who belongs to the truth will listen to his
voice.
The verse
which is cut off, is John 18:38. It reads,
“Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’”
And while
you have your bibles turned to that verse – look at what comes next. Pilate shuffles again. He breaks himself away from Jesus’ presence
and goes out to the Jews to tell them, “I find no case against this Jesus.”
Pilate
knows; he understands; is realizes that he is being asked to choose. Maybe I should have worded that differently: Pilate’s portrayal, in the Gospel of John, is
of one who realizes that we will all choose between kings; that we will all have
to decide whether we will be devoted to this way of thinking, or to that way of
living. And, the writer of John’s Gospel
allows it to be Pilate who teeters between choosing the truth and merely going
along with the crowd.
It is
Christ the King Sunday. It is the day
designed to ask each of us, “Who do you say Jesus is?” You have heard that question earlier in the church
year, when we read the story of Jesus asking his disciples. Now, at the end of the Church Year, we hear
it again. This time, the stakes are
higher. It isn’t simply a matter of
opinion, this question as to who we see Jesus to be, it is a matter of life and
death. In the story, it is Jesus’ life
or death. Here, today, it is ours.
Amen.
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