JESUS’ KINGDOM Sermon for 11-26-06
Sermon for Christ the King Sunday 11-26, 2006
Scripture: 2 Sam.23:1-7, Rev 1:4b-8, John 18:33-37
As some of you may know, our church year begins with the first Sunday in Advent-which this year is in December but is usually the end of November. So today is the New Year’s Eve of the Christian year. The last Sunday in each year is set aside for Christ the King Sunday or more politically correct these days—Reign of Christ Sunday. Some feminists would call the sermon Jesus’ Kindom instead of Kingdom. Now although I don’t consider myself a full blown or radical feminist, I am very sensitive to gender based language. I know many women including my own daughter who have lots of trouble worshipping a male God. They reject calling Jesus a King because they know that not only are kings male, but they rule autocratically; they dictate rather than consult; and they issue commands rather than working towards consensus or least majority rule; they demand obedience and loyalty to themselves rather than seeking to serve others. Doesn’t sound like Jesus, does it? Yet there are good reasons to think about Jesus as King due to those last days when Pilate and he engage in the discussion about his being the “King of the Jews”.
As Americans, we are not oriented towards Kings or Queens; however, in the Hebrew Bible days, the Israelites demanded from their leader Samuel that they have a King. God warned them against it, saying that a king would not use them well and that they would be sorry; however, the peoples’ will prevailed, and Samuel appointed Saul as the first king. The next King was David, and it is his final thoughts that make up our 1st lesson today. In his lifetime he had learned that we are not called to serve out own interests—even if we are King—we are called to serve God. God wants kings to rule justly and with compassion. David knows he has not been perfect, yet he has wanted to be a ruler faithful to God and God’s ways. In Jesus, our leader, we have been shown a world where the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Jesus says very clearly that “My kingdom is not from this world.” For me this does not mean that his kingdom is in heaven, but that what he teaches is the opposite of what the world teaches. If he were a worldly king, he says his followers would be out there fighting to prevent him from being handed over to the crowds—and to his crucifixion. No, instead Jesus taught about a kingdom that lifted up the weak in the world. Rev. Anthony Clavier says, “Our king likes to go out into the streets in disguise. He turns up as a street person, a homeless, battered woman, a black teen taunted by young racists, and whispers to us that as we care for everyone, we care for him.” He hangs around with tax collectors and prostitutes; he touches lepers and heals the untouchables. His weapons are love, compassion, and truth.
Jesus tells Pilate that he came into the world to testify to the truth. More than just testifying to the truth, Jesus is the truth. Pilate can’t possibly understand when Jesus tells him he is here for one purpose: to testify to the truth. Jesus could explain it like this: If you want to call me a King, go ahead; however, I’m much more than that. I am here for one purpose, to testify to the truth, to reveal the world as God intended it to be. That is the whole purpose of my being in the world.” In the gospel of John, he says, “I am the truth!” Jesus is more than the truth of his teachings, he is the truth himself. He points us to God, the beginning and the ending of everything, the Alpha and the Omega.
Jesus was trying to explain to Pilate that his kingdom was not made up of the same values and structures as Rome’s political, economic, and religious systems. Rome’s systems were meant to dominate, to oppress, to exploit the people. Jesus’ kingdom is the power of nonviolence, non-domination, or peace and love, of mutual caring for those that are suffering. Can you imagine a world where God were King instead of Bush, Blair, Putin and so forth? What a radical reversal we would have: peacemaking instead of warmongering, true freedom instead of exploitation and subjugation; care for the “least of these” instead of privileges for the rich and powerful; generosity instead of greed; inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness, one Beloved Community instead of the many divisions; no more blind, sick, political captives, hungry, and homeless.
Father Gerard Darring talks about the Kingdom in the following way: it is a space, a time, and a condition; it is past, present and future. As a space, “it exists in every home where parents and children love each other. It exists in every region and country that cares for its weak and vulnerable. It exists in every parish that reaches out to the needy.”[1] As a time “it happens whenever someone feeds a hungry person, or shelters a homeless person, or shows care to a neglected person. It happens whenever we overturn an unjust law, or correct an injustice, or avert a war. It happens whenever people join in the struggle to overcome poverty, to erase ignorance, to pass on the faith.[2] As a condition, its symptoms are love, justice, and peace. Father Darring says, “The Kingdom of God is in the past (in the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth); it is in the present (in the work of the Church and in the efforts of many others to create a world of goodness and justice); it is in the future (reaching its completion in the age to come).”[3]
The book of Revelations is a hard one for me to understand so I was especially pleased to read the commentary by Catherine and Justo Gonzalez[4] Rather than a gloomy, end-of-times book, it was originally a word of comfort and hope. It is a letter about the fullness of the church—the number seven so often used in Revelations is the traditional symbol for wholeness or completeness. It indicates that this book is written for an universal audience, all the churches that believe in Jesus as Christ the Lord. It’s an historical writing, yet it applies to us today. Although we may not be facing persecution, there are many circumstances where each of us and the church as a whole must decide between being faithful or successful in worldly terms, between being faithful or being popular. Let me give you couple of examples. When we hear a joke that makes fun of gay folks or shows racial prejudice, do we laugh? Or do we stop and take time to witness, to say that we are uncomfortable with such comments and acknowledge that we believe that all people are worthy of respect and dignity? Are we going to vote for politicians that will put eliminating poverty as a priority or ones that will be eager to cut taxes of the rich—even if the tax cut might help us.
Jesus came to testify to the truth. What is truth? We all know the story of the six blind men who went to see an elephant. Each felt the elephant and proclaimed what it looked like. One felt the belly and said it was a wall. One felt the trunk and said it was a snake. One felt the tusk and said it was a spear. One felt the ear and said it was a fan. One felt the tail and said it was a rope. Though each was partly in the right, all were in the wrong.
If we all can be together in a way that listens, respects and honors each other, I believe we will have a much better chance of coming to truth—whatever it is. Kahil Gibran in The Prophet says, “Say not, ‘I have found the truth’, but rather, ‘I have found a truth.’”
For us as Christians, Jesus is the truth yet we have libraries filled with books trying to interpret what that truth is. If only that wonderful Hebrew word, Shalom, signifying one’s total well being, could apply to everyone everywhere, than indeed we would have the Kingdom. Until that time, I will pray that you and I together keep trying to figure it out—not just in our intellect, but in the way we lead our lives. Remember Jesus was and is and ever shall be: the way, the truth, and the life. May we truly follow him. Amen.
[1]The Perspective of Justice, online http://liturgy.slu.edu/ChristKingB112606/reflections.html
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Westminster Bible Companion.
Scripture: 2 Sam.23:1-7, Rev 1:4b-8, John 18:33-37
As some of you may know, our church year begins with the first Sunday in Advent-which this year is in December but is usually the end of November. So today is the New Year’s Eve of the Christian year. The last Sunday in each year is set aside for Christ the King Sunday or more politically correct these days—Reign of Christ Sunday. Some feminists would call the sermon Jesus’ Kindom instead of Kingdom. Now although I don’t consider myself a full blown or radical feminist, I am very sensitive to gender based language. I know many women including my own daughter who have lots of trouble worshipping a male God. They reject calling Jesus a King because they know that not only are kings male, but they rule autocratically; they dictate rather than consult; and they issue commands rather than working towards consensus or least majority rule; they demand obedience and loyalty to themselves rather than seeking to serve others. Doesn’t sound like Jesus, does it? Yet there are good reasons to think about Jesus as King due to those last days when Pilate and he engage in the discussion about his being the “King of the Jews”.
As Americans, we are not oriented towards Kings or Queens; however, in the Hebrew Bible days, the Israelites demanded from their leader Samuel that they have a King. God warned them against it, saying that a king would not use them well and that they would be sorry; however, the peoples’ will prevailed, and Samuel appointed Saul as the first king. The next King was David, and it is his final thoughts that make up our 1st lesson today. In his lifetime he had learned that we are not called to serve out own interests—even if we are King—we are called to serve God. God wants kings to rule justly and with compassion. David knows he has not been perfect, yet he has wanted to be a ruler faithful to God and God’s ways. In Jesus, our leader, we have been shown a world where the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Jesus says very clearly that “My kingdom is not from this world.” For me this does not mean that his kingdom is in heaven, but that what he teaches is the opposite of what the world teaches. If he were a worldly king, he says his followers would be out there fighting to prevent him from being handed over to the crowds—and to his crucifixion. No, instead Jesus taught about a kingdom that lifted up the weak in the world. Rev. Anthony Clavier says, “Our king likes to go out into the streets in disguise. He turns up as a street person, a homeless, battered woman, a black teen taunted by young racists, and whispers to us that as we care for everyone, we care for him.” He hangs around with tax collectors and prostitutes; he touches lepers and heals the untouchables. His weapons are love, compassion, and truth.
Jesus tells Pilate that he came into the world to testify to the truth. More than just testifying to the truth, Jesus is the truth. Pilate can’t possibly understand when Jesus tells him he is here for one purpose: to testify to the truth. Jesus could explain it like this: If you want to call me a King, go ahead; however, I’m much more than that. I am here for one purpose, to testify to the truth, to reveal the world as God intended it to be. That is the whole purpose of my being in the world.” In the gospel of John, he says, “I am the truth!” Jesus is more than the truth of his teachings, he is the truth himself. He points us to God, the beginning and the ending of everything, the Alpha and the Omega.
Jesus was trying to explain to Pilate that his kingdom was not made up of the same values and structures as Rome’s political, economic, and religious systems. Rome’s systems were meant to dominate, to oppress, to exploit the people. Jesus’ kingdom is the power of nonviolence, non-domination, or peace and love, of mutual caring for those that are suffering. Can you imagine a world where God were King instead of Bush, Blair, Putin and so forth? What a radical reversal we would have: peacemaking instead of warmongering, true freedom instead of exploitation and subjugation; care for the “least of these” instead of privileges for the rich and powerful; generosity instead of greed; inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness, one Beloved Community instead of the many divisions; no more blind, sick, political captives, hungry, and homeless.
Father Gerard Darring talks about the Kingdom in the following way: it is a space, a time, and a condition; it is past, present and future. As a space, “it exists in every home where parents and children love each other. It exists in every region and country that cares for its weak and vulnerable. It exists in every parish that reaches out to the needy.”[1] As a time “it happens whenever someone feeds a hungry person, or shelters a homeless person, or shows care to a neglected person. It happens whenever we overturn an unjust law, or correct an injustice, or avert a war. It happens whenever people join in the struggle to overcome poverty, to erase ignorance, to pass on the faith.[2] As a condition, its symptoms are love, justice, and peace. Father Darring says, “The Kingdom of God is in the past (in the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth); it is in the present (in the work of the Church and in the efforts of many others to create a world of goodness and justice); it is in the future (reaching its completion in the age to come).”[3]
The book of Revelations is a hard one for me to understand so I was especially pleased to read the commentary by Catherine and Justo Gonzalez[4] Rather than a gloomy, end-of-times book, it was originally a word of comfort and hope. It is a letter about the fullness of the church—the number seven so often used in Revelations is the traditional symbol for wholeness or completeness. It indicates that this book is written for an universal audience, all the churches that believe in Jesus as Christ the Lord. It’s an historical writing, yet it applies to us today. Although we may not be facing persecution, there are many circumstances where each of us and the church as a whole must decide between being faithful or successful in worldly terms, between being faithful or being popular. Let me give you couple of examples. When we hear a joke that makes fun of gay folks or shows racial prejudice, do we laugh? Or do we stop and take time to witness, to say that we are uncomfortable with such comments and acknowledge that we believe that all people are worthy of respect and dignity? Are we going to vote for politicians that will put eliminating poverty as a priority or ones that will be eager to cut taxes of the rich—even if the tax cut might help us.
Jesus came to testify to the truth. What is truth? We all know the story of the six blind men who went to see an elephant. Each felt the elephant and proclaimed what it looked like. One felt the belly and said it was a wall. One felt the trunk and said it was a snake. One felt the tusk and said it was a spear. One felt the ear and said it was a fan. One felt the tail and said it was a rope. Though each was partly in the right, all were in the wrong.
If we all can be together in a way that listens, respects and honors each other, I believe we will have a much better chance of coming to truth—whatever it is. Kahil Gibran in The Prophet says, “Say not, ‘I have found the truth’, but rather, ‘I have found a truth.’”
For us as Christians, Jesus is the truth yet we have libraries filled with books trying to interpret what that truth is. If only that wonderful Hebrew word, Shalom, signifying one’s total well being, could apply to everyone everywhere, than indeed we would have the Kingdom. Until that time, I will pray that you and I together keep trying to figure it out—not just in our intellect, but in the way we lead our lives. Remember Jesus was and is and ever shall be: the way, the truth, and the life. May we truly follow him. Amen.
[1]The Perspective of Justice, online http://liturgy.slu.edu/ChristKingB112606/reflections.html
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Westminster Bible Companion.
posted by Sermons given at Deering Community Church @ 12:38 PM
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