Kings and Kingdoms

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37

Kings and Kingdoms, Princes and Principalities. At the risk of sounding whiney, the last time you shared your pulpit with me I cried over the tragic loss of a friend’s mother. Today we cry over a world continuing to go mad. Violence in Ethiopia, Baghdad, Syria, France; and yesterday Belgium went on high alert against suspected terror attacks. Belgium! Except for NATO Headquarters, fine chocolates, and the Chimay Abbey with their wonderful ales, what in the world is there in Belgium that would warrant Enhanced Terror Alerts? What in the world would elicit an attack?

I guess that goes to show what I know about world affairs.

“What in the world…?” is actually a question asked in our gospel passage today. Or at least that’s how I paraphrase Pilate’s question to Jesus on this day after state elections in Louisiana. I mention our elections because Roman politicians, Pilate included, were sophisticated enough that had they met Hughie Long he would have addressed them as “Suh.”

Jesus, son of Mary, what in the world have you done to make these people so upset that they come to me? What have you done to make the Sanhedrin, the temple elite, think I, the Roman Prelate of Palestine, am less of an enemy than you? What did you do to turn the entire countryside on its ear? What did you do to earn this level of spite from your own people?

Now that’s a question.

I love that their exchange includes repartee straight out of “The Princess Bride.” Remember when leaving the Fire Swamps Prince Humperdink shouts “Surrender!” to Westley and Westley graciously accepts? Listen to this—

Pilate asks “So, you a king?” Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king.” Like I say, right out of “Princess Bride,” but Jesus continues, “For this 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." But as Jesus said earlier in the passage, “my kingdom is not from here.”

We have heard the words of the glorious images that make up the answers to Pilate’s question since we began reading Mark’s and John’s Gospels at Advent last year. The images of the Baptism of the Lord, the miracles, the healings, the wisdom; these things begin answering the question, “What did you do.” But more than all of these things, more than these wonderful and glorious things, today we are given an image from John the Revelator about who Jesus is, what Jesus did and who he still is and what he continues to do.

He is the faithful witness. Jesus is the Christ, the select, the anointed. He is the one who was elected to come and bring the Word of life to the world. He is the one who does only what he sees his Father doing. He is the one who is in eternal relationship with the other persons of the Trinity. He participated in the works of God since before the beginning. He is the one who came to earth, fully human and fully divine, teaching us through his words and actions.

He is the firstborn of the dead. He is the one who was born to live to die and rise again. As we testify in the traditional version of the Apostles’ Creed, he descended into hell and rose again from the dead. As the firstborn of the dead, He is the Son who leads his brothers and sisters who have died and will die. He is the one who conquered death so that we will no longer know the full sting of the cold hard hand of mortality.

He has freed us from the power of sin by his own blood. As the Lamb of God, there is no other sacrifice that can be made that will be able to do what God has done now and forever through His Holy Son Jesus. There is no other priest that can make a sacrifice like the one the high priest of God makes of his own body, his own blood, his own life. By the power of his blood, we are free.

He is the ruler over the kings of the earth and has made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve him now and forever. Amen.

The question is not just what did Jesus do, it is what does Jesus continues to do. Pilate’s question is almost rhetorical. The answer he wants isn’t about the charges against Jesus. The politician in him knows all he needs to know to rule from the Pharisees who bring Jesus. As Tetrarch, Pilate knows what he plans to do, he wants more.

The question Pilate wants answered is much deeper than just a recitation of the charges; Pilate wants to know the Truth, “Truth” with a “Capital T,” about Jesus. The Truth Pilate wants to hear is the Truth we claim and testify on this Christ the King Sunday: The Lord is King and for this he was born and his kingdom is not of this earth. Creation is but a part of His kingdom.

From my “easily amused” file, November 6 was a pretty big day at our house. For the first time since September 2010, Olusegun Samuel released his seventh CD of original music titled, quite imaginatively, 7. Yes, he released a second disc of soul covers in 2011, but this is the first original music in over five years. Big deal, right? The name may not sound familiar, but Mr. Samuel is an acclaimed performer. He has won multiple Grammys and been nominated for an Academy Award.

This is where I give you the “Paul Harvey” “Rest of the Story” moment and tell you Olusegun Samuel is better known by the name Seal.

I have loved Seal’s music since his first CD, and being who I am, I prefer some of the unfamiliar songs from the CD’s that most people don’t hear very often. For example this song from his first disc released almost twenty-five years ago:

But if only you could see them
You could tell by their faces
They were kings and queens
Followed by princes and princesses
They were future power people
Throwing love to the loveless
Shining a light ‘cause they wanted it seen.

Well there were cries of why
Followed by cries of why not?
Can I reach out for you
If that feels good to me
And the riders will not stop us
Cause the only love they find is paradise
No the riders will not stop us
Cause the only love they find is paradise.

“Future Love Paradise” from Seal’s first CD is definitely one of my favorites. Funky beat, big hook, mad groove, great lyrics, what’s not to love?

But in a world gone mad, a world gone so very mad that Belgium has gone to “Alert Level ‘Danger Will Robinson’,” we have two choices. The first is to pack up the plantation, fill the moat, and pull up the drawbridge. We can retreat into ourselves so very deeply that we think, hope, we pray nobody can hurt us. We can try to create a cocoon that will protect us from the elements the world throws at us hoping to emerge like a butterfly when spring comes again to the world.

This doesn’t always work for the chrysalis though, does it? Last week’s squall line showed the damage one errant hailstone can inflict; the damage a big gust of wind can bring. Multiplied umpteen times and our shells don’t stand a chance.

Or we can take a better path. In Seal’s words, we can live like princes and princesses. We can shine the light because the King and the Kingdom want it seen and when the world asks why we can answer “why not?” Reaching out is always better than living in fear. Always.

That is future, love, paradise. In the words of our Prayer of Illumination, we act on our prayer that “the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under [God’s] most gracious rule.”

We need to remember the words of the American sonnet called “The New Colossus” which was placed at the foot of a French statue:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give us your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
These American ideals, these Christian ideals, these show the world that we are not afraid of its chaos. We know the author of peace. We know the author of joy. We know the King of Kings.

The King of Kings lives and breathes and remains with us. We are to share this glorious hope not as people in pews, not as a man in the pulpit, not as mere mortal beings, but in the words of the Revelation, “as priests serving his God and father.” In this we rejoice in God’s triumph on behalf of all creation.

Yes, we know that the world is in an uproar and I see no end in sight. To paraphrase one of my favorite passages from Job, we know that Satan, the oppressor, the King of Lies, is in this world, just wandering around in it like an evil Johnny Appleseed sowing discontent. Yeah, we know that’s true.
But what’s more important than Satan’s lies is God’s truth. What’s more important is what Jesus tells Pilate, the Lord’s kingdom is not from this world. That is the truth we are called to share, that is our testimony.

As princes and princesses in the Kingdom of God we are called to shine the light of hope, the hope of God in Christ who came on a colt, not on a tank.
And so now I say again in the words of John the Revelator, “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

“To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Extra-Terrestrial

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall Texas on Sunday November 25, 2012, the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This is also Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday.

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Psalm 132:1-12

Revelation 1:4b-8

John 18:33-37

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen.

This month on facebook, many of my pastor friends have participated in something called “Thirty Days of Thankfulness.” Some of your friends may have been doing this too. Beginning on Reformation Day and continuing throughout November, people have been sharing what they are thankful for.

People are thankful for family and friends. People are thankful for the roof over their heads. People are thankful for the jobs that help provide the roof over their family’s heads. People are thankful for sun and snow. People are thankful for first responders and the Red Cross because nobody is thankful for Superstorm Sandy. Many of my friends are of course thankful for the one who makes all of this, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I have thought about this constantly. I have decided I am thankful for words. I love the written word. I love a good novel. I love good magazine articles. I love getting letters and cards, especially with notes written inside. I love messages sent and received on facebook and Twitter. I love sharing through email. I even love composing and sending the pastoral letter every month, though some months are better than others. I love the Word of God. Above all, I am thankful for the word of God. I love the word who was God. I love the word who was with God. I love God who is the Alpha and the Omega. The one who was, is, and is to come.

There are some words that end up changing. It has to do with the way words are used than it has to do with the words themselves. Slang has a lot to do with that. So does emerging technology.

There’s a word that is almost missing completely from our vocabulary, King. All royal terms are now almost missing from our vocabulary. Unless you read a British scandal rag or an American tabloid there’s no reason for us to even consider the words and titles or royalty anymore.

Those of you who are around my age may remember this: In 1972, a man named David McCall noticed that his sons could remember the lyrics to songs on the radio, but could not remember their multiplication tables. So he wrote a song about multiplying by threes called “Three Is a Magic Number.” It tested well with kids and ended up on a children’s album. At the same time, a man named Tom Yohe heard the song and began making doodles that fit the music.[1] This is how Multiplication Rock! began. With the addition of Grammar Rock! in 1974 they evolved into Schoolhouse Rock! In 1975 America Rock! was born with the coming of the American Bicentennial celebration.

One of the songs from America Rock! is called “No More Kings.”  It’s a ditty about American Independence from the English Monarchy.  In three minutes it chronicled American history from the pilgrim landing of 1620 through the Boston Tea Party of 1773.  It portrayed King George first as a benevolent protector of the colonies and later as an uncaring, oppressive tyrant.  The clarion call of the song was found in its final verses:

They wanted no more Mother England.
They knew the time had come
For them to take command.

It's very clear you're being unfair, King,
No matter what you say, we won't obey.
Gonna hold a revolution now, King,

And we're gonna run it all our way
With no more kings...

We're gonna elect a president! (No more kings)
He's gonna do what the people want! (No more kings)
We're gonna run things our way! (No more kings)
Nobody's gonna tell us what to do![2]

No more kings has been our clarion call for nearly 240 years. No more kings! We are very serious about this, and we should be. We don’t want a government that doesn’t respond to the people. As the song says, “[The President]'s gonna do what the people want!” With nearly 240 years without a king, monarchy is little more than a weak concept to us. This doesn’t upset me, but it doesn’t leave us with much context for what a king or kingdom is. And that is important in today’s gospel reading. It is important on this, Christ the King Sunday.

Today we enter the drama between Pilate and Jesus. It begins as the Sanhedrin, the temple leadership, has finally been able to bring Jesus before the Roman Governor Pilate. The Scribes and the Pharisees accuse Jesus of calling himself a King. In the Roman Empire this is a treasonous offence; because there is no other King aside from Caesar. Debate raged between the leaders of the temple and the governor of the state. “Why do you bring him to me?” Pilate asks.  “Because he’s guilty!” they answer. Realizing that the temple leaders would see Jesus killed, Pilate goes to Jesus himself and asks “Are you the King of the Jews?” 

Pilate asks Jesus a political question, “Are you the King of the Jews? Are you their King,” It is the question Pilate needs answered if he is going to execute Jesus. If Jesus is a rival king, then he is guilty of treason and subject to execution by the hand of the empire he rebels against. It’s the law of the land. If Jesus is of no earthly political threat, there is no reason that he should be held by Rome. If he is a threat to the temple, that is a matter for the Sanhedrin, not Pilate. Oh and how I imagine Pilate hoped this would be their matter instead of his. 

Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 

As with most tests, Jesus does not answer directly. He answers by asking, “Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?” Pilate confirms that no Roman authority delivers Jesus to Roman law; it is his own nation and the chief priests. Then Pilate asks the question of all questions: “What is it that you have done?”

What have you done? What have you done to deserve this fate? What have you done to cause such an uproar? What have you done that the chief priests of your own people will bring you to me to be executed?

So Jesus answers, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

A word that gets a lot of attention is “extra.” It has many different nuances, but in general it means “more.” This is how Taco Bell gives us the XXL Steak Nachos; extra, extra large. This is how teachers came up with “extra credit” to give more points to students for more work.

Sometimes though, it means “beyond.” We’re all familiar with the old movie “ET: The Extraterrestrial.” It’s a film about a little guy from outer space. Extraterrestrial means “beyond our world.” To us, we can say that Jesus’ kingdom is extraterrestrial; from beyond our world, from another place. Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Marie recently gave me a copy of Mitch Albom’s new book, “The Time Keeper.”[3] One of the main characters is the first man who measured time. Measured time was such a novel concept that it took the people from pagan religions where gods of dark and light fought over the skies to the Timex, Swatch, and Rolex. Measuring time moved us from a broad concept of seasons to a concrete understanding of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Albom’s understanding of time, which is nothing new, allows us say that the kingdom of God is now and forever, now and not yet, and yesterday, today, and tomorrow. This view of time, both ethereal and concrete, helps us see another way that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world. Christ’s kingdom not only exists beyond this world, it exists both inside and outside of time. That’s a kingdom Pilate could never have considered.

So we have a king, a great king whose kingdom exists outside of anything we have ever experienced; not really of this world, not really of this time. In that way, this king’s reign doesn’t threaten us because of how it exists and how it doesn’t exist. This is a time when we run into our American mindset. Again from Bicentennial Rock!

We're gonna elect a president! (No more kings)
He's gonna do what the people want! (No more kings)
We're gonna run things our way! (No more kings)
Nobody's gonna tell us what to do![4]

I believe that Americans, as a people, have no concept of kings, kingship, and kingdoms. In the Old Testament, it represented the national or civil monarchy.[5] The books of Kings and Chronicles show the varying success of these earthly kingdoms. The word is also used for the Redeemer King.[6] These are the kings of the Psalms. To the Greeks, the king was the lawful and usually priestly ruler of the people, in a good sense[7] (whatever that means). While this king points to the civil kings, it is also the fertile soil of the Messiah to come. This is the king we speak of when we speak of Christ the King.

As Americans, democracy, the voice of the people, and self governance are ingrained upon us. This kingship is foreign to us, and a little frightening. Kings call us to give up control of our and that doesn’t always set well. Giving up our right to control our own lives is positively undemocratic. Yet, that is how we are to live in the Reign of Christ under his kingship.

We know the slogan “God is my co-pilot.” While this keeps our personal sense of control in order, it is a poor substitute for the kingdom to come. It affirms self control and denies the Kingship of Christ. Honestly, if God is not our pilot we are going the wrong way. God is sovereign, God is in control, and this is the way of the kingdom to come.

Our call, our vocation is not to live in the turmoil of our daily lives, but in the reign of Christ. On this Christ the King Sunday we are called to remember this: Our lives are different, but not so different. There are now and have always been kings and governments and commitments that have made a play for our attention, our devotion, our honor. Our call; here and beyond, now and forever, is to be citizens in Christ’s kingdom.

So for me, I am thankful for words. I am thankful for words, like love, and peace, and grace, and hope. I am thankful for the Reign of Christ that makes these words more than words. I am thankful for the Reign of Christ that makes these words more than just words; yesterday, today and tomorrow; now and forever and always; on earth as it is in heaven.

---

[1] Schoolhouse Rock, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoolhouse_Rock

[2] Ahern, Lynn, “No More Kings.”  Lyrics found at http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/No.html

[3] Albom, Mitch, “The Time Keeper.” New York: Hyperion, 2012.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. I, page 565.

[6] Ibid. page 566.

[7] Ibid. page 564.

The Decider

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday November 20, 2011, the 34th and last Sunday of Ordinary Time. This day is celebrated as Christ the King Sunday.

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Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Psalm 100

Ephesians 1:15-23

Matthew 25:31-46

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen.

The Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 set aside federal land in every state to establish a state university. The act required the universities to establish what we call today Reserve Officer Training Corps units. It also required instruction in agricultural, technical, and mechanical arts. The county extension service was also created under this act to improve agricultural and homemaking skills throughout the states. The Morrill Act created what we know as the A&M’s, A&T’s, and State Universities.

Because of the land donation, the law encouraged the universities to be built in rural and out of the way areas of the state. This helped reduce urban distractions that detract from higher education. Looking at the locations of the land grant schools in this region makes this point. Some of the fabulous cities which host these universities include College Station, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Stillwater, Oklahoma; Manhattan, Kansas; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Auburn, Alabama; and the possibly aptly named Starkville, Mississippi.

Yet one hundred fifty years after the Morrill Act was passed, these university towns are among some of the most livable cities in America. Forbes list of most livable cities often include the land grant school cities of Madison, Wisconsin; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Fayetteville, Arkansas. The question of what shaped the quality of life in these towns is a chicken-and-egg thing; were these cities always livable or did the university make the city livable? The truth is that the university serves as a hub for business and industry and arts and leisure that make these cities livable. Without the universities these cities wouldn’t be destinations, they’d be the middle of nowhere.

Everyone wants to defend their alma mater, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I ask: Would you want to go to College Station or Baton Rouge if it weren’t for the university?

There is one problem with the cities that host these universities. These small towns often end up with big city problems like poverty and crime. By the insulated nature of these communities and the university itself, these problems and others are often swept into corners and hidden. They don’t happen often, and that’s not bad news, but because of this lack of frequency first responders and law enforcement officials don’t have the experience their big-city brethren have.

Often, these issues are ignored hoping they will go away. A couple of weeks ago, these issues came together in a perfect storm of horror in at State College, Pennsylvania a former coach, at one time the heir apparent to become head coach, was named in a grand jury report concerning several horrible incidents of child abuse.

I won’t go into the full story as I know it; because not only do I not know the full story, but the full story hasn’t unfolded yet. Still, some things must be asked and answered. These questions include “Who knew what and when did they know it?” and “Who should have done what?” Pundits and parents are asking about the differences between fulfilling “legal responsibilities” and following “moral imperatives.” People don’t seem to be asking “Did this really happen?” In American jurisprudence this is important because every accused person goes to trial with the presumption of innocence. This question is also the reason people add the word “alleged” when specifying names and crimes.

There’s also an old expression for times like this, “There’s a special place in hell for someone who would harm a child like this.”

By the way, I’m not going into the similar controversy happening with the basketball program at Syracuse University because it is now just coming to light. That and the ‘Cuse doesn’t fit my “land grant school” motif.[1] This morning Marie asked me if coaches were becoming the new “Catholic Priests” and all I could say was “yes.”

So I want to reiterate this: I believe there is a special place in hell for someone who would harm a child like this. This is where we connect to our gospel reading this morning.

I have often undersold the story of the sheep and goats and that’s my loss. Jesus tells a wild, wild tale. Beyond a story, it’s in my opinion the wildest prophetic view of end times, the second coming and eternal judgment in Matthew’s gospel.

Our reading begins with the word that sets the stage for the apocalyptic prophecy, “when.” Using this definite adverb, Jesus begins by proclaiming this event will happen like it has already happened. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.” Jesus has told all of his disciples that he will come in his glory.

At this point, all of the nations come gathered; collected before Christ the King on his throne. There he separates the people just like a shepherd separates sheep and goats. These images are intentional. Jesus is referred to as the Good Shepherd in scripture so this is not an accident. In fact, these images sound a lot like our reading from Ezekiel. Jesus chose this image carefully.

The nation of Israel is often referred to as sheep. The Lord has had a special relationship nation of Israel since the beginning, since Genesis. These images and thoughts come together in verse 34 when King Jesus says to the sheep, “take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

This portrayal of the sheep is good as far as it goes. Matthew’s gospel was directed toward Jewish believers, but this particular prophecy also has an eye toward those who spread the word of the risen Christ and those who support those them. Those gentiles who support the Kingdom of Heaven, supporting the church and those who spread the Good News, they are also included in the sheep of this fold.

In this passage Jesus tells us that those who hear his voice work on behalf of his kingdom. This is true; the sheep of his fold are those who hear his voice and follow his commands. Those who love the Lord hear his voice and follow his commands. By this, some people say that we can be saved by works; some read this to say that if you’re good you will enter into the kingdom. We in the reformed tradition stand firmly against this. We are saved by grace through faith, and we demonstrate our faith in responding to God’s grace in word and deed. It is up to us to share the Good News of the risen Christ and support those who share the good news.

We need to remember that in the ancient of days there were those who persecuted Christians. There were Christians who are hungry and thirsty and there was no one to give them something to eat or a cool water to drink. There were evangelists who traveled to share the Good News who had no place to lay their heads. There were missionaries who were imprisoned for doing what the Lord called them to do. There were even rabbis who shared the difficult words of life, not just the popular ones, and they were cast aside because the message was too much for some to hear.

As true as this was then, it is just as true today. This passage is about the missionaries and evangelists who share the good news yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Even more so, it is for those who support them.[2]

What’s interesting about this passage is that everybody seems to be surprised to be included in either the sheep or the goats. Everyone asks “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

The righteous and the cursed both ask this question. Both groups, the sheep and the goats, don’t recognize when they have served and when they have failed. In Matthew’s reading, nobody really knows which variety of livestock they will be lumped in. Neither group can tell. They just don’t know.

So, this gets back to where I began. I do believe there’s a special place in hell for someone who would harm a child, but here’s the rub, it’s not up to me to decide who the sheep are and who the goats are. No matter what I think, no matter how “well qualified” I think I am to make that judgment; it’s not up to me. With what happened at Penn State, I am not qualified to decide who gets to go to the “special place.” The responsibility for that decision has been given by the Father to the Son to decide.

Returning to scripture, the answer to “who judges the righteous and who judges the cursed?” are right in front of us. Verse 32 tells us “[The Son of Man] will separate the people one from another. Verse 34 then tells us “Come, you who are blessed by my Father…” Matthew’s gospel tells us it is the Father who blesses the righteous who are separated from the cursed by the King at the final judgment.

As for the others, Matthew doesn’t call them the evil or the unrighteous; he simply calls them “you who are cursed.” Jesus doesn’t say who curses them; he just says they are cursed. To say they are cursed by the Lord is to say a defendant’s guilt is caused by the judge. The judge only put the state’s seal on the proceeding.

Matthew doesn’t say the devil is the one who curses them either. The devil and the cursed will share the same punishment, but the devil can’t force anybody to do anything. Tempt, yes. Coerce, no.

There is no time when it is up to us to decide who are the sheep and who are the goats. It is not up to us to decide who will be with Christ the King in the Kingdom of God and who will be with the devil in eternal torment. This is up to the Lord. So if we don’t decide who’s a sheep and who’s a goat then what do we get to decide?

We are called to make choices for our lives and our families. It is up to us to choose how we live. It is up to us as parents and as the Body of Christ to raise disciples who are able to make good decisions. Are we to choose the life scripture calls us to lead or are we to go and do what we want? Are we to be tempted to keep our own agendas or are we to work for the good of God’s good earth? Are we to reject the great unwashed or should we remember that when we do for the least of people around us in truth we serve the Lord?

It is our choice, and as for me and this house, we will serve the Lord.

We come together today on Christ the King Sunday to declare that God is sovereign. We come and testify that Christ is King. One of the king’s responsibilities is to judge creation, and Matthew shows us this will happen. He doesn’t say when, he doesn’t go into all of the twists and turns of apocalyptic prophecy. Matthew simply tells us the Son of Man will come in his glory and when he does he will sit on his throne and judge. Nothing more, nothing less.

Matthew doesn’t say that the goats will be sent in the realm of the devil. On the contrary, we read that those who are cursed will be sent into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The devil isn’t the king of this kingdom, he isn’t the king of anything. He’s just another soul writhing in agony. Christ is the King of all creation.

It is up to us to judge our own behavior. It is up to us to judge the behavior of others to say “this is a good role model.” It is up to us to judge the behavior of others to say “that is no sort of behavior for me, for a follower of Christ.”

Christ is the king, we are the servants. It is up to us to share God’s word with the world and support those who share the word. It’s not up to us to decide who will be saved and who will not because Christ the king makes that decision. Taking time and energy to make this judgment ultimately distracts us doing what we are called to do. It is up to us to feed the hungry and give a cold drink to the thirsty, to offer shelter to the sojourner, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned.

By this we don’t earn our salvation. By this we participate in the salvation of the world. By this we decide to join in with God’s redemptive work in creation.

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[1] Syracuse University has a historical connection to the United Methodist Church.

[2] “The New Interpreter’s Bible.” Leander Keck, General Editor, v. VIII, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995, page 456.

Thy Kingdom Come

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday November 21, 2010; Christ the King Sunday, the thirty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

“Thy Kingdom Come,” are there any more wonderful, glorious words in the English language than “Thy Kingdom Come?” I don’t think so. If there is any thing wrong with these three marvelous words it is the way we have been conditioned to say them.

You know what I mean, don’t you? We have been conditioned all our lives that while in church we are to speak in hushed tones and in a lower voice. There is a dour, almost sour way of speaking that we have used all our lives when joining in with the congregational responses from the bulletin. You know what I mean [in a deep voice] “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” It’s all right to laugh; I hope you laugh. It’s not our fault; it’s the way we’ve been conditioned. It’s the church tone that is left over from the Puritans who came over on the Mayflower and has continued ever since.

Shoot, I wonder if that tone was taught in catechism classes in Rome with Peter telling the kids to bow their heads and hush their voices. At any rate, back to those glorious words, “Thy Kingdom Come.”

The phrase “Kingdom of God” is used 32 times in Luke’s gospel. It is used more than any other phrase in this gospel. The first mention of the Kingdom of God is in the fourth chapter where Jesus says, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”

In the list of blessings and woes, Luke’s version of The Sermon on the Mount he says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” When the children are being shooed away from the Lord he tells the world not to because the kingdom of God belongs to those such as these. He even says that it will be more difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. He doesn’t say the rich are forsaken, but he surely implies that those who depend on their own ample resources will never have enough.

Jesus sent the twelve apostles into the world giving “them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” When they returned they reported all they had done. Scripture doesn’t tell us what they did or said, but since it doesn’t tell us they returned after a long unfruitful journey we can assume they returned with stories to tell.

In the same way, later he sends out the seventy-two to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God is near. He gave them the word that whether his peace is accepted in these towns or not, the kingdom is still near.

When Jesus is asked what the kingdom of God is like, he tells them that it “is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” While Jesus warns all with ears to hear about the yeast of the Pharisees, there is one yeast that when mixed in the flour makes the dough rise in the most wonderful way.

We are told that “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God” and those who do will be blessed.

Jesus was sent to proclaim the kingdom of God. He declared that the kingdom is for the poor and the young; those who are powerless in this world.

He sent the twelve into the world to preach the kingdom of God with power and authority, and then he gave the same charge to the seventy-two. He says that the kingdom will come like a pinch of yeast which works itself throughout the dough and people will come from all directions to take their place at the feast in the kingdom and they will be blessed.

Strangely, wondrously, gloriously; Luke’s gospel also shares this examination of Jesus by the Synagogue’s power elite: “Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, “Here it is,” or “There it is,” because the kingdom of God is within you.’”

We can go to the corners of the earth, leaving no stone unturned; we can consult all of the holiest people of every time and place; but ultimately the place where we will find the kingdom of God is within us. Jesus told this to the Pharisees, those who would have him killed; he told them, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Without a doubt, the one single thing Jesus says about the kingdom of God more than any other is that it is near. Jesus made sure that the people knew that the kingdom of God is near.

Now, this is important for us here and now. The kingdom of God is near. It’s not that the kingdom was near. Or that the kingdom will be near. Jesus didn’t even say that the kingdom was present with him and will return when he returns. Surely the kingdom is more obvious when he is the one talking about it, but that doesn’t replace the truth of the words of the Lord; the kingdom of God is near.

It will be coming next week when we begin to celebrate Advent, after all the word advent means coming. And it was near at the time in our reading, even as those who would have Jesus killed have seemingly succeeded. Jesus hangs on the cross, his body approaches death (not something resembling death but honest to goodness death), and the kingdom of God is near.

Above his head is a sign, a written notice reading “This is the King of the Jews.” It doesn’t say this in the New International Version, but other biblical manuscripts say that this sign was written in Greek, Latin, and Aramaic. It was written above him so that anyone who walked by, whether Greek, Roman, or Palestinian, whether a citizen or resident or traveler, anybody who happened upon this scene would know what Pilate thought of the Lord. This survives today too. If you have ever seen a crucifix with the letters “INRI” written on a sign above the head of the crucified Jesus you have seen how it survives. INRI are the initials for “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” in Latin.

Pilate wrote it and had it affixed without believing it was true. We believe. Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews, Christ the King, we believe.

Then as if passing him on the street, passing the Lord like a starlet on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one of the criminals looks over and says, “Say, aren’t you the Christ?” Then he asks for the crucifixion equivalent of the picture on Hollywood Boulevard, he demands (not begs, but demands) “Save yourself and save us!” Well at least he suggests Jesus save himself before taking care of them. That’s more generous than the many others would have been.

But then the other man, the second criminal reminds his comrade that they are all under he same sentence. They will meet the same fate; they’re going to die together. He also makes sure to remind his cohort that they deserve their sentence, Jesus does not.

Then he asks one thing. Remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Then he is assured, today he will be in paradise with Jesus. This plea, Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom, has become a wonderful chorus, a chant created by the Taize community. Then again, if there is one thing wrong with this wonderful chant it is the way we have been conditioned to sing it. Yes, it is the way a chant is intended to be sung, but this somber request will never be confused with a praise chorus. Anyway…

We pray “Thy Kingdom Come.” We know the kingdom is near. We know the kingdom is within us. Yet, I dare say, if we dug into the deepest, darkest recesses of life on earth, it sure wouldn’t seem like the kingdom of God is anywhere near.

The newspaper reported that two men were arrested in connection to an October 4 home invasion in Karnack and were indicted by a grand jury Thursday for burglary of a habitation, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and unlawfully carrying a weapon by a felon. Where was the kingdom of God?

On Friday night at the high school field house, five players were ejected with 3:27 left in the first quarter following a brawl that broke out when two players, one from Marshall and the other from Longview, jumped on the floor for a loose ball. They were each ejected from the game along with four others who were ejected for following the altercation, which included players leaving each bench. Where was the kingdom of God?

On Tuesday a 16-year-old juvenile, who fired a gun into a home in September, pled “true” to deadly conduct charges Monday before County-Court-at-Law Judge Jim Ammerman. He got the maximum sentence of ten years for his crime. District Attorney Andrew Froelich recommended the maximum sentence, something he has never done before in a juvenile case, because of the number and escalating violence of the minor’s crimes. Where was the kingdom of God?

An innocent man is nailed to a cross, a victim of history certainly, but in truth he was a victim of no one and nothing. As the King, as the sovereign, he was in control of everything. He was in charge, even as he was being mocked by a simple thief. Where was the kingdom of God?

In each of these cases, and in every case in our lives, the kingdom of God is near. The kingdom of God is within us. As sure as it is here in this sanctuary this morning, the kingdom of God was present in the in the house that was being riddled with gunfire. The kingdom of God was on the basketball court and even with those two repeat offenders who broke into that home.
Perhaps even more so, the kingdom of God was with the victims of these heinous actions.

As much as it doesn’t seem to be true, this makes the truth even more compelling, the kingdom of God is near.

Theologians have a phrase for just this; it is “now and not yet.” Yes, the kingdom of God is here, it is near just as Jesus promised. At the same time, it sure seems to be beyond our reach as we read in the newspaper everyday. So this gives us an awesome choice.

Our choice is simple; we can choose to live as now or not yet. Friends, rejoice! The kingdom of God is near. This is what we are called to do. The kingdom of God is within us. The kingdom of God is for the poor and the children and the powerless. The kingdom of God is for the widows and the orphans. Blessed are even the rich when they depend on God and not their own devices.

The kingdom of God is for the sick and the infirm. The kingdom of God slowly and gently works its way through the world as yeast does the dough. People will come to hear the word of the kingdom of God and many will travel to spread the word; first Jesus, then the twelve, then the seventy-two and now us. Through all of this, let us rejoice that we will not say “‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” It is within us.

So let us now, in our best outdoor voices, the one we use to call across the street to our friends and neighbors, the one we should use when praising God, let us shout out, “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Kingdom Come.” The kingdom of God is near. Amen.

What Have You Done?

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on Sunday November 22, 2009, the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Christ the King Sunday.

2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 132:1-12
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

I love the written word. I love the Word of God written, I love good theology written, and I love a good novel. I love little messages on facebook and Twitter. I love sharing wisdom through email. I even love composing and sending the pastoral letter every month for “The Epistle.” There is one thing that is difficult though, things that are obvious in the spoken word get lost in the written word.

In some forms of writing, there is often a presumption of shared experience. The shared experience allows the writer to tell the reader something in fewer words because there is a presumption that the set-up is known to the reader. After reading the first James Bond novel, we know who Bond is, so we don’t have to go through a detailed introduction in each novel. Because of shared experience, a few words is all it takes.

But this presumption is not always valid. One of the places where it is least valid is in social networking websites, tools like facebook, Twitter, and email; and in these settings, misunderstandings can quickly make their way around the world between breakfast and lunch. In the church it is true, with implications in the work of the Kingdom of God.

It is with this that I restate Pilate’s question to Jesus, “What have you done?”

The way we often read this, the way I have always read it, is that Pilate stands as judge and asks Jesus for a recitation of the charges. Pilate is asking a question the way a judge asks an accused. There is no reason to think this is a misinterpretation of Pilate’s question. After all, Pilate is the Prefect of Judea. Jesus was brought to Pilate for judgment by the Sanhedrin. This tone, this way that Pilate asks this question is valid, but I want us to consider something else.

Consider this, consider this little bit of the historical and cultural setting as well as the passage’s setting. First, let’s remember that Pilate was a politician. As any good politician, he knew what was going on in his district. He knew who the players were. He knew who had power, both formal and informal power. He knew the movers and shakers, and he knew the blowhards and stuffed shirts. He would have his finger on the pulse of the countryside, especially right before the Passover.

Pilate would have gotten the news that there was a prophet in the Judean hills performing great and miraculous signs and wonders. He would have been told about the healings. He would have heard that this prophet had bested the Scribes and Pharisees in several battles of wits.

Pilate would have heard about the crowds that had gathered around him, and were continuing to grow around him. He absolutely would have heard of this prophet entering Jerusalem on the back of a colt. Even if Pilate had no idea about the prophetic implications[1] of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, he would have known something big was happening because of the crowds and the shouts of “Hosanna.”

As the Prefect, Pilate was appointed by the Emperor to oversee Judea. The first thing he did was push the Judean leaders so that they would push back in one of those lovely “big dog” moments. The Judeans got a good look at how hard Pilate would push and Pilate saw how Judeans would push back.[2] It became known quickly that Pilate was a firm, but not a brutal ruler. The first dance soon ended and the administration of Judea by Pilate had begun. As with any occupying force, Pilate was not loved by those whose homeland was occupied.

So let’s reset the scene. Pilate is Prefect. He is a firm foreign ruler over a proud nation. He is not despised, but he is not loved by those he rules. In the verses just prior to this scene, the Sanhedrin had come to Pilate asking him to crucify Jesus. When Pilate asks them why, they say, “We wouldn’t bring him to you if he didn’t deserve it.” It’s like the old expression that only the guilty get arrested.

The story goes that the Sanhedrin turned Jesus over to Pilate because the Jewish leaders could not execute prisoners, but this may not be true. At least one source says that the Sanhedrin may have had the authority to execute prisoners for breaking religious law.[3] If this is true, they would have been able to execute Jesus for (by their account) his blasphemy. If they tried to do this, there surely would have been rioting in the streets; the disciples of Jesus taking on the religious rulers. This would have been no good at all for any of them. Any civil unrest, especially at the Passover would have forced Pilate’s firm hand against the entire nation.

So yes, they could have executed Jesus for breaking religious law, but they were so nervous over the fallout that they were willing to go to the ruler they did not like asking him to do what they themselves would not do.

As a politician shrewd enough to gain this post, Pilate was able to put one and one together and come up with two. In this case, it meant that he knew what Jesus was doing; and even if Pilate didn’t know the theological and prophetic ramifications of what he was doing, he knew that it was making the Jewish ruling elite very, very nervous.

So here’s how I choose to rephrase this question, Pilate asks Jesus, What have you done? What have you done to make these guys so upset that they come to me? What did you do to turn the entire countryside on its ear? What did you do to earn this level of spite from your own people? What have you done to make these people think I was less of an enemy than you?
That’s the question. What did Jesus do?

The glorious images that make up the answers to this question have been with us since we began reading the Gospels of Mark and John at Advent last year. The images of the Baptism of the Lord, the miracles, the healings; these things help answer the question, “What did you do.” But more than all of these things, more than these wonderful and glorious things, we are given an image from John the Revelator about who Jesus is and what he did and about what he continues to do.

He is the faithful witness. Jesus is the Christ, the select, the anointed; he is the one who was elected to come and bring the Word of the Lord to life in the world. He is the one who does only what he sees his Father doing. He is the one who in eternal relationship with the other persons of the Holy Trinity has seen and participated in the works of God since before the beginning. He is the one who came to earth, fully human and fully divine, teaching us through his words and actions.

He is the firstborn of the dead. He is the one who died and rose again. As we testify in the Apostles’ Creed, he descended into hell and rose again from the dead. As the firstborn of the dead, He is the Son who leads his brothers and sisters who too have died and will too die. He is the one who conquered death so that we will no longer know the sting of the cold hard hand of mortality.

He has freed us from the power of sin by his own blood. As the Lamb of God, there is no other sacrifice that can be made that will be able to do what God has done now and forever through His Holy Son Jesus. There is no other priest that can make a sacrifice like the one the high priest of God makes of his own body, his own blood, his own life. By the power of his blood, we are freed. This we celebrate today and as often as we share the plate and the cup.

He is the ruler over the kings of the earth and has made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve him now and forever. Amen.

The question is not just what did Jesus do, it is what does Jesus continue to do. Pilate’s question is almost rhetorical. The answer he wants isn’t about the charges; the politician in him knows all he needs from the Pharisees who bring Jesus. The question Pilate wants answered is much deeper than just a recitation of the charges; Pilate wants to know the truth about Jesus. The truth Pilate wants to hear is the truth we testify to on this Christ the King Sunday is that the Lord is King and for this he was born. In this we rejoice in God’s triumph on behalf of all creation.[4]

The King of Kings lives and breathes and remains with us. We are to share this glorious hope not as people in pews, not as a fat man in the pulpit, not as mere mortal beings, but in the words of the Revelation, “as priests serving his God and father.”

[1] Zechariah 9:9
[2] Pilate, Pontius entry, The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Vol. 4. Katharine Doob Sakenfeld, General Editor. Nashville: TN, Abingdon Press, 2009, page 526.
[3] Ibid.
[4] This is a nod to “Rejoice, the Lord Is King” (Lyric by Charles Wesley, Music by John Darwall). This was sung as the Hymn of Response following the sermon.

Rabbit Trails

This sermon that was heard at the First Presbyterian Church on Sunday November 23, 2008, Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday, the 34th and last Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Psalm 100
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

In geometry, a line that intersects a curve at only one point is called a tangent line, a tangent for short. The single point where they touch is the tangent point. The most common way of drawing a tangent line is to draw a circle and then draw a straight line that touches the circle just once. Look out though, if the line intersects the curve at two points, it’s not a tangent anymore, it’s a secant.

Of course this is the easy way to describe a tangent. There are tangents in three dimensions, like where a ball touches the floor, that’s a tangent plane with its single tangent point. Actually, the line doesn’t have to be straight; a tangent point exists even when two circles touch at only one point. The curve doesn’t even have to be a circle, but that’s most familiar. It could be an ellipse, or a parabola, or a cone, or whatever other curved geometric figure you have in mind.

This is just the middle school geometry description of a tangent. This doesn’t include the tangent in trigonometry. In trig functions, on a triangle, the tangent of an angle is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the length of the adjacent side. In fact, there is even a secant in trigonometry. That’s the ratio of the length of the hypotenuse to the length of the adjacent side, which is the reciprocal of the equation used to find the cosine.

If you are wondering just what in the name of all that’s holy I’m doing reading from an ACT/SAT prep manual you have every right. I am trying to make a point. The point being that in rhetoric, a tangent is a line of reasoning that goes off of the main thought. Sure, it touches at one point, but from there it’s off into the wild blue yonder, just like how a tangent line touches the curve.

Notice I started with one description of a tangent, a very simple one, and then took it all over the place. So not only did I explain two types of mathematical tangents, I used my description of mathematical tangents to create a description of a rhetorical tangent. That’s going off on a tangent. So let me get back to the main thought.

When reading this passage from Matthew’s gospel, one of the things that grabs me and demands my attention is the wonderful imagery. The pictures drawn by the mind’s eye are bold and vivid. Who doesn’t imagine something that Cecil B. De Mille couldn’t put on screen in “The Ten Commandments”? I see a valley, like the one off of the highway by the Bluebird outside of Eureka Springs. I imagine the throne of glory in the field, a fog settling around on a cool crisp morning. Like ants marching across the plain, I imagine the procession of sheep and goats making their joyful way to the Lord in his glory.

This may be the image most commonly associated with this passage, the sheep and the goats. The people of the church often see this part of the passage envisioning themselves as the sheep, with concern and even pity for those goats who will go away into eternal punishment. The weeping and gnashing of teeth thing we read last week has new urgency when we read about eternal punishment. It’s very, very scary.

We hear from the Lord who sits upon the throne of his glory that he will put the sheep at his right hand where they are blessed by the Father and will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world for they fed the Son of Man when hungry, gave drink when thirsty, welcomed him when a stranger. They gave him clothing when naked, took care of him when ill, and visited while in prison. In very real ways, they carried the Lord when the Lord needed carrying.

“When, oh when did we do this?” the sheep ask. “When you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family.” the Lord answers.

It is impossible not to feel a glow right now. The sheep of the fold, the Church of the Lord, not any individual denomination or sect, but the entire universal church is blessed by the word and hand of the God through the work done on behalf of the Son of Man. We inherit the kingdom by the work we do for God.

This is the tangent. This isn’t the whole circle; this is the one point that touches the circle before going off into Euclidian eternity. This isn’t the main point; this is just one of many.

The point of doing good works, the point of helping the poor is not to earn the kingdom. We can’t do enough to earn this reward. We can’t hope to do enough for a “passing grade” letting Mother Teresa and Billy Graham get the A-plusses. We are called to follow the path of justice not for a holy reward but because that is where the Son of Man is now.

There’s always a lot of talk in the church about eternal salvation and the heavenly reward. These things are wonderful and glorious, but this glimpse of tomorrow must not become a barrier stopping us from going and working where our Lord is today. We live for tomorrow, but we must live today. Today there is pain and suffering, and where pain and suffering exists, the Son of Man is there, and the Son wants his children to be there too.

Another diversion from helping the sick, the poor, and the incarcerated is actually rooted in the vision of watching the sheep and the goats on their way across the valley floor. Sheep have been the symbol of God’s people since the days of the prophet Isaiah. We have become sheep as the adopted children of God at the foot of the cross through the blood of the Son of Man.

So when we sheep look at the goats wandering across the floor of the valley, sitting at the left hand of the throne of glory, we look upon them with compassion and with pity. This is dangerous. This judgment upon the goats is not for you us make.

It is not up to us to separate the sheep from the goats, even in our mind’s eye. This is the job of the sovereign God who comes to judge the nations. We are not worthy to make the final judgment about who is a sheep and who is a goat. Our sight is flawed; it is colored by the shroud of sin that covers all humanity.

Yet we make judgments and in our world we must. While the final judgment of the nations is not ours, we are called to make some judgments. This passage teaches us our vocation is to follow the call of the Lord to serve the distressed. If we did not make any judgments, we would not follow where the Lord leads. This sort of judgment is not of other’s personal or religious values, but of our vocational discernment. We are to follow what is good, what is right, what is just, what is Godly. But the judgment we make is provisional. The final judgment belongs to the One who actually separates the sheep from the goats.

I have sent us down some rabbit trails; I have hopped us from one subject to another jumping all around the point. I have done it quite intentionally because these two items, inheriting the kingdom and separating the sheep from the goats, seem like big things in this part of Matthew’s gospel. For us, they aren’t.

Today we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, the Sunday of the Reign of God. Today we celebrate that God is in charge and we are not. Christ is King and we are the humble subjects. We are not to separate the sheep from the goats. We are not to wait for the coming kingdom like we are waiting on a bus. We are to follow our Lord, and the Son of Man makes it clear that he is with the poor, the sick, and the naked.

We are to start giving praise with the word that begins this passage: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory.” The word is “when,” not “if.” This is the wonderful and glorious reassurance that the Son of Man comes. His coming is not conditional. This isn’t a maybe; it’s a someday. It is the assurance that the Son of Man will come in his glory, and with all of his angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

Until he comes again in his glory, we are to come to him in his anguish. Not because it is good for us, not because we will enter into the kingdom, we are to do this because it is as our Christ the King commands. Serving those who need, we serve the one who will come in glory.

Before

This sermon was presented at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on November 25, 2007, Christ the King Sunday.

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

The Today Show is doing a series on Presidential candidates and their roots called “Candidate Cribs.” This isn’t a political series; it’s a feature series about what influenced the candidates when they were young. Thanksgiving Day was former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee’s day. One of the things the story talked about was his love of rock music and especially the guitar. The story begins in the Christmas of 1966 with his parents making a tremendous sacrifice and ordering a guitar, amplifier, and the whole rig from the JC Penny catalog. Young Mike wanted to be in a band. The story mentions the work ethic involved in playing, the hours of practice, the meticulous preparation needed to prepare for one great performance. As the story showed tape of the Governor playing bass with his band “The Capital Offense,” the story talks about people he has played with in the past including Willie Nelson and Grand Funk Railroad.

The person Governor Huckabee was most excited about meeting was Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who told the Governor about getting busted in Arkansas in 1975. Huckabee told NBC News, “I said, ‘Well yeah Keith, in fact I don’t know if you know this, but I am the one guy in the world that can do something that no body else can do, I can pardon you from that misdemeanor from back in 1975.’” So now, imagine Mike Huckabee doing an imitation of Keith Richards reply, “Oh man, could you do that? Could you really do that? That would be so great if you did that. That would be really cool if you did that.” So near the end of Huckabee’s administration, he issued a full and absolute pardon to Keith Richards for his misdemeanor traffic fine.

This pardon was met with some cynicism. When one reporter asked if since he pardoned Keith Richards would he pardon anybody, Huckabee replied, “Not unless they can play guitar as well as he can.”[1]

Huckabee was for a moment in time Governor of Arkansas. The power vested in the office of the Governor by the Arkansas constitution is the source of his power to pardon, to forgive, to absolve.

Jesus cries from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

Jesus asks his Father to issue a pardon by virtue of who he is, the Son of Man who is also the Son of God. Jesus is the anointed, the Christ, that’s who he is and who he has always been. Who he is and what he does is the source of his power.

Mike Huckabee’s ability to grant absolution was based on a relationship with a legal document and the voters of Arkansas. Jesus’ ability to ask for absolution is based on a relationship with God the Father Almighty.

Pardon, forgive, absolve, another way to look at these words is to free someone of their misdeeds, whether a traffic violation or the sin of humanity. But after the death and resurrection of Jesus, in the writings of New Testament, there is a special aspect to forgiveness that became obvious to readers, “the community [realized] that it has to receive from God the forgiveness which is offered through the saving act which has taken place in Jesus Christ.”[2]

Forgiveness of sins is available to us through the person and the work of Jesus Christ.

But there is an interesting piece of Jesus’ pardon that far surpasses that of the Governor. The Governor can only absolve crimes committed. Huckabee’s power is not a “get out of jail free” card to be presented before arrest. Huckabee’s power could only be exercised on behalf of someone who had been indicted. Jesus extends his forgiveness to humanity before the sin is committed.

The forgiveness of Christ precedes the sins of the world; before, not after. Jesus says “Forgive them for what they are doing,” not “for what they have done.” Yes, I imagine Jesus is asking for forgiveness for all humanity for all of the sins committed before that moment, but by saying “are doing” instead of “has done,” he is also asking for forgiveness for what follows.

Jesus does not wait to see the scope of the sin humanity is capable of before asking for our forgiveness, he knows and has known since the beginning. Yet, in this movement of grace, Christ gives himself for our forgiveness before our transgression is committed.

“At the cross, before the people gawk, before the rulers scoff, before the soldiers mock, before a criminal taunts, before the people tempt Jesus to save himself, he says, ‘Father forgive them.’”[3]

So during the chaos of the crucifixion, in the midst of all of the shouting and taunting, one of the criminals looks at the other and says, “Don’t you fear God? We’ve all received the same death sentence; but we’re getting what we deserve, he has done nothing wrong.”

With this, the criminal then acknowledges the sovereignty of Jesus over creation and the kingdom that was not created when he begs, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Recognizing Christ as King the criminal shows that he knows his death sentence is from the rulers of this world, but his life, his salvation rests in the King of all creation. Jesus tells him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Governor’s pardon releases the accused from the confines of prison and allows them the opportunity to live in the world without the burden of continuing to bear the cross of their crime.

Jesus does more. Through the pardon of the Lord, we are absolved of the sins of this world and the confines of this life and we are given the opportunity to live in the Kingdom of Heaven without bearing the cross of our sins.

Christ bears that cross for us. He bears it for all creation and for us each individually.

Christ is the sovereign, the ruler. He bows before no one and as co-equal and co-eternal; God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit reigns in love supreme over it all.

Still, Jesus as the Son of Man chooses to empty himself of all heavenly trappings, coming to earth, born in a barn stall, as the son of a carpenter and a young maiden. He comes with nothing; he comes as a baby, and on the tree of woe is called King by the Roman prelate and a criminal.

Today we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. Christ is King of a kingdom that is not of this world, yet is able to be found in this world. It is a kingdom that exists now on earth, but as we know all too well is not fully here, not yet. It is a kingdom of paradise. It is a kingdom where the king bears the sin of the subjects.

In the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of all that was created and all that existed long before creation, we are welcomed as citizens, not mere residents but citizens, by the power and the work of the King himself. Such grace and peace comes to us before we could ever know our sin. Like the crowd at the crucifixion, Jesus forgives us before we can even begin to insult him.

We have been forgiven. We have been welcomed. Like the criminal, we will be in paradise with the one who is paradise in the flesh and in the spirit. The lamb is on the throne, the Christ is on the cross. Let us sing, sing aloud that we know our King and show the world who the sovereign is of this life and of life eternal.

[1] “Candidate Cribs,” Today Show podcast, November 22, 2007, segment 5, viewed from MSNBC.COM on November 24, 2007.
[2] Kittel, Kittel, Gerhard, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. I, Grand Rapids, MI, Eerdmans, 1965,
page 511
[3] Handbook for the Revised Common Lectionary. Bower, Peter C., Editor. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996, page 265.

Kingdom Come

This sermon was preached at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on Christ the King Sunday, November 26, 2006.

2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 132:1-12
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

In 1972, a man named David McCall noticed that his sons could remember the lyrics to songs on the radio, but could not remember their multiplication tables. So he wrote a song about multiplying by threes called “Three Is a Magic Number.” It tested well with kids and ended up on a children’s album. At the same time, a man named Tom Yohe heard the song and began making doodles that fit the music.[1] This is how Multiplication Rock! began. With the addition of Grammar Rock! in 1974, Multiplication Rock! evolved into Schoolhouse Rock! In 1975 America Rock! was born with the coming of the American Bicentennial celebration.

From 1973-1986, these three minute educational programs were shown on Saturday mornings after cartoons on ABC. As people my age became parents, a nostalgia kick began and the entire Schoolhouse Rock! collection became available on CD, VHS, and now on a Collector’s edition DVD.

All of the Rock! series exposed kids to more than Super Friends, Scooby Doo, and commercials for sugary cereal. It exposed them to multiplication, grammar, science, government and more. If you are around my age, you can probably sing one or two of these songs. Some of us may be able to rattle off the hits like “I’m Just a Bill” and “Conjunction Junction” today.

One of the songs from America Rock! was called “No More Kings.” It was a ditty about American Independence from the English Monarchy. It was overly simplistic, but in three minutes it tried to chronicle American History from the pilgrim landing of 1620 through the Boston Tea Party of 1773. It portrayed King George first as a benevolent protector of the colonies and later as an uncaring, oppressive tyrant. The clarion call of the song was found in its final verses:

They wanted no more Mother England.
They knew the time had comeFor them to take command.
It's very clear you're being unfair, King,
No matter what you say, we won't obey.
Gonna hold a revolution now, King,
And we're gonna run it all our way
With no more kings...

We're gonna elect a president! (No more kings)
He's gonna do what the people want! (No more kings)
We're gonna run things our way! (No more kings)
Nobody's gonna tell us what to do![2]

No more kings, has been our call for over 230 years. No more kings! We are very serious about this, and we should be. We don’t want a government that doesn’t respond to the people. As the song says, “[The President]'s gonna do what the people want!” With over 230 years without a king, monarchy is little more than a concept to us. This doesn’t upset me, but it doesn’t leave me with much of a context for what a king or kingdom is. And that is important in today’s gospel reading. It is important on this, Christ the King Sunday.

Today we enter the drama between Pilate and Jesus. It begins as the Sanhedrin, the temple leadership, has finally been able to bring Jesus before the Roman Governor Pilate. The Scribes and the Pharisees accuse Jesus of calling himself a King. In the Roman Empire this is a treasonous offence; because there is no other King aside from Caesar. Debate raged between the leaders of the temple and the governor of the state. “Why do you bring him to me?” Pilate asks. “Because he’s guilty!” they answer. Realizing that the temple leaders would see Jesus killed, Pilate goes to Jesus himself and asks “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Pilate asks Jesus a political question, “Are you their King?” It is the question Pilate needs answered if he is going to execute Jesus. If Jesus is a rival king, then he is guilty of treason and subject to execution by the hand of the empire he rebels against. It’s the law of the land. If Jesus is of no earthly political threat, there is no reason that he should be held by Rome. If he is a threat to the temple, that is a matter for the Sanhedrin, not Pilate. Oh and how I imagine Pilate hoped this would be their matter instead of his.

Pilate asks, “Are you their King?”

As with most tests, Jesus does not answer directly. He answers by asking, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate confirms that no Roman authority delivers Jesus to Roman law; it is his own nation and the chief priests. Then Pilate asks the question of all questions: “What have you done?”

What have you done? What have you done to deserve this fate? What have you done to cause such an uproar? What have you done that the chief priests of your own people will bring you to me to be executed?

So Jesus answers, “My kingdom is not from this world.”

In a back handed way, Jesus affirms the rule of Caesar over the earth, over the kingdom of the world. After all we are told if Jesus’ kingdom were from here, on this earth, his followers would be fighting to keep him from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, his kingdom is not from here.

This is Pilate’s “A-ha!” moment. “So you are a king?” But Pilate doesn’t declare this; he asks it as a question. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.” This too is less a statement of fact than it is prophecy, one that comes true when Pilate ratifies the crucifixion of Jesus. One that is affirmed with the sign Pilate places over Jesus’ head; “This is the king of the Jews.” Yes Jesus is a king, and even Pilate says so.

We have no concept of kings, kingship, and kingdoms. To the Greeks, the king was the lawful and usually priestly ruler of the people, in a good sense[3] (whatever that means). In the Old Testament, it represented the national or civil monarchy.[4] The books of Kings and Chronicles show the varying success of these earthly kingdoms. The word is also used for the Redeemer King.[5] These are the kings of the Psalms. While this king points to the civil kings, it is also the fertile soil of the Messiah to come. This is the king we speak of when we speak of Christ the King.

Every week we pray “thy kingdom come.” Scripture tells us Jesus’ kingdom is not from this world, his is the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of a world lost in the fall. He is the king, the regent of the world we see dimly as in a mirror. So what does it mean for us to pray “thy kingdom come?”

The Presbyterian confessions speak about this. The Heidelberg Catechism tells us when we pray “thy kingdom come” we pray that “we may be governed by the Word and the Spirit of God so that we may submit ourselves more and more unto God.”[6] We pray that we may be governed by the Lord that we may submit ourselves to his kingship. This is real kingdom language. We say this with reverence giving glory to God, but this is a foreign concept to us. Our political and cultural climate does not honor kingship or submission to anybody. The way we want our government is more like the song:

We're gonna elect a president!
He's gonna do what the people want!
We're gonna run things our way!
Nobody's gonna tell us what to do!

This is true and all well and good, but it does not prepare us for Christ as King.

We need to be refocused about our polity and governance. We need to be aware that when we say “thy kingdom come” we pray to “uphold and increase the church.”[7] The church is a signpost, a marker of the inbreaking of the Kingdom of heaven to come here on earth. By that token, Christ is the king of the church. It’s not me, the pastor at the pulpit. It’s not the Session, though they administer the work of the church. Christ is the king, the sovereign, and over him there is no other ruler. Contrary to our best earthly intentions, we have a king, a king to honor and celebrate.

As Americans, democracy, the voice of the people, and self governance are ingrained upon us. This kingship is foreign to us, and a little frightening. We are called to give up control over our destiny to someone else and that doesn’t always set well. We know the slogan “God is my co-pilot.” Unfortunately while this keeps our personal sense of control in order, it is a poor substitute for the kingdom to come. It affirms our self control and denies the Kingship of Christ. Honestly, if God is not our pilot we are going the wrong way. God is sovereign, God is in control, and this is the way of the kingdom to come.

To paraphrase again, Pilate asks: What have you done? What have you done to deserve this fate? What have you done to cause such an uproar? What have you done that the chief priests of your own faith will bring you to me to be executed?

The joy of the gospel is that the answers are before us. They are found in the scripture we read and the gospel we live. Jesus is God; He is the way, the truth, and the light. John 21:25 gives us the most wonderful answer to these questions. “There are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

What has Jesus done? What is Jesus doing! We are called to live the answer to these questions everyday. We are called to live as the subjects of Christ the King writing new chapters of the book of the kingdom every day. We are called to live as subjects in the kingdom of Christ as the church and in the world. May the exploits of our King be written by the works of our hands in his service now and forever.

[1] Schoolhouse Rock, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoolhouse_Rock
[2] Ahern, Lynn, “No More Kings.” Lyrics found at http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/No.html
[3] Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. I, page 564.
[4] Ibid. page 565.
[5] Ibid. page 566.
[6] The Book of Confessions, Part One of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 123.
[7] Ibid.