Camelot

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on Sunday January 27, 2008, the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Isaiah 9:1-4
Psalm 27:1, 4-9
1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Matthew 4:12-23

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

A myth, a legend, Camelot is these things and more. Camelot is the mythical kingdom and court of Arthur, King of the Britons. As an actual kingdom, most modern scholars regard Camelot as being entirely fictional, its vague geography and bold philosophy perfect for romance writers. Its location, if it even existed, is unknown. As a realm Camelot is associated with ideals like justice, bravery and truth; the virtues romantic literature embodies in Arthur and his knights.

The tales of Arthur and Camelot as we know them are generally taken from the stories collectively known as Le Morte d’Arthur. This work from the mid-1400’s is a collection and editing of predominately French stories of Arthur. Among the stories that make up the collection, one of the most familiar is “The Noble Tale of the Sangreal.” From this story, we receive the legend of Arthur and his knights as they seek the Holy Grail.[1]

In a radical retelling of this tale, British filmmaker John Boorman re-envisions the quest for the grail reflecting an ancient Celtic belief about kingship and kingdom. In this version, Merlin speaks the words which show the connection between Arthur and his kingdom:[2]

You will be the land,
And the land will be you.
If you fail, the land will perish;
As you thrive, the land will blossom.[3]

In this retelling, after much trial and tribulation, as death makes its slow and sure way to his body, one of Arthur’s knights, Percival, comes to discern this truth and who it is about in a vision. When he does, he is allowed to take the grail and drink from it escaping death and revitalizing himself. He then takes the grail to Arthur with the secret that Arthur and the land are one; as he fails Camelot perishes, and as he thrives the land blossoms. Arthur drinks from the cup and knowing the truth; Arthur is revitalized and prepares for final battle. Arthur turns from his previous ways of grief, anger and despair and the kingdom is renewed.

Through all of these stories, Camelot is more than just a place, it’s an ideal; an ideal of justice, bravery, and truth. Matthew presents us with an ideal in this scripture reading too, but this kingdom is not the work of romantic fiction; it is the Word of God. Matthew’s presentation of the kingdom of heaven is prefaced by an imperative command. Matthew commands listeners to repent because the kingdom of heaven has come near.

Where Le Morte d’Arthur is a collection of French stories, the inspiration for Matthew’s language of repentance and kingdom comes from where we would expect Matthew to take it. As the apostle whose mission was to Jewish believers in Christ, Matthew takes his theology and his wording from the Old Testament. When he calls the people to repent, the Greek word used literally means change one’s mind, but the Hebrew listener would hear more. So the members of Matthew’s congregation not only hear the command to change their mind, they would also hear the Hebrew equivalent, turn or return. This word, this call, was the standard Jewish means of reconciling with God.

As the stiff necked people of the Exodus strayed from God; the children of Israel were called to turn from graven images and idol worship and return to worshiping the Lord.

As many of Israel’s ancient Judges and Kings did what scripture called detestable things, worshiping other gods like the goat god Baal and making places of worship like Asherah poles; these rulers were constantly called to return to worshiping the one true Lord; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The people were being called to turn from their old ways and return to the ways of God.

From these examples, the word repent, turn, and return do not paint a picture of confession or remorse. The command to repent does not mean that we are to feel bad about our past behavior so that we may feel better now as we move toward the Lord. It doesn’t call us to feel at all. This is an action verb; Matthew tells the people that Jesus wants them to change their behavior, not simply their attitude.

It is a call to change direction. It is a call to stop doing what is being done; and discern, find out what is to be done for the glory of the Lord and the inbreaking of the kingdom of heaven. The passage commands us, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come hear.”

“The single most encompassing image within which Matthew’s theological affirmations take place is that of the kingdom of heaven. It unites the message of John, Jesus, and the disciples, pre- and post-Easter. The message the church continues to preach is the ‘good news of the kingdom.’”[4]

And when Jesus speaks the words of the kingdom of heaven, he speaks of a new way God is working in the world, a way which the kingdom of heaven has come near. This new orientation of the lives of the people of God is the response to the kingdom’s having come near. [5]

Another connection to the Old Testament is Matthew’s affinity for kingdom language. This is because the people Matthew wrote for used kingdom language as a part of their everyday lives.[6] Through Caesar, through their religious lives, and through the history of Israel and Judah kingship and kingdom language predominate their mindset as much as a democratic ideal dominates ours. And in the ancient and not so ancient world it is important for anyone who wishes to make a claim to the throne to establish royal heritage.

Matthew’s first chapter presentation of the genealogy of Jesus is important to establish his kingship. Beginning with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and rising through King David; Matthew establishes Jesus’ royal lineage. Through these words, Matthew acknowledges how important kingdom language is to the nation of Israel. Also in this lineage, Matthew says that Jesus is the Messiah and establishes him as the King of the Jews, a title Pilate will later discern on his own.

So we have learned a little about the Israelite concept of kingdom invoked by Jesus and again by Matthew. We have even noted that Pilate would come to know Jesus as the King of the Jews, so now we ask what does this kingship and kingdom mean to us?

A very important thing we can take from scripture is that the kingdom of heaven does not exist in time and space; it is a happening, an event. In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Jesus says the kingdom has come near. This is different from other translations. The New International Version says the kingdom is near and the Revised Standard Version says the kingdom is at hand. Both of these translations point toward a kingdom that exists in time and space. The kingdom is near, proximate, close to us. The New Revised Standard Version differs. By saying the kingdom has come near, we are challenged to perceive that the kingdom is coming, not that we are coming to the kingdom.

Where the other versions I mentioned point toward a static thing of a kingdom, the New Revised Standard Version describes the kingdom of heaven as an event, an occurrence, not a physical place. It is an announcement that in the Messiah, in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of heaven has come near. In the Messiah, the kingdom has come so close we can touch it. And in his person and work, the kingdom continues to come in the lives of the people. It continues to come as long as the Church, as long as the body of Christ, the church, continues the work of the kingdom.

This Christian message about Jesus connects the church to the message of John the Baptist when he says “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”[7] John’s cry comes to us even before the Baptist sees Jesus at the Jordan. It also connects the church to the mission of the Messiah when Jesus charges his disciples “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’”[8]

Through this simple sentence, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near,” Jesus calls all who will be his disciples of every time and age to stop, turn from what does not support and further his work; turn to him and follow who he is and what he does. The kingdom of heaven represents the triumph of God over all that resists God’s will and disrupts God’s creation.[9] Through the Body of Christ, we are called to represent God and participate in this triumph.

Arthurian scholar Norris J. Lacy commented that “Camelot, located nowhere in particular, can be anywhere.” [10] Is the kingdom of heaven anything like Camelot? Both of them are founded on the being and work of a great king. Both are bound by justice, bravery, and truth. But where Camelot is located nowhere in particular, the kingdom of heaven rests in its king, our risen Lord Jesus Christ. The kingdom of heaven exists wherever the church of Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit lives and moves.

Where Merlin says Arthur will be the land, the Christ will never be the land. As Merlin says the land will be Arthur, the land will never be the Christ. The Christ is the creator and Lord over the land. The kingdom of heaven is the triumph of God and through this truth, the Christ cannot fail. The work of Christ begun on earth as a weak child laid in a pile of straw, seemingly ended on the tree by a power hungry Governor, explodes from the tomb to make all things new.

So where Camelot is located nowhere in particular, the kingdom of heaven is located in the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and exists anywhere the Body of Christ continues to hear the word, celebrate the sacraments, and follow Christ in the world.

I would be remiss if I did not note that we Americans have a Camelot of our own, the 1,000 day presidency of John F. Kennedy. During these very few days, there was a great hope and optimism that was sorely lacking after his assassination. Did this optimism come from Kennedy’s work? Did this optimism come from Kennedy’s charisma? Opinions vary. But it is true, as the king was assassinated, so too the promise of the new kingdom faded with him.

In an interview with Life magazine, President Kennedy’s widow Jacqueline was quoted saying that President Kennedy’s favorite song in the score of the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot was:

Don't let it be forgot,
that once there was a spot,
for one brief shining moment,
that was known as Camelot.

She continued “There'll be great Presidents again,” she added, “but there'll never be another Camelot again … it will never be that way again.”[11]

As true as this is in human terms, Camelot is not the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven has come near and continues to come near in the person of Jesus Christ in the work of His holy Church. Let this be our clarion call, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Let us turn away from our wants and desires and return to the ways of God, for in that way, the kingdom He initiates will continue to come nearer and nearer through his person and the work of his eternal body.

[1] Le Morte d’Arthur, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Morte_d%27Arthur, retrieved January 26, 2008.
[2] Excalibur (film), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur_%28film%29, retrieved January 25, 2008.
[3] Excalibur, Orion Pictures/Warner Brothers,1981
[4] The New Interpreter’s Bible, Leander E. Keck, Convener and Senior New Testament Editor, Volume 8, page 289.
[5] Ibid, page 167.
[6] Ibid, page 289.
[7] Matthew 3:2
[8] Matthew 10:7
[9] The Confession of 1967, Part III, The Fulfillment of Reconciliation.
[10] “Camelot” The Arthurian Encyclopedia. Norris J. Lacy, Editor. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1986, pp 75-6.
[11] Jacqueline Kennedy, interview with Theodore H. White, Life Magazine, Dec. 6, 1963.

One Coin-Two Sides

This sermon was delivered at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkanas on Sunday January 6, 2008, Epiphany Sunday. This sermon is shorter than usual because we also celebrated the ordination and installation of new members to the Session.

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12

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

There’s an old joke, I’ve probably told it here. There are two kinds of people in this world—those who divide everything into two categories and those who don’t. Duality has always intrigued me. So when I was thinking about King Herod in our gospel reading, I got this image of a very dualistic character in my mind.

Herod sits upon his throne, as confident as any king who is a prelate of Rome. This means he could well be expecting an uprising against his tyranny while seeking to keep the Roman overlords happy. Caught in the middle of a powerful and precarious situation that he has put himself into; he’s a dictator and a sycophant at the same time.

He’s a violent, vengeful, treacherous man. Just the kind of King Rome wants ruling Judah. He’s got a temper and just enough paranoia to keep everyone on their toes.

Two sides of the same man, Herod is a tyrant and a toady; he’s powerful and paranoid.

Herod accepts the visitors, the wise men from the East. As the king, this would have been a public event in the court of Herod. There would have been some sort of an elaborate presentation of the Magi. So in the middle of pomp and circumstance, without the least bit of guile, they ask a simple question, “Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews?”

They ask this as if they had popped into the Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Center asking for directions to Eureka. “How do we get to Basin Spring from here?”

Herod might have tried to be as cool as a cucumber, but he was frightened. If there was a new king in town, even a new born baby King of the Jews, this was a rival to be dealt with, not a toddler to be worshipped. Herod was frightened, and all of Jerusalem was frightened with him.
If you’re wondering “was all of Jerusalem frightened because three wise guys from the East came for a baby shower or was all of Jerusalem frightened because Herod was frightened?” scripture doesn’t say, but I have an idea. To coin a phrase, “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” When Herod is frightened, everybody’s frightened.

But then later in our reading, Herod secretly called the three to ask them to send word when they find the child. King Herod is a very public man, as long as he sits on the throne of Judah, much of his life will be lived in the public. Yet as a guy who thinks the world is out to get him (and rightfully so), he calls the wise men for a secret meeting. Overt and covert, he lives in the public eye and hides his hand like a master poker player. He bluffs the Magi who come without guile or hidden agenda.

Epiphany is the time of year when the church celebrates the revelation to the wise men of the birth of the Christ child, the King of the Jews. Yet most of our reading, certainly the most dramatic part deals with King Herod and how he responds to these arrivals. This reading dealing with Herod and the wise men is actually the preface to our reading from last week which includes what Herod does with this information.

In our gospel we have the joy of Jesus the newborn King of the Jews combined with the terror of Herod the reigning King of Judah. Same story, two responses. One worships, the other fears.
In the Batman comics, one of the most dangerous villains is former District Attorney Harvey Dent.[1] Dent grew up an abused and schizophrenic child of a violent alcoholic father. He eventually learned to deal with his abuse and mental illness through a devotion to law and order.

Multiple personalities being dealt with through yet another dichotomy—law and order.

He was Gotham’s star District Attorney, becoming close allies with the Batman and with Lieutenant Jim Gordon long before Gordon became commissioner. The successes he experienced in his career were able to help him deal with and suppress his mental illness until the unspeakable happened. A vengeful mob boss threw a glass filled with acid into Dent’s face, horrifically scarring his left side. The trauma of the assault permanently unbalanced Dent who became the evil villain Two-Face.

Two-Face’s trademark was a two headed coin he always carried, with one of its faces deeply scarred. When confronted with a decision, he would flip the coin. If the normal face came up, Dent acted honorably. But when the scarred face rises, all evil would break loose.

What made him particularly feared by everyone was that he was once so much like them. If hero DA Harvey Dent can be so deeply scarred what does that mean for the rest of us?

Maybe that’s the message of Epiphany, a single story with different interpretations. The wise men come to worship without guile; the frightened duplicitous tyrant comes in fear and hidden agendas. Their response depends on how they interpret the events of the day. On one side of the coin is worship. On the other is a fear that will lead to much death and suffering.

We are given the free will to come to the Lord in faith through grace or we can choose the path of the scarred face of a coin. We can come in joy, or we can choose evil. We can come to worship or we can sit in fear. We can come in the joy and triumph of the Lord or we can run from the life God has intended for us since before the beginning. It’s a choice we make.

Today, this congregation celebrates Epiphany with two acts. We take and eat of the Lord’s Supper, the good gift of God for the people of God. We will come to the table as joyfully as the wise men came to worship. We will come to be fortified by the gifts he gives us.

Also today, we celebrate the ordination and installation of new Elders to the Session. Two members of this congregation step out in faith of being selected by the Lord, elected by this congregation, and ordained into leadership in this part of the body of Christ. They come faithfully in the name of the Lord to use their gifts for good of the church. And we come in faith and trust that through our acts and our words their ministry will be blessed by the glory that arrived in Bethlehem, was crucified at the place called the Skull, and arose from the tomb.

I said that there are two kinds of people, but what that joke does is create a false division, one that doesn’t exist in the Lord because in the end, regardless of our acts, regardless of our response, whether we come as the three from the East or like the one on the throne, Jesus comes first. Let us come in faithful, joyful response to the one who came to us first.

[1] Origins of Two-Face, http://www.dccomics.com/heroes_and_villains/?hv=origin_stories/two_face, retrieved January 5, 2008.