Kingship to Kinship

This message was first delivered at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Rustburg, Virginia and Brookneal United Methodist Church in Brookneal, Virginia on November 20, 2016. It is based on the lectionary text of Luke 23:33-43.

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Last week we began an early look at Advent and now it seems like I'm skipping to the end of the story! But today in the church calendar we are celebrating Christ the King Sunday – so this scripture is particularly key. This is when a political leader – Pontius Pilate – has asked Jesus point-blank “are you the King of the Jews?” And now, as he hangs on a cross that is undeserved, that title is hung over his head in mock respect.

Living in the United States, it is unlikely that any of us has encountered a literal King or Queen. Even if you've traveled to England and been introduced to the Queen, she does not wield the power of a king from Jesus' time because England is actually ruled by a prime minister and parliament (who are elected). So it is very difficult for us to imagine the kind of power that a king has, or used to have. In Jesus' day, the power of a king was absolute. Even if there was a set of laws, the king could overrule the law because ultimately, the king's word WAS the law. Such a person was the only kind of king the people of the time were familiar with.

Kings from more recent history also had that unquestionable power and on a personal whim could decide a person's fate. King Louis XI of France was a firm believer in astrology and yet he was somewhat uneasy when an astrologer accurately predicted the death of a lady at court. He felt the astrologer would be better off dead, so Louis called him to his apartments where his servants were ordered to throw him out the window once given the signal.

First, however, Louis asked the man a question, "You claim to understand astrology and to know the fate of others, so tell me what your fate will be and how long you have to live." The astrologer replied, "I shall die just three days before Your Majesty." This so unnerved the king that he decided to let the astrologer live.

We know a lot about the history of Israel's kings from the Old Testament. We know that the people of Israel begged and badgered Yaweh for a king. And he annointed Saul. And over time, Saul turned away from God and leaned on his own understanding and the influence of the people around him. And as he drifted away from God...God let him. And troubles arose. Saul was replaced by David, Israel's most gifted king. David rose to power when he killed Goliath and he grew up to be an adept military commander. He not only led Israel to conquer the Philistines, but other inhabitants of the Promised Land. Then David's son Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, but Israel declined as a nation under his rule and became a lesser power in the ancient world.

By the time Jesus was born, Israel had been looking for a new David for nearly a thousand years. Israel had seen their country desecrated by the Syrians and conquered by the Babylonians. Solomon’s temple had been sacked and burned. And though the temple had been rebuilt, the kingdom was gone.

Syria and Babylonia were replaced as dominant world powers, first by Greece under Alexander the Great, and then by Rome, under the command of a skilled military leader named Julius Caesar.

By the time Jesus was born, Israel was a conquered nation, ruled by Rome. Israel had rebelled once against Rome, but the revolt had been crushed and the temple sacked and burned for a second time. And although under the watchful eye of Rome, a third temple had been recently built, it was no longer a symbol of national power and pride. It was, instead, a token temple built by Herod, a puppet of Rome, and was run by an ingrained and corrupt hierarchy of Jewish priests.

The people of Israel were not just looking for their long-awaited king; they were desperate for him. Remember the words of the hymns we sang last week? O Come, O Come Emmanuel – a song that recalls the crying out for the promised Messiah. And Come Thou Long Expected Jesus – a plea for one who is “born to set thy people free.” When Jesus was born, wise men came from the East, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” When Herod heard about this, he was frightened because he knew very well that the people were looking for and longing for a new David to rise up and overthrow both him and the yoke of Rome.

In fact, if Jesus would have let them, the people would have proclaimed him as the long-awaited king. They had plenty of evidence. There was the extraordinary testimony of the wise men from the east who claimed that it was written in the stars that a great king had been born in Israel and that one star had outshone all the rest and had moved and led them to Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

And when Jesus grew into adulthood, John the Baptist started preaching that the time was ripe for a king to arise from the people. He began baptizing people to get them ready for this event. When Jesus came to be baptized by John, there was a miraculous sign from heaven proclaiming Jesus to be the one chosen of God. John said Jesus was the person for whom he had been preparing everyone.

But this was a different kind of king than they had expected. And for some, it must have seemed as though God missed the mark. Even in Jesus' closest circle of believers, the disciples, there were those who kept waiting for the overthrow to begin. In John 6 after the miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, the people are ready to proclaim Jesus as King. John 6:15 reads, “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” We recall James and John asked if they should call down fire from heaven on a village who would not receive Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. In Acts 1:6 – after the crucifixion and resurrection and just before the ascension...they are still asking “is NOW the time that you'll restore the Kingdom to Israel?”

Jesus was a different kind of king. One that they were not used to. It was one more radical way that Jesus turned the status quo upside down. Look at the way he answered Pilate's question in John 18:33-36 from Peterson's The Message: Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?” Pilate said, “Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?” “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”

I like the way the Peterson puts it – If I was the kind of king you are talking about, my followers would fight my arrest – but I'm not the world's kind of king. The world's kind of king is about power. Jesus had power – we know that he had plenty of power (and still does, btw) – but that kind of power wasn't what the world needed. We've got chapters upon chapters in the Old Testament about that kind of power and look where it has led Israel! What Jesus brought to earth was a completely different kind of kingship than they had ever experienced. It was the new concept of servant leadership. And a radical idea of how the willing sacrifice of our king would bring about lasting change in the world. Servant king? What kind of crazy oxymoron universe have we dropped into?

I like oxymorons. As a fan of the English language and words in general – the idea of smashing together two disparate words is fun! Maybe you have a favorite: jumbo shrimp, spectator sport, or original copy? I've ridden on elevated subways. Worked in an industrial park. Been to a slumber party. Played double solitaire! I've reported on increasing losses and things growing smaller. But for me...passive resistance and servant leadership are unusual.

Jesus was a radical new kind of king. He told his followers that if they wanted to be first, they'd have to put themselves last. That the meek would inherit the earth. Matthew 18:1-5 defines true greatness - “the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” So as we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, we recognize that we celebrate a different kind of king. I do not deny his power and kingship and all of the honor and glory that should bring forth from us. But we need to note that the honor and glory are not demanded like an earthly king demands. No, that is just our natural reaction to worshiping our different kind of king.

I wonder if the honor and respect that is given on demand feels the same as honor and respect freely given? One of my favorite internet videos is of a charity race in San Jose, CA in 2014. 95 year old WWII veteran Joe Bell sits in a chair on the sidewalk in front of his house to cheer on the runners taking part in a race for the foundation of fallen Army Ranger Pat Tillman. He claps and runners clap back to him. The video continues as runner after runner breaks away from course to stop and shake hands with the veteran and thank him for his service. Joe Bell was an Army corporal who trained paratroopers from Italy to Africa. During his service he saluted and was saluted as his rank demanded. The day of that race was a different form of honor and respect.

The neighbor responsible for taking the video that went viral said in an interview later, “perhaps most amazing of all was that the tributes among the 5,000 runners kept coming. Throughout the race, they came in waves. Women and men would be running down the middle of the street, then, without warning or prompt, one would peel off, then another.” This was a spontaneous show of respect and honor that wasn't staged or demanded. Joe's reaction? “They hugged me and kissed me and the young men shook my hands,” Joe said. “I never knew there were that many people that would do that.” That is the difference between genuine honor offered freely and honor which is demanded by earthly systems and kings.

Since we serve a risen Savior who taught us a different way – how does this affect how we honor and worship him? How do we carry on his example of servant leadership? Are we so caught up in the earthly kingship and bending others to our way that we lose track of kinship? Remember as we prepare for the coming of the Christ-child we know that Advent is about preparing for Christ to come again. Will our worship and service show what we learned from Jesus? Or will we be sternly reprimanded like the Israelites in today's Old Testament scripture?

I'll repeat Jeremiah 23:1-4 from The Message, hear it as leaders of the church of Jesus today: “Doom to the shepherd-leaders who butcher and scatter my sheep!” God’s Decree. “So here is what I, God, Israel’s God, say to the shepherd-leaders who misled my people: ‘You’ve scattered my sheep. You’ve driven them off. You haven’t kept your eye on them. Well, let me tell you, I’m keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. I’ll take over and gather what’s left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I’ve driven them. I’ll bring them back where they belong, and they’ll recover and flourish. I’ll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good care of them. They won’t live in fear or panic anymore. All the lost sheep rounded up!’ God’s Decree.”

I do not want to hear that I've driven anyone away from God. I don't want to hear that I've not kept my eye on the scattered sheep. I surely don't want to hear that I've misled God's people. And I don't want to hear God tell me that he had to do my job for me and that he's gathered what's left of the sheep. That means I've got to pay attention to my responsibility as a follower of Christ – to spread the good news to everyone. God loves you and wants to be in full relationship with you. I need to live my life in such a way that I put myself last and others first. And with God's help, to strive to show the world a radical new idea...servant leadership. Kinship.

Kinship is defined on dictionary.com (after getting past the ancestral / genealogical definition of being biologically related) as “relationship by nature or qualities; a sharing of characteristics or origins.” All who walk on the earth share characteristics. When you get right down to it, despite our differences – race, religion, upbringing, personal values, political views – we can find more common ground than disparity. And that is where we begin.

What are characteristics shared by members of the human race? We need food, water and shelter. We desire love, a sense of belonging, community. Perhaps Shakespeare provides a good grounding in Act 3 of the Merchant of Venice, “If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

We hurt. We are affected by the actions of others, both positively and negatively. We all need to eat to survive – and even though we would choose different foods, I don't think I've ever been in a conversation that had someone say “I don't really enjoy eating. I'd much rather go to the Jetsons' concept of a pill for food.” So we seek common ground. And we look to see others by their true identity as another child of God.

We didn't have enough time last week to explore the Epistle lesson from 2 Thessalonians. I think the key question answered in that passage was “okay, what do we do while we are waiting?” If the message of Advent is to wait and prepare...what are we tasked to do while we are anticipating?

The answer to the church at Thessalonica is the same answer to us today. Get to work! Don't sit idly – there is work to be done! Paul said in chapter 3 of that epistle to “stay away from believers living in idleness and not according to the tradition they received from us (the church planters)” he told them that the church needed to imitate their example to toil and labor. Are we as the church reaching out to BE church or are we content to COME to church?

There is a world out there that needs to hear the good news. They need to see goodness and hope and community in the world. They are not going to get the message from the world...goodness and hope and community don't get the ratings that fear and mistrust do. But we have the example of Jesus trying something radical to follow. Maybe we try something radical too?

We show servant leadership and invite people into the community without making sure they are worthy first? We accept the stranger, the foreigner, the different, the weirdo, the drunkard, the harlot, the questioning...then we let them know that we are more similar than different. And kinship and community can catch fire.

I'll close with a story of kinship and belonging from one of my favorite authors. Father Greg Boyle's book Tattoos on the Heart impacted my life in a remarkable way and I often share stories from it. Father Greg began Homeboy Industries – a tremendous gang intervention, prison ministry and job training program – in the poorest parish in Los Angeles. On this occasion, he takes two former rival gang members as part of a three state set of speaking gigs. They visit Atlanta, Washington, DC and are wrapping up the trip in Mobile, Alabama. A man named John invited Pastor G, Memo and Miguel to visit his ministry in a community in Pritchard, Alabama. I quote, “We take two hours to drive and walk around in what I think is about the poorest place I've ever seen in the US. Hovels and burned-out shacks and lots of people living in what people ought not to live in. Memo and Miguel are positively bug-eyed as they walk around, meet people, and see a kind of poverty quite different than the one they know.

We return to the house where we're staying and have half an hour to pack...I look up, and Memo is standing in my doorway, crying. He is a very big man, had been a shot caller for his barrio and has done things in and out of prison for which he feels great shame – harm as harm. The depth of his core wound is quite something to behold. Torture, unrivaled betrayal, chilling abandonment – there is little terror of which Memo would be unfamiliar.

He's weeping as he stands in my doorway and I ask him what's happening. “That visit, to Pritchard – I don't know; it got to me. It got inside of me. I mean, how do we let people lie like this?” He pauses, then, “G, I don't know what's happening to me, but it's big. It's like, for the first time in my life, I feel, I don't know, what's the word...I feel compassion for what other people suffer.”

The poet Rumi wrote, “Close both eyes to see with the other eye.” See the shape of God in every person we encounter. In this way we embrace the radical new perspective of greatness that Jesus modeled. Greatness measured outside of the human version of success and power and kingship. Greatness measured by the impact we make on the world we inhabit. The transformation of the world as each act of kinship is echoed and multiplied. Christ looked upon our brokenness with mercy, go and do likewise. Amen.