Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King
Rev. Amy Welin: Today is the Church’s spiritual New Year’s Eve. It is the Feast of Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is a major feast day in the Christian churches.
Beyond singing that line from the Messiah, how comfortable are you with the notion of being ruled by a king? Is it good to have a king? Is the kingship of Jesus Christ a good reason to celebrate?
In his own time, the possibility of the kingship of Jesus was abhorrent to the Romans.
Today’s gospel portrays a compelling scene: the governor of the most powerful empire on earth confronts the upstart rabble-rouser, who is called a king. Jesus, acclaimed by hosannas, is a direct challenge to the power and authority of Rome. In an age when religious practice is managed by imperial policy, this troublemaker Jesus has been claiming a unique relationship with the Almighty, and he has been causing quite a stir throughout Galilee and in Jerusalem. And although he has been up all night after his arrest on charges of blasphemy, Jesus is calm enough to spar verbally with Pilate.
Jesus is not the messianic king who was expected. He is the picture of civil disobedience, speaking truth to power that will take his life. It is not a surprise that Pilate is perplexed.
In our own time, the kingship of Jesus is tenuous. Most of us seem to be partial to the Kingdom of God, but not to kings in general. Americans prefer presidents, with the checks and balances of a democratic government. Yet in our baptism, we have given absolute authority to Christ over our lives. Look at the questions that we answer with “I do” – –
*Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your savior?
*Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?
*Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord?
And then, we are marked as Christ’s own, for ever.
What were we thinking when we agreed to have our children baptized? Are we all crazy? Did we just not think this through? Or could it be that we actually DO want a Savior, a Lord, who is this powerful and has this sort of authority?
Give to St. John’s ParishI will speak for myself. I want a God who is powerful enough to raise the dead back to life. I want a God who can defeat evil and hold the guilty accountable. I want a God who can forgive my sins and who can restore perfection to a world that is deeply broken. I want heaven to be real, so all is not lost at the graveside. I do not want Pontius Pilate and his ilk, who rule through terror, to be in charge. Please give me Jesus.
Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world. And he is telling a real truth. The kingdom he proclaims is not a typical sort of political or economic entity. Jesus exerts his authority by curing the sick and forgiving sins. The power of Jesus is revealed through his human vulnerability – he could never have risen if he had not died first. (God embraced Good Friday so we could have Easter). His loyal subjects are scalawags: the poor, the sick, the imperfect and the sinful, and those excluded from polite company. Doesn’t that sound like us, the human race: embarrassing and beloved by God.
What sort of Kingdom do we want to embrace in the name of Christ? What are we willing to build that speaks about the love of God, in this world that is fragmented and violent? What are we willing to do for that Kingdom? Would you be willing to suffer or give your life to it?
What sort of disciples are we, when we are so poor at taking direction?
This is not a theological abstraction. These are very real and pragmatic questions. What do you want to be able to proclaim as you move forward as a faith community? What is it all worth to you?
You have heard or read, I hope, that the vestry is convinced that this parish needs to move out of this building and find less expensive home. This is going to be long, arduous, and possibly painful, and ultimately a process that brings new life to St John’s parish. Jesus does promise that every ending leads to a new beginning. We will be having a parish meeting, with Bishop Ahrens and Canon Hodapp, in early February 2016, to discuss options.
As we begin another church year in Advent next week, I encourage you to spend time in prayer and in conversation, considering ways in which the people of St John’s can work with and proclaim the Kingdom of Christ in Waterbury.