Br. James Michael Dowd, OHC
RCL – Proper 29 C - Christ the King – Sunday 21 November 2010
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 46
Luke 23:33-43
Christ our King
Today's feast of Christ the King is, I think, a somewhat curious one for Americans. We don't really understand kings or kingdoms and from our history we are almost immediately distrustful of the idea of a king. We were right to proclaim ourselves independent of King George III back in 1776, and to forge our way into political freedom. For ten years of my life I lived in Williamsburg, VA and right there on the Duke of Gloucester Street, in the center of Colonial Williamsburg, stands Bruton Parish, which dates to 1674 and is among the earliest Anglican parishes in the New World. The staff at Bruton revel in telling tourists that the then Rector, John Bracken, was the first Rector to take the Prayer Book, and cross out the name of King George III in the Prayers of the People, and write in its place that of John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress.
One of the reasons we Americans are so opposed to the idea of a king is because it is seemingly written into our DNA to be opposed to tyranny. And having a king is equated to being controlled by a tyrant. Another reason this rubs us the wrong way is because a king indicates the presence of a kingdom and that means that our loyalties are subject to that kingdom, and not to our own freedom. Independence and individualization is particularly precious to Americans. We don't dare give that up. Most of all, I think we just rebel against the idea of someone, anyone, having unlimited power.
All in all, this feast of Christ the King then, seems like a tough one for many Americans. And yet, here we are: The last Sunday after Pentecost, a Sunday in which we begin our transition into the great mysteries of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter; a Sunday for which the Church has been pointing us towards for weeks, even months, now. A Sunday in which we proclaim Christ to be our King.
The image of Christ the King that is often presented to us in art is magisterial, powerful, Christ as the great Rule Giver, Christ as Judge. When I hear the words “Christ the King” I often think of the Roman Catholic Basilica in Washington, DC, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in which there is a giant mosaic of Christ as Judge and King – it, and many like it, is overpowering and rather intimidating.
Christ the King at Washington DC's Shrine of the Immaculate Conceptionby Tuaussi
While these images of Christ the King are certainly out there in popular culture, in art, and even in some theologies, our readings this morning actually offer us a very different vision of what it means to proclaim Christ as King. The first reading, from the Prophet Jeremiah, lays out God's promise that “the days are surely coming, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king...” This reign was, in many ways, thought to be a reign that would be like that of King David's, and Jeremiah even tells us that during the reign of this new king, “Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.”
Jesus is the fulfillment of all that the Prophets prophesy about and he does indeed come for the salvation of Israel – and the world. But his salvation is not that of a powerful king leading armies into battle. Christ's salvation is offered to us by coming to us as Jesus of Nazareth, a humble man, a working man, a man that is willing to live among us, love among us, die among us. Christ's salvation is offered to us in the form of Jesus' willing sacrifice on the cross, so that, as he told the repentant thief, we could be with him in paradise, today.
Like so much else in Christianity, when we delve more deeply into its message, we see that so much of reality is turned on its head. Christ simply will not let us get by with the status quo. Our definition of king is not enough. It may be a correct definition for an earthly king, but not for the King of the Jews, the King of Kings, the Eternal King.
That King is a king who, even while having nails driven into his body, so that he could be executed in a most hideous and humiliating way, was serving others by ministering to them in their hour of need. That King is a king who will forgive even those driving the nails into him for “they do not know what they are doing.” That King is a king who will acknowledge the thief's repentance by promising him a share in the Kingdom. That King is a king who forgives, leads others to salvation, and opens his arms to embrace all of humanity and offer them welcome into his Kingdom.
This weekend we have spent some time talking about the theme of “Praying in Anxious Times.” These are indeed anxious times, but no more anxious than many other periods of history were for the people who lived in them. Jesus Christ, our King, shows us the way to pray in anxious times. He calls on his Father. He asks God to forgive those who have tried to do harm to him. He encourages a repentant sinner and welcomes him back into the fold. These are all prayers. They are prayers of hope, prayers of forgiveness, prayers of service. Our King has given us a way to pray no matter how anxious the times, no matter our problems or the problems of the world around us.
The Psalmist sums up this attitude so well. Listen again to the first few verses of the psalm we prayed this morning:
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
Though its waters rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
When we find ourselves in trouble, in pain, suffering difficulties, in a state of sin, lost, lonely, or afraid, remember Jesus on the Cross. Remember that the establishment of God's Reign did not come in a powerful blast of shock and awe. God's Reign came in love, forgiveness, and total trust in God our Father.
This is our King's approach to faith. This is our King's invitation to each one of us to be part of that Kingdom of Faith. This is a Kingdom that I think any American, indeed any person around the world, could be part of. Not a Kingdom run by a tyrant who wages war on the people. No, this Kingdom is one that is led by a faithful God who welcomes us, loves us, forgives us, and saves us. This is a King named Jesus Christ.
AMEN.
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