Proper 29 + Year A 23
November 2014
In 1981,
comedian actor Mel Brooks released his film "The history of the World,
Part one" While playing his character, Louie the King of France he
repeated over and over this phrase: "it's good to be the king". In
the film he used his 'title' to exploit others around him by repeatedly dipping
into impropriety in outrageous fashion.
Although satire, this has all too often been the impression left upon
the governed by earthly monarchs of world history. That power and authority in
earthly monarchs both fascinates and at time repels us. This is true to the point that some in our
day call for our ceasing to use the term "king" with God and Christ,
as inappropriate and even a false portrayal of their respective Divine character.
But are we really comparing Jesus and God the Father to Earthly monarchs of
whatever description? Not at all, rather
we compare these earthly figures with the character of God in Christ! It is that same character we are called to
imitate and emulate in our earthly walk.
Perhaps if we thought of our pilgrim way as walking in the way of
Royalty and the character of God, it might make this earthly journey easier to
bear.
But Kingship is
something that belongs to "another time". Like "Lordship" it is something
that is more difficult to relate to in our personal experience. When we think of these terms we may be
tempted to think of "tyrants" like George the Third who motivated the
founding of our country or titled Lords who look down upon the little people or
commoners of the past. But these are not
the accurate images of either Kingship or Lordship. They are rather an earthly imitation of these
designations. There is only one King:
King Jesus. There is only one Lord: the
Lord God.
Why do I say
this? Because the Creator, the Lord, the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords is the one who rules in the hearts of his
own. His reign is one of Love and
Compassion. He is the King who took the form of a servant, entered our world,
was born of a virgin woman, lived among us, healed, taught, loved and
gave. He is the one others who would be
king in earthly power, wielding power by force, exploitation, deceit, coercion
and manipulation, command and demand
could not tolerate.. They still
cannot. Many of them rule or reign as though there were no God to whom they
will ever answer. Their "god"
is power. Their "god" is
wealth. Their "god" is
themselves.
What are our
images of Jesus Christ, I mean in our minds and emotions? The children of
Israel in Jesus' day were awaiting their Messiah, their Anointed of God to be
their deliverer. They had a preconceived view based on Tradition, imagination,
longing and desire. Were their imaginations inaccurate? No more than any other imaginations of the
human imagination. If we look to the
hymn writers of our tradition we find titles like: "The King of Love my
Shepherd is", "O Worship the King all Glorious Above," "King
of Glory, King of Peace," and "O Worship the King all Glorious
Above." These are only a few of the
character traits associated with Jesus, the Christ or Anointed One. Jesus is anything but that kind of God: King,
Lord. He now reigns in our hearts, calls
us to love, calls us to be Christ's emissary and messenger to the
"neighbors: other human beings" whose paths we cross. Jesus defines
Kingship. This Lord rather than
dominating his subjects allowed them to exercise tyranny over him during his
earthly ministry. He laid down his life
for his enemies! Such a character in our
human realm brings the title of hero. We
call him King and Lord. However, he was
not the one that the powers of His day sought.
He brought change from the heart to the actions of humanity rather than
the brute force and arrogance of the human will.
In 1956, CS Lewis wrote a book called:
"Surprised by Joy" which was largely a spiritual biography of his
Christian walk and journey as a former atheist who passed to a ardent Christian
whose experiences served to many as a defense of the Christian faith. It deals almost exclusively with his
adolescent search for "joy" and those events leading up to and just
subsequent to his conversion at age thirty-one. It comprises what Lewis himself
would refer to as "spiritual autobiography," but not in the genre of
"Confessions" like those of St. Augustine or Rousseau. Lewis views
himself in Surprised by Joy as no more or less a sinner than anyone
else, but it is chiefly his intellectual journey that needs charting; his is
not a grand repentance from fleshly indulgence but a recovery of a child-like
wonderment at the world and its mysteries.
When we see this image of the Last Judgment in the gospel today, we are
challenged to see this as a new beginning of what the collect calls: " his
most gracious rule." Something to
notice about this scene of judgment is something that should bring our
attention like a laser beam to a great surprise! Both those identified as sheep
and those named goats are surprised by what Jesus says. “Lord, when did
we…” and “when didn’t we…” both capture the shock each group expresses
when Jesus praises or condemns their behavior.
"Lord: when, when did we?????"
One group acted in a "rightly related to God manner" by
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the
imprisoned or, on the other hand, in an unrighteous way by neglecting to do the
same? These individuals did what they
could to bring healing and love to a hurting world or ignored the brokenness in
humanity that our collect called "the peoples of the earth, divided and
enslaved by sin," We live in the
"already but not yet".
Redemption has begun in the human heart.
We are both redeemed and being redeemed.
Jesus has begun his reign in the human heart that the Great Judgment
will complete. This text is the only
vision of the Last Judgment in the New Testament. We share in that human redemption. We do not come to our gathers simply to get
but to be fueled to give as we leave this place. We are a part of the mission of Jesus to our
spheres of influence. Jesus promises to
be always with and for those who are in greatest need. If we want to experience
God’s presence fully, deeply, and truly, we will look for God in the needs of
those around us and, indeed, in our own need as well. Surprise! God came to identify with
us by being born in lowly Bethlehem in the form of a vulnerable infant. And God
didn’t come to conquer the world with military or political might, but instead
– surprise! – in the scandal, shame, and pain of the cross. So also
God continues to come where we least expect God to be: in the plight of the
homeless, on the side of the poor, in the face of the needy, and in the company
of the imprisoned. Surprise! God comes
to those who need Him most from the hearts of those who know and love him in
their own brokenness. We call those
people "Church". The collect
informs us that it is God's will : "to
restore all things in 'his' well beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of
lords". God's purpose is worked out in us and through
us to the brokenness of our world. As we
give thanks this week and enter a season of anticipation the next, may we walk
as sheep of God's pasture let us be aware as the Lord Jesus guides us as we
share in that kingdom walk wherever the Spirit may lead us to each surprise
along God's way..
