KING OF KINGS

November 20, 2022
Christ the King Sunday
Rev. Denise Clark-Jones

In the latest edition of the Atlantic Monthly, there is a scathing article criticizing the new king of the British Empire as being a poor replacement for his late mother, Queen Elizabeth. I sort of feel sorry for King Charles III. The poor guy had to wait until he was 73 years old to take on the job he had been preparing for all his life. Most of the Kings and Queens of the world are merely figureheads now, with no real political power. But in the days of Jeremiah, and long before, the people of Israel and her surrounding neighbors had powerful kings and queens. Like the British monarchy, the people did not select their royal leaders. The only way you became king or queen was to be born into the royal family. Generally, it was the firstborn son, but insurrection and/or murder sometimes changed the line of ascendancy to the throne. There was no choice in the matter for the people over whom they ruled. But Britain is no longer the kind of empire it once was, Being king requires a lot of ceremonial duties and very little power. At a time when most people are already enjoying their retirement, Charles is the new guy in the job, having to prove himself to his mother’s fan club and those who think the idea of a king is outdated and useless.

But in Jeremiah’s time, the king was believed to have a divine calling. He had an obligation to God to shepherd his people according to God’s laws and priorities. In the two previous chapters, Jeremiah lambasted the recent kings of Judah. According to the prophet, only King Josiah had fulfilled the model of a godly king. Josiah’s sons were included in Jeremiah’s rant against “the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” with their “evil doings” But the good news Jeremiah announced was that God promised to “raise up for David a righteous Branch… [who will] reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” Christians have long interpreted Jeremiah’s words to claim Jesus was the king God was promising.

What were the characteristics of an ideal king? The psalmist who penned Psalm 72 put it succinctly:

Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the son of the king.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice (Ps. 72:1-2).

Between Jeremiah and the psalmist, we have these requisite qualities of a good king: wisdom, justice, righteousness, and a particular concern for the poor.

In the Song of Zachariah from Luke, which we sang instead of a psalm, the old priest proclaims at his son John’s naming ceremony in the temple that this child will prepare the way for the ultimate king God has promised. Zachariah goes beyond announcing that a good king with God’s stamp of approval is coming. This king will bring salvation; he will be their savior! He will bring hope and healing to those living in despair, and guide the people of Israel into “shalom,” which means peace — harmony with God, self, and others. By bringing salvation this new king will even be the King of Kings.

And this is just what the Roman leadership in the Judean province feared. Jesus was dangerous, not just because he was a rival to the throne, but because he was a different kind of king. He did not play by the same rules or wield power in the same way. If Jesus were accepted as the King of Kings, worldly power brokers would see their power diminish. Pontius Pilate, like the rest of the political leaders of the Roman Empire, wielded his power like a dictator. Might makes right. To the victors go the spoils. Jesus refused to even debate with Pilate

The Feast of Christ the King was instituted in 1925, a time when many dictators ruled their people. The world had just witnessed the unfathomable carnage of World War I, which began when the rulers of Germany and Austria-Hungary sought to dominate their neighbors. The result was a global conflict with a death toll never seen before. Ironically, the perpetrators of World War 1 were countries in which Christianity was the predominant religion. In the Second World War, of the three Axis Powers who started the war, two, Germany and Italy, had Christianity as their state religion. The German Christian Church supported the Nazi Movement. Today we are again seeing the rise of authoritarian leaders. The latest aggression, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has the support of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who has closely aligned himself with Vladimir Putin.

It seems Christians who seek political power are no more accepting of Christ today than the Romans, despite what they might publicly profess. In our own country, we have people calling themselves devout Christians who support laws and policies that hurt the poor, the ones Jesus called blessed. Jesus observed that “the Son of Man has no place to lay his head,” (Matt. 8:20) yet in some places in our country it is illegal to give hungry and homeless people food. Jesus warned that “Those who live by the sword will perish by the sword;” (Matthew 26, 26:52) yet we have swapped our swords for guns, much more powerful killing tools. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” (Luke 18:16) yet guns are the leading cause of death in our child population. All school children have regular mass shooter drills; and yet, we refuse to put restrictions on the sale of automatic guns with the potential for killing the most people.

Jesus led as a healer. We have a healthcare system that only works well for the non-poor. Attempts to improve access to health care and needed medications have been repeatedly thwarted by political leaders and their wealthy campaign donors, who make enormous profits in the health care and pharmaceutical industries. As I heard one preacher say: “The issue of how we fix the mess and care for people who can’t afford to go to a doctor is not a Jesus-question. The issue of whether or not we should care for such people is a Jesus-question.” Even in his final hour, Jesus attended to the needs of another dying man. You could say Jesus provided him with hospice care.

What kind of king is Jesus? One that leads like a “good shepherd.” He comes to save, not to subdue. He comes to free us from worldly constraints, so we are free to serve God and one another in peace. The author of the letter to the Colossians goes to great lengths to explain the paradox of a humiliated, crucified King of King and Lord of Lords. Most of the references in the Gospels to Jesus as king do not speak of his divine power but to his trial and crucifixion. Over and over, Jesus told people that there is strength in weakness, there is honor in humility, there is joy in generosity, and there are rewards for justice, compassion, and mercy that endure into eternity.

Next week we will start a new year of journeying with Jesus. Will this be the year Jesus does become the king of our hearts and minds? Will this be the year that we make Jesus’ agenda our own?

Amen. May it be so!

© Rev. Denise Clark-Jones, 2022, All Rights Reserved
Westminster Presbyterian Church | 1420 W. Moss Ave. | Peoria, Illinois 61606
WestminsterPeoria.org  | 309.673.8501

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