Born For This

Today is Christ the King Sunday.

Jesus taught his followers, and still teaches us today that to lead you have to serve. He taught that Loving God meant loving each other. But Jesus wasn't just a life coach. Jesus wasn't just a philosopher or a teacher. Jesus wasn't just a rabbi. Jesus made absolute claim that he was the word of God made flesh. He claimed to be God's anointed one. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Christ.

If Christ is King, if Jesus is Lord that means we don't have to be or even pretend to be. That takes a lot of pressure off!

If Christ is king, I will bow before him no matter what the minimum requirement.

If Christ is king and he was rejected, then its alright if I get rejected because I am his disciple.

If Christ is king, then we have to see all of our aspirations, failures and successes in the light of his rule.

If Christ is King then hope and comfort will reign instead of despair and grief.

If Christ is King then violence and hatred are overcome by mercy and forgiveness.

If Christ is king we know someone is in charge.

If Christ is king, then I know that I am not.

If Christ is king then no one else is.

Jesus Christ is a king like no other. Christ the king doesn't call us to rule over others. Our king doesn't call us to violence. Our king doesn't promise riches or material security.

Our king asks us to follow him.

Our king invites us to rest in him.

Our king says to learn from him.

Our king tells us to Love God with all that we are.

Our king says that he and the father are one.

Our king says to love your neighbor as your self.

Our king tells us to go and make more learners and teach them all that he taught us.

Our king spoke often of the Kingdom of Heaven..the Kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is like a farmer who sows seeds

The kingdom is like a mustard seed

The kingdom is like a field of wheat and weeds.

The kingdom is like treasure in a field

The kingdom is like yeast

The kingdom is like pearls of great value

The kingdom is like a fishing net.

Humanity has largely rejected the idea of earthly kings as a political reality. Our country had its birth when it fought a war to cast off monarchical rule. Now every four years we elect someone that half the country will criticize relentlessly until the next election. We don't trust our fellow humans with power over us. We don't trust those who claim to have the right to rule us. There is a good reason for this. It was never God's plan.

When the Hebrews wanted a ruler, a king like other nations had, the judge Samuel went to God with the request and it was King Saul was made ruler over them. If you have read your bible you know that arrangement didn't work out so well for the people or for Saul. Then David was king. Then a cycle of Bad kings and not-so-bad kings ruled and continued to make a mess of things all the while, the prophets of God continued to call the people back to God. Then God intervened.

Jesus was born. Royalty born in a barn. The King of kings for all eternity born to a young couple in an occupied land making the difficult journey to Bethlehem. He grew up and only a few recognized him for who he was but even they abandoned him in the end. He was crucified. He died. He defeated death. He ascended into heaven and reigns as King.

This is where we find ourselves in the story. What happens next we do not know. Scripture says he is coming back. We cannot predict when that will be or what that will look like. Jesus says don't even try to guess.

Christ is king and he his a king like no other. He didn't come and conquer. He didn't subjugate. Jesus came as a servant. Jesus came and sacrificed himself. As we find ourselves today, in this chapter of God's story, we have a king who has called us to follow him. How will we respond? Where does our allegiance to Jesus fall in our list of loyalties? How does Jesus fair on your list of important things? Spouse, children, parents, siblings, country, culture, politics, where does submission to Christ the king fall in your list?

In the Gospel lesson today Jesus is on trial before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Pilate clearly wants little to do with this situation. He doesn't want Jesus to be his problem. The question of kingship comes up. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my f0ollowers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is ,my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Born to testify to the truth. Jesus said that is what is was born to do. What were you born to do? Can you put your finger on one thing? What were you born for? If you can name something, how often do you do what you were born to do? How well do you do what you were born to do?

Jesus said he was born to testify to to the truth. Pilate asked him “what is truth?” Good question!

A lie is a lie even if everyone believes it and the truth is the truth even if no one believes it. If Jesus said, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice,” then why are there so many well meaning, intelligent people not listening to his voice? Perhaps its because some of the people who claim to be his followers have forgotten to listen for his voice and have presented a distorted what it means to be a disciple of Christ. If Jesus is not at the top of your priority list, if Christ is not your king then what is? The kingdom of God will be made manifest in those who listen and obey. The kingdom of God will be realized when we let the Holy Spirit inhabit us and transform us. The kingdom of God will be on earth as it is in heaven when those who claim the name of Jesus as lord. How can Christ be king of the world if he is not even king of his believers? How can this world heal, if we don't abide Jesus' rule?

When Jesus was about to leave this world he commissioned his followers to do the work he was doing. He once said that his followers would do greater things than he did. It is only by submission to his will that this is possible.

We all are on this journey of life together. The question for our spiritual lives and our life together is always, “what's next?” The answer to that questions is always to seek a deeper connection to God. We are never done. We can always go further up and further in. We can surrender more and more of our life to our King. On our journey we will discover things that will impede our efforts to get closer to God. These are the things that we will remove. The things that are ineffective in drawing us to the truth, we will leave behind.

So, how is it with you today? Have you accepted Christ as your king? Is Jesus the Lord of your life? I am praying for you my brothers and sisters. May Gods kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

On Kinney Down

I went to my hometown for Thanksgiving.  Eli with his cousin.  

My family's heraldry includes farming symbols.

This is the chimney that goes through the room that
was my bedroom as a child.  My chalk art that
I made to make it more attractive has survived
for a quarter-century.