"FALL ON YOUR KNEES"
25th Sunday of Pentecost John 18 : 33 - 37
Despite the joy and festivities of our family Thanksgiving in Astoria this year, my children and I had a major holiday disagreement this week. It wasn’t really a point of religious doctrine or so much a deep familial squabble requiring group therapy; it was the answer to the question “What is your favorite Christmas song?” Once one suggested that John Denver and the Muppets was his favorite album growing up (which, for the record, is perhaps the dumbest cacophony of blunders, grunts and sock puppet meeps I’ve ever heard), then the girls all joined Jeff in opposing me in favor of some nonsense called, “Christmas is Coming, the Goose is getting Fat.”
Our “Sesame Street children” also scoffed at my favorite, which is O Holy Night. And the reason this classic is my all-time favorite, I will get to later in the sermon.
Now... I must tell you, I don’t like Christ the King Sunday because, unlike the church seasons of Lent and Advent (which have been celebrated for, perhaps, more than 1,600 years), Christ the King has only been a part of the Liturgical calendar since the 1920s – and it was added for purely political reasons. In the aftermath of World War I and amidst all the Kaisers, Kings and Czars, it felt (to the Holy Church) like it was time to reassert that neither Czar Nicholas or Kaiser Wilhelm was king, but that only Jesus Christ is!
So… nearly 100 years ago, this “celebration” was added to the church calendar. I mean, come on…What does a “king” or “queen” even mean to us these days? The monarchy is something we fought a revolutionary war to leave 250 years ago, and it’s now something Brits and remaining members of their Commonwealth treat like Hollywood. Today, kings and queens are the stuff of history books and fairy tales.
Consequently, I’ve always resented this feast which closes the Lectionary year because the kingship of Christ may have meant something very significant in the political climate of 100 years ago but, in 2018, it sounds like celebrating Christ the CEO Sunday. And yet… there still seem to be politicians and businessmen who want to be king!?
In addition, I've never thought this particular scripture is compelling enough to explain Christ’s kingship. Nearly every first, Communion Sunday of the month, we speak about how: “On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he gathered with his friends for a meal…” that must have tasted like freedom from the ancient traditions of Passover, and like freedom from the oppressive practices of Rome, and like freedom from their tax policies which favored only the rich…
Well on that same night, he taught them some new stuff and prayed for them for a long time. And after the teaching and prayer, he and his disciples went to this garden they had visited before. And in this famous garden, knowing that Jesus would be there, Judas (with 30 silver pieces still jingling in his pocket) betrayed his Lord, his friend and his teacher... and brought with him some armed Roman soldiers and some religious authorities for good measure.
Then, strangely, the impulsive Apostle Peter drew a sword and cut off the High Priest’s servant's ear. And when he asked who they were looking for, they answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” To which Jesus replied, “I am he”. And they fell to the ground... (repeat) Unarmed, with no money or status to speak of, probably wearing the very same tunic he had traveled in for weeks, and with absolutely zero Twitter followers; “gentle Jesus meek and mild” said to them, “I am he.” And the priests, the temple police, and the soldiers all fell to the ground!?
And then Jesus was arrested, subjected to some police brutality and brought before Pilate for questioning. And that’s the Lectionary lesson for Christ the King Sunday; the scriptural justification for our belief in the Lord Jesus as royalty? Well if that’s all there is: I think I’d just like a better king…
“So… Jesus,” Pilate asks, “are you (or aren’t you) a king?” And Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Well, that’s pretty obvious... Not much of a following among citizens of Galilee, not yet even on the radar of their Roman occupiers, and only contempt did he receive from the religious elite. I don’t mean any disrespect, but if you ARE a king, then you’re not a very good one.
I mean, if we are looking at a king here, how come you have so few loyal subjects and no real royal warriors? And, if we are going to honor a king here and/or trust in any promises of salvation, where is your land, your wealth, your influence, your assurances. And I hope you’re not counting on the farmers, fisherman and women (you DO know) to make your case or remember your face long after you are gone…
If I have the chance to celebrate a king today, I want it to be one who will wipe out the racists, anyone who does violence to women or hurts children, and everyone who is more interested in protecting the wealth of the rich than defending the well-being of the poor. I want Christ to be the kind of king who can wipe out sin and all sorts of evil; controls our climate, maintains the ozone layer, preserves the planet and all its resources; and I want him to chastise those at PBS responsible for discontinuing production of Downton Abbey.
But, considering the number of natural disasters, mall, concert and school shootings, and hate crimes making daily headlines – if Christ is my king – then I hope you'll agree he’s doing a pretty lousy job of defending my world and/or smiting my enemies.
But the problem is that when the justice-seeking and vengeance part of me calls out to have a king who would do the things I most desire and/or smite the ones I despise or reject, I'm certain there are others who ALSO have worthy prayers and that I'm on someone else’s “short list” of undesirables, too. And so... if we EACH are hoping and petitioning God to grant our wishes – and/or to be our Almighty smiter – and if Christ is the kind of king we ALL want and/or expect, then, where does this cycle leave us?
The truth is, despite my own misgivings about lifting up the final Sunday of the church calendar to recognize Christ the King (because there were Czars, Kaisers, and dictators who exerted power and influence, and attempted to build kingdoms, and claimed infamous places in history), I now readily acknowledge there still exist princes and presidents today who want to impose authority, ideologies, and control: upon nations and markets, pollsters and parties, and to usurp that place that is (or should be) reserved for our God.
What I need, what we need, what this broken world needs now isn't a king with the greatest military parade and arsenal of warheads – we don’t need a czar, despot, or autocrat who knows how to keep everyone under control and do his (or her) bidding. We don’t need a Kaiser or a war lord who wins an armed, guerilla conflict or a cartel or a drug lord who intimidates a country with neighborhood violence, or a CEO who does whatever it takes to “mobilize his base” and squelch the aspirations of others.
We need a God who protects us by forgiving our lust for power and prestige and a Lord who saves us by refusing to play the victory, the vanity, and the vitriol game at all!
When Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world, I want to believe he is not saying, “Do what you will with me because, while I might seem weak and pathetic here, in heaven I’m the one “calling the shots.” What I hope the Lord Jesus meant is that my kingdom cannot be of this world because, when I consider the goodness of Creation and of my Father’s intentions for it, I hardly recognize the world that I’m in. My power isn’t centered in or reliant upon the endless, human cycle of one-upmanship. I’m not a defender, protector, soldier, Pharisee, or cop. I’m a Savior who knows that MORE hate speech and MORE “nationalism” will never save us from our addiction to them.
Which brings me back to the olive garden... I could, perhaps, see myself being the one who tried to save myself by making sure the "presenting problem" was taken care of, or by abandoning or betraying the “problem maker,” or by watching it all happen and doing absolutely nothing. And, I could easily have been the one who drew a sword: trying to fight violence with violence. However, the only true hope is NOT to be the betrayer, the enforcer, or the one who draws a sword; but to be one of those few who fell to the ground when the unarmed and unimpressive, Jesus of Nazareth answers them, “I am he.”
Because the competitive and/or jealous violence in us that has been from the beginning (since Cain killed Abel): that instinctive thing within every human heart that wants to destroy our enemies, is actually destroying us – and it always has. So, we don’t need more kings of aggression or deceit, kings reopening healthcare or closing borders. We need a King born in a stable, we need a King riding on a donkey, a King who isn’t threatened by the wisdom of a Syrophoenician woman, or a King who isn’t afraid to embrace a Samaritan, a sinner, or a leper, and a King who isn’t above washing another’s feet. We don’t need to "blow our own horns" or throw up our fists… We need to fall on our knees.
So here it is… Why O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas song. It’s that one line: “Fall on your knees.” For that’s what we do before a true King.
Fall on your knees before a God whose love comes to us in tender, unprotected, unarmed, defenseless flesh. Fall on your knees before the One who loves without caution or fear, without measure or limits, without concern for our insurability or pre-existing conditions. Fall on your knees before the one who submitted to the very worst that humans are capable of, who let that twisted thing within us... the thing in us capable of betrayal, abandonment, public humiliation and police brutality; punitive violence – even gruesome murder and did NOT promise, “I’m gonna get you back,” but instead said, “You are forgiven.”
At the feet of this King, we spread our trophies: all of our victories, our standards of living, and any delusions of independence and safety. Fall on your knees. Because we are simply out of solutions of our own. His kingdom is not of this world’s values. It’s not a kingdom which demonizes opponents, which looks to glorify earthly leaders, or to dominate the jury of public opinion. Christ is our king because all our human competition – the need for us to be right and everyone else to be wrong – the need for us to win and someone else to lose – the belief that God favors and blesses US above all other nations and abuse of that misapprehension is either ignored or dismissed by Jesus as unworthy or insignificant.
This is why we are, at present, in need NOT of a king who revels in and responds to the press or promises of this world. Instead, we are in desperate need of a Savior whose compassion and charisma draw all people to himself in love. We need a Monarch whose story encourages compassion, respect, and love from His loyal subjects. And we need His faithful followers to spread word of his example and teachings and encourage others to be compassionate and show respect, as well. We need a “suffering servant” King with: a crown made of thorns and a cross for a throne.
Fall on your knees. Spread all your achievements and your accomplishments at his pierced feet. And then, recognize him as the King of kings and worship him as the Lord of all. Amen.
Our “Sesame Street children” also scoffed at my favorite, which is O Holy Night. And the reason this classic is my all-time favorite, I will get to later in the sermon.
Now... I must tell you, I don’t like Christ the King Sunday because, unlike the church seasons of Lent and Advent (which have been celebrated for, perhaps, more than 1,600 years), Christ the King has only been a part of the Liturgical calendar since the 1920s – and it was added for purely political reasons. In the aftermath of World War I and amidst all the Kaisers, Kings and Czars, it felt (to the Holy Church) like it was time to reassert that neither Czar Nicholas or Kaiser Wilhelm was king, but that only Jesus Christ is!
So… nearly 100 years ago, this “celebration” was added to the church calendar. I mean, come on…What does a “king” or “queen” even mean to us these days? The monarchy is something we fought a revolutionary war to leave 250 years ago, and it’s now something Brits and remaining members of their Commonwealth treat like Hollywood. Today, kings and queens are the stuff of history books and fairy tales.
Consequently, I’ve always resented this feast which closes the Lectionary year because the kingship of Christ may have meant something very significant in the political climate of 100 years ago but, in 2018, it sounds like celebrating Christ the CEO Sunday. And yet… there still seem to be politicians and businessmen who want to be king!?
In addition, I've never thought this particular scripture is compelling enough to explain Christ’s kingship. Nearly every first, Communion Sunday of the month, we speak about how: “On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he gathered with his friends for a meal…” that must have tasted like freedom from the ancient traditions of Passover, and like freedom from the oppressive practices of Rome, and like freedom from their tax policies which favored only the rich…
Well on that same night, he taught them some new stuff and prayed for them for a long time. And after the teaching and prayer, he and his disciples went to this garden they had visited before. And in this famous garden, knowing that Jesus would be there, Judas (with 30 silver pieces still jingling in his pocket) betrayed his Lord, his friend and his teacher... and brought with him some armed Roman soldiers and some religious authorities for good measure.
Then, strangely, the impulsive Apostle Peter drew a sword and cut off the High Priest’s servant's ear. And when he asked who they were looking for, they answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” To which Jesus replied, “I am he”. And they fell to the ground... (repeat) Unarmed, with no money or status to speak of, probably wearing the very same tunic he had traveled in for weeks, and with absolutely zero Twitter followers; “gentle Jesus meek and mild” said to them, “I am he.” And the priests, the temple police, and the soldiers all fell to the ground!?
And then Jesus was arrested, subjected to some police brutality and brought before Pilate for questioning. And that’s the Lectionary lesson for Christ the King Sunday; the scriptural justification for our belief in the Lord Jesus as royalty? Well if that’s all there is: I think I’d just like a better king…
“So… Jesus,” Pilate asks, “are you (or aren’t you) a king?” And Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Well, that’s pretty obvious... Not much of a following among citizens of Galilee, not yet even on the radar of their Roman occupiers, and only contempt did he receive from the religious elite. I don’t mean any disrespect, but if you ARE a king, then you’re not a very good one.
I mean, if we are looking at a king here, how come you have so few loyal subjects and no real royal warriors? And, if we are going to honor a king here and/or trust in any promises of salvation, where is your land, your wealth, your influence, your assurances. And I hope you’re not counting on the farmers, fisherman and women (you DO know) to make your case or remember your face long after you are gone…
If I have the chance to celebrate a king today, I want it to be one who will wipe out the racists, anyone who does violence to women or hurts children, and everyone who is more interested in protecting the wealth of the rich than defending the well-being of the poor. I want Christ to be the kind of king who can wipe out sin and all sorts of evil; controls our climate, maintains the ozone layer, preserves the planet and all its resources; and I want him to chastise those at PBS responsible for discontinuing production of Downton Abbey.
But, considering the number of natural disasters, mall, concert and school shootings, and hate crimes making daily headlines – if Christ is my king – then I hope you'll agree he’s doing a pretty lousy job of defending my world and/or smiting my enemies.
But the problem is that when the justice-seeking and vengeance part of me calls out to have a king who would do the things I most desire and/or smite the ones I despise or reject, I'm certain there are others who ALSO have worthy prayers and that I'm on someone else’s “short list” of undesirables, too. And so... if we EACH are hoping and petitioning God to grant our wishes – and/or to be our Almighty smiter – and if Christ is the kind of king we ALL want and/or expect, then, where does this cycle leave us?
The truth is, despite my own misgivings about lifting up the final Sunday of the church calendar to recognize Christ the King (because there were Czars, Kaisers, and dictators who exerted power and influence, and attempted to build kingdoms, and claimed infamous places in history), I now readily acknowledge there still exist princes and presidents today who want to impose authority, ideologies, and control: upon nations and markets, pollsters and parties, and to usurp that place that is (or should be) reserved for our God.
What I need, what we need, what this broken world needs now isn't a king with the greatest military parade and arsenal of warheads – we don’t need a czar, despot, or autocrat who knows how to keep everyone under control and do his (or her) bidding. We don’t need a Kaiser or a war lord who wins an armed, guerilla conflict or a cartel or a drug lord who intimidates a country with neighborhood violence, or a CEO who does whatever it takes to “mobilize his base” and squelch the aspirations of others.
We need a God who protects us by forgiving our lust for power and prestige and a Lord who saves us by refusing to play the victory, the vanity, and the vitriol game at all!
When Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world, I want to believe he is not saying, “Do what you will with me because, while I might seem weak and pathetic here, in heaven I’m the one “calling the shots.” What I hope the Lord Jesus meant is that my kingdom cannot be of this world because, when I consider the goodness of Creation and of my Father’s intentions for it, I hardly recognize the world that I’m in. My power isn’t centered in or reliant upon the endless, human cycle of one-upmanship. I’m not a defender, protector, soldier, Pharisee, or cop. I’m a Savior who knows that MORE hate speech and MORE “nationalism” will never save us from our addiction to them.
Which brings me back to the olive garden... I could, perhaps, see myself being the one who tried to save myself by making sure the "presenting problem" was taken care of, or by abandoning or betraying the “problem maker,” or by watching it all happen and doing absolutely nothing. And, I could easily have been the one who drew a sword: trying to fight violence with violence. However, the only true hope is NOT to be the betrayer, the enforcer, or the one who draws a sword; but to be one of those few who fell to the ground when the unarmed and unimpressive, Jesus of Nazareth answers them, “I am he.”
Because the competitive and/or jealous violence in us that has been from the beginning (since Cain killed Abel): that instinctive thing within every human heart that wants to destroy our enemies, is actually destroying us – and it always has. So, we don’t need more kings of aggression or deceit, kings reopening healthcare or closing borders. We need a King born in a stable, we need a King riding on a donkey, a King who isn’t threatened by the wisdom of a Syrophoenician woman, or a King who isn’t afraid to embrace a Samaritan, a sinner, or a leper, and a King who isn’t above washing another’s feet. We don’t need to "blow our own horns" or throw up our fists… We need to fall on our knees.
So here it is… Why O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas song. It’s that one line: “Fall on your knees.” For that’s what we do before a true King.
Fall on your knees before a God whose love comes to us in tender, unprotected, unarmed, defenseless flesh. Fall on your knees before the One who loves without caution or fear, without measure or limits, without concern for our insurability or pre-existing conditions. Fall on your knees before the one who submitted to the very worst that humans are capable of, who let that twisted thing within us... the thing in us capable of betrayal, abandonment, public humiliation and police brutality; punitive violence – even gruesome murder and did NOT promise, “I’m gonna get you back,” but instead said, “You are forgiven.”
At the feet of this King, we spread our trophies: all of our victories, our standards of living, and any delusions of independence and safety. Fall on your knees. Because we are simply out of solutions of our own. His kingdom is not of this world’s values. It’s not a kingdom which demonizes opponents, which looks to glorify earthly leaders, or to dominate the jury of public opinion. Christ is our king because all our human competition – the need for us to be right and everyone else to be wrong – the need for us to win and someone else to lose – the belief that God favors and blesses US above all other nations and abuse of that misapprehension is either ignored or dismissed by Jesus as unworthy or insignificant.
This is why we are, at present, in need NOT of a king who revels in and responds to the press or promises of this world. Instead, we are in desperate need of a Savior whose compassion and charisma draw all people to himself in love. We need a Monarch whose story encourages compassion, respect, and love from His loyal subjects. And we need His faithful followers to spread word of his example and teachings and encourage others to be compassionate and show respect, as well. We need a “suffering servant” King with: a crown made of thorns and a cross for a throne.
Fall on your knees. Spread all your achievements and your accomplishments at his pierced feet. And then, recognize him as the King of kings and worship him as the Lord of all. Amen.