True Majesty
Christ the King Sunday -
True Majesty - Matthew 21:1-11
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Anthony used to teach elementary school. One of his kindergarten co-teachers shared this story about two five year olds, a young boy and an annoying a little girl. During quiet time she asked him, “Jerome, do you want to be a king.” He ignored her as he did his school work. She again asked, “Do you want to be a king?” No response. “Do you want to be a king? Do you want to be a king? Do you want to be a king?” Finally, frustrated and fed-up, the little boy stood up, shook his head and shouted, “No, I don’t want to be no dang king.”
Today we celebrate Christ the King. I confess it has never been my favorite Sunday. I have avoided it for years having difficulty with regal nomenclature regarding Jesus and God. History tells too many stories of unjust monarchs. Yet the Sunday’s intention might win my appreciation. In 1925 the Roman Catholic Feast Christ the King was created to remind Christians that our allegiance is to Christ not to worldly leaders. A decade later the Barmen Declaration, a confession written during WWII, affirms that earthly leaders should not have the power to direct us to hurt each other. Christ the King celebrates Christ’s alternative style of service kingship – a dominion not seized by violence or power but by compassion, love, and service of others.
Monarchy seems a bygone model of governance. However, the violent and selfish characteristics of bad Kings and Queens are repeatedly picked up by world leaders. Despots still gather in the resources of their people for personal gain. But we hope. We hope that the better characteristics of benevolent monarchs are demonstrated by leaders. We pray that our leaders will indeed serve the common good. Today’s Scripture rings as Palm Sunday’s story; it works for Christ the King too, giving us insight into God’s desires for human leaders.
Try to picture the odd Palm Sunday parade. Jesus was teaching, but would they understand his living parable? Would they understand the humble metaphor - him riding a donkey instead of a steed? Jesus could hear their hopes for a new King of military might. He could hear excited murmurs: “Maybe this is the one.” “He fits the criterion; he is a child of David.” “He is good with people - look at the crowd.” “Look at his carpenter arms; they are strong enough to swing a sword.” “Maybe he is the promised Messiah, a new King of Jerusalem?” They wanted him to chop the Romans out of their lands. They wanted him to lead them to battle, to be private national King; to lift them to the top of the region’s power structures.
We may have similar desires, that God would change the divine paradigm and get more directly, more physically involved in the world. We might yearn for a Divine King to meddle in our world fixing broken things. Yearn for a Divine King who forces evil-doers to succumb to love. But we don’t want a coercive God to treat us as puppets, directing every movement. We want a God who makes others behave but who stays out of our affairs.
Jesus teaches true majesty. His heart beat as God’s heart. He knew God’s life blood flowed in the veins of all God’s children. Blood was not to be spilled in violence. Jesus mended wounds, healed hearts, taught love, showed God to these people. After the mother of James and John begged him to give her sons special status in his Kingdom, he said to the disciples, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 26It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’
Jesus grew up on the Hebrew Scriptures learning that most kings were corrupt. Most kings were greedy. Most kings denounced God. There is a great conflict within the history of the people about leadership. Who will lead the people? Shall they be lead by might or wisdom, power or patience, violence or non-violence, greed or God? The Exodus people were freed of the oppressive rule of Pharaoh, freed to establish a new justice-based society. Moses led them with wisdom. As the people grew, God instructed Moses to appoint new leaders who could lead the people with God’s wisdom.
But later when Samuel was their leader, the people fearing the Philistines demanded that God give them a king. In 1 Samuel chapter 8 we hear God’s response, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your menservants and maidservants, and the best of your cattle and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the LORD will not answer you in that day."
Do you want to be a king, like this? Do you want a king, like this?
We need wise leaders, not power-welding, compassionate leaders, not cold, humble leaders, not proud. The palm pilgrimage begins the last parable of Jesus. It begins a parable about true majesty. It was tradition that Israeli kings mounted animals that no one had ever ridden upon. Jesus mounted a donkey, an affront to worldly power. Jesus had so recently washed the disciples’ feet. He was a servant leader. But the people wanted a fighting king, not a Rabbi to lead them to God’s heart. Jesus allows them to lay down their garments for him to tread upon. He allows them to wave their branches, and carpet his pathway.
How many waved their palms as clubs ready for Jesus’ signal to attack the Romans? How many lusted for the blood of rebellion? But Jesus doesn’t signal for violence. Instead, in Jerusalem, he goes to Temple. His leadership would be centered in God and in God’s wisdom.
I imagine the people watching him before the Sanhedrin excited when he says “I am” – “I am the Messiah.” But he doesn’t call them to action, he allows the fearful, religious leaders to spit on him and hand him over to the Romans. “What’s he doing, why not call down vengeance?” He models a different leadership. The crowd assembles watching him silent before Pilate, surely disgusted that he will not fight back. Then Pilate gives them a choice. Shall I free this man, this innocent man, this holy man, this wise man. Shall I free this man who treats you as equals, even women, this one who cherishes children, this one who inspires sharing, this one who leads with love. Shall I free this one who reveals a peace-loving God, this one who teaches that God loves the weak.
Or shall I release Barabbas, the violent one who has killed Romans? Pilate gives them a choice. Do you want a society based on peace or violence? Do you believe in a non-violent God or a bloodthirsty God? To whom do we give worldly power to be our leaders?
Today we dedicate our time, talent and treasure. We freely give up our lives to follow the One who road upon that donkey modeling humility as a center to governance. This week we give thanks to God for the harvests of our lives. We thank God for our freedom, for our abilities to choose how to speak and how to worship. We dedicate our lives working with God to bring more light and more freedom to this world. We dedicate our lives working with God to raise new leaders who hear God’s heart.
Next week we begin Advent. Next week we begin watching for the Christ child to come again. We watch for, we hope for, we yearn for God to teach us to journey with patience, compassion, community, simplicity and love.
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
Amen.