Different Kind Of King–dom
Sermon for the Last Sunday of the Church Year, year B
Bible reading: John 18:33-37
Some of you will remember a time when the Queen would visit Australia, and nearly all of us would be excited, and travel for miles to go and see her and wave to her. That’s a long time ago, and it almost seems quaint. It seems like another era – an era of castles and fairy tales.
Yet, here we are today celebrating Christ the King Sunday, and reflecting on Christ as a King with a Kingdom. And you may not like this language with its imagery of power and dominion and servants and battles. But as somebody has said: Christ the King Sunday sounds better than Christ our Democratically Elected Leader Sunday.
The truth is, Christ is King, whether we like it or not, whether we vote for him or not, whether we follow him or not.
We should be eternally grateful that Christ is King, and that it doesn’t depend on us.
Christ is King of Creation, and loves all he has created, though creation has largely rejected him, and groans with the pain of that rejection. In a world burdened and confused by climate change, how great that Christ is King of Creation, and calls us to join him in caring for creation, and also to believe that one day he will make all things new
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We should be eternally grateful that Christ is King of Salvation, and that it doesn’t depend on us. Human kind has so rebelled against its creator, and fallen so far short of what it was created to be, that many can no longer remember why they are on this earth, and many have despaired from ever finding their reason for living, and others have been fooled into thinking that if they just try harder they will somehow find their way back to God. Into this world steps the King of Salvation. CS Lewis describes it well:
Enemy occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.
Luther seems to be thinking along the same lines when he says that when we pray: your kingdom come; your will be done, on earth as in heaven
we are praying for God:
to hinder and defeat every evil scheme and purpose of the devil, the world and our flesh… that opposes the coming of his kingdom, [and we pray that] by his grace we believe his holy word and live a godly life on earth now, and in heaven for ever.
But what sort of Kingdom is this and what sort of King is Christ? When we read the New Testament Jesus appears a very strange sort of King and his Kingdom seems very different from what we know. Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of Kingship. My kingdom is not of this world
, he told Pilate, just as he told the Jews, I am not of this world.
He goes on to explain that: if my kingdom was of this world my servants would fight to prevent my arrest.
That’s a different kind of Kingdom. Peter couldn’t understand that. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter was quick to pull out his sword, though he wasn’t much of a swordsman. Put away your sword,
said Jesus. Whoever lives by the sword will die by the sword.
The kingdom of God has nothing to do with violence, and everything to do with peace. The early Christians understood this, and for three hundred years would not go to war. Gradually the church forgot the call of Jesus, and finally took up the sword to fight the crusades, and today too often supports the wars of earthly kingdoms.
My kingdom is not of this world… You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Earthly kingdoms are about power and domination, but the kingdom of God is about weakness and humble serving; about giving up rights; about walking the second mile; turning the other cheek; giving your shirt as well as your coat. The kingdom of God is about washing feet; having no place to stay; being despised and rejected.
Why is God’s kingdom so different and weak? Because that is the way of Jesus, the King.
What’s good for the King is good for the members of his Kingdom. Christ the King is not on his throne, but on his knees in humble service; not on a horse of war, but on a donkey of peace; not enthroned in a castle, but impaled on a cross. This is your king. This is his type of kingdom.
This is the King who is being led to the cross to die for the sins of the world. This is the King who loves the world so much he is willing to give his life as a ransom for many. Nowhere is Jesus more often called a King than during his suffering and death for us all. Yes, he is ruler of the kings of earth. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. But he is always King of the Cross… King of Love.
Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise.
This is your King, rejected, spat on, beaten, bloodied, stumbling under the cross, stripped naked, strung up on the cross and ridiculed; but still loving you, still forgiving you for all your sins, and for all the times you have rejected him, and the ways of his Kingdom.
If Jesus the King has loved us so much, then surely it follows that we love him with all our heart, and love our neighbour as ourselves.
If Jesus the King has forgiven us so much, then surely it follows that we too will forgive others, not just once, not just seven times, but seventy times seven, without limit.
If Jesus took such abuse from his enemies, and did not retaliate, then surely it follows that we too seek to love our enemies, and bless those who curse us.
If Jesus didn’t even have a place to lay his head, or a coin to pay his taxes, then surely he has the right call the rich young ruler to sell all he has and give the money to the poor and then come and follow me, and surely it follows that we seek to bring a really big offering to Christ our King.
Jesus has given his all for us and for our salvation. In our Baptism we have received all from him, and through His Word and His Sacrament Christ continues to give us all. Then it follows that in having received all by grace, we join Christ in giving all for the sake of others. If the Gospel cost Jesus his life, than it will cost us dearly too.
How sad if the church is full of people who have received forgiveness and heaven, but retain the right to be selfish, hateful, divisive and greedy
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How good when the church is so transformed by the grace of Christ the King, that it lives like him in his Kingdom. Christ’s Kingdom is so different from this world. Both Christ the King, and we who live under him in his Kingdom, are marked by loving, forgiving, serving, giving and suffering. To Christ, the King of the Cross, be glory and power, for ever & ever. Amen.