Christ the King Sunday—November 25, 2007

Proper 29 - C
by the Reverend J. Peter Swarr

Thanksgiving is barely over, Advent has yet to begin, and yet my neighborhood is already decorated for Christmas. Everywhere I look I see Christmas lights. Some radio stations are even playing non-stop Christmas music. Just the other day, to my dismay, I found myself singing this song:

While I feel strongly that our culture does us a disservice by rushing headlong into Christmas by the 1^st week of November, and while I despise the rampant commercialization of this time of year, this Christmas Carol may be helpful for us as we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. All too often, as we picture Christ the King, many of us, myself included, may find ourselves thinking of a little babe lying in a manger. That’s about as far as our reflections on this deep religious image often goes.

But not today, today we hear reading after reading referring to a different Christ the King. This kingly Christ is the one in whom true power and leadership fully rests. On this Sunday we acknowledge as King and Ruler of all the One who created the heavens and the earth, the One who claims our full allegiance no matter our nationality or political leanings. On this last Sunday of the Church year we envision Christ’s dominion over all of human life not merely over donkeys and sheep in a manger stall. Christ the King Sunday is a day in which we are invited to ask a simple and yet profound question: just what is this kingship of Christ and what does it mean?

The kingship of Christ is not about worldly power, and yet it is about world-transforming power. The kingship of Christ is not about political movements, and yet it is about a movement that challenges and subverts every political movement in our world. Christ’s rule is about a kingdom that is not of this world, and yet it is about a kingdom that is to be brought into being within the world. We discover Christ the King not in exalted and beautiful halls, not in places of power and prestige, but instead among the lowly, the needy, the hurting, and the oppressed. Christ the King reigns in the least expected places, in the midst of human broken-ness. So today, we celebrate Christ’s inherent, peaceful, all-powerful kingship which comes about due to his loving and gracious creation and redemption of all. But what does all of this matter? What does such a kingship even look like in the midst of our world which seems to know so little of peace and so much of sin and broken-ness?

It was within this very context of human sin and broken-ness that Jeremiah spoke of a new life-giving kingdom. Jeremiah spoke of the people of Israel as a flock that has been scattered and neglected by her leaders. These rulers had created only suffering and death for Israel. In the midst of that reality Jeremiah spoke of a future kingship, descended from David’s royal line, which would inaugurate a kingdom in which the people "shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any [person] be missing." These words were just as challenging when they were written as they are today.

Throughout the world many live a life of fear and dismay while many people are missing, not to be found in their homes and communities but instead held in jails, political prisons, and refugee camps. As we sit in this sanctuary 791,600 black men have disappeared into US jails, nearly 180,000 more than are currently in college.¹ As we sit in this church many families in Latin America continue to search for beloved desparecidos. Family members who "disappeared" in the midst of political unrest at the hands of leaders who valued their own power above the rights of the people they were to serve. As we sit in this church millions of families grieve the disappearance of family members due to the scourge of war which mars the face of the earth. And yet, in the midst of this fearful reality of powers that scatter and destroy nations, Jeremiah spoke with hope of a Divine Shepherd. This Shepherd will gather the lost together from the ends of the earth, this Shepherd "will bring [the people] back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply…[the people] shall not fear any long, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing." "This, this is Christ the King"—The One who reunites families, the one who seeks out and saves the lost—"the babe, the son of Mary."

¹ http://www.uic.edu/las/afam/courses/aast255/Black_Men_as_Inmates_Since_1980.pdf

Our recitation (Singing) of the Song of Zechariah reminds us of yet another facet of Christ’s all powerful Kingdom. In this song of praise we are reminded that just as in Zechariah’s time, so too today does, Jesus come "to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship without fear." Much of the world continues to be in the grasp of enemies and fear. Much of the world is NOT free to worship without fear of reprisal, punishment, and even death. The fact is, in China, the nation that will host the upcoming Olympic games, there are many churches that, per government order, only admit foreign nationals to worship services, going so far as to require people to show their passports before entering. And yet, in the midst of this nation which blocks church websites and persecutes Church leaders, millions upon millions of people continue to be drawn to underground churches where they are enabled to meet Christ the King. In meeting Christ these brave Chinese Christians are released from their fear of political oppression and they are filled with hope and an infectious joy which is leading to the growth of the Church. Christ the King has come to set people free, Christ has come to take away fear. "In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death." "This, this is Christ the King"—the one who takes away fear, the one who enables Christians near and far to continue to worship God even in the midst of oppression and the threat of persecution–"the babe, the son of Mary."

Finally, our Gospel reading paints a picture of Christ the King which is jarring, disturbing, and far more confusing than the celebration of kingship in the midst of modern American democracy. Here Christ the King reigns from his terrible throne—the Cross. Here, as he is put to death, mocked, and scorned by all around him, Christ reigns and inaugurates a kingdom of love and service. From the Cross we are shown the full power and awe of Christ the King. Even as he is tortured, even as he is reviled and hated, Christ continues to speak peace and love to those who are far off and near. Even in the midst of so much hatred Christ’s power is made known through God’s loving, forgiving, restoring actions incarnated in this broken, yet all-powerful, King. Jesus’ only words as he is nailed to the tree of death, which becomes the tree of life, are words of forgiveness and life. "Father forgive them, they know not what they do…Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." "This, this is Christ the King"—the one who takes even the darkest and most cruel act and turns it into a vehicle of life. "This, this is Christ the King"—who subverts human cruelty and mockery into the deepest and most compassionate act of love the world—you and I—have ever known–"the babe, the son of Mary."

Each Sunday we commit ourselves to following this King who is found not upon a throne, but instead in the midst of a broken gathering of people in bread and wine. Each Sunday, we dedicate ourselves to be people who enflesh his life of love and forgiveness, we dedicate ourselves to be a people who create and expand his kingdom in this broken world. Each Sunday we pray to be forgiven as we forgive, we pray to be sent into the world in peace while being given strength and courage so that we might serve Christ the King in all that we do.

The incredible reality of this Christ the King Sunday is that not only is Christ such a loving and forgiving King, not only does this King reunite and rescue the lost, not only does this King give courage and joy to the oppressed, not only does this King offer life and restoration in the midst of hatred and evil, but this King calls us, he calls you and me, to be his ambassadors. Christ is calling us to be people who spread the reality of this kingdom throughout our neighborhoods, workplaces, and lives. Christ is calling us to make this kingdom a reality just as he began making it a reality in the dusty towns of Palestine nearly 2000 years ago. Christ the King is calling us to make his Kingdom a reality just as the faithful have made it a reality throughout the history of the church. Christ is calling us to make his kingdom real here in Plymouth, in Canton, in Northville, Novi, Livonia, Detroit and throughout our nation and world. Our King is calling us.

So on this day, may we be renewed and energized for our task to be Christ’s ambassadors. May we live our lives so that in every action we spread the life-giving, fear-destroying, forgiveness-granting, resurrection-creating kingdom of Christ. Christ our King is calling to you and me.