The kingdom of Christ the King

Here's the sermon I shared at St Andrew’s Wickford this morning:

Jesus and Pilate
head-to-head
in a clash of cultures.
Pilate is
angular, aggressive, threatening
representing
the oppressive, controlling
Empire of dominating power,
with its strength in numbers
and weaponry,
which can crucify
but cannot
set free.
Jesus is
curves and crosses,
love and sacrifice,
representing
the kingdom of God;
a kingdom of love,
service and self-sacrifice
birthing men and women
into the freedom
to love one another.

The way of compassion
or the way of domination;
the way of self-sacrifice
or the way of self;
the way of powerlessness
or the way of power;
the way of serving
or the way of grasping;
the kingdom of God
or the empires of Man.

Stephen Verney, a former Bishop of Repton, in ‘Water into Wine’ his commentary on John’s Gospel, notes the way in which this Gospel consistently speaks about there being two different levels or orders to reality. What he means by this are different patterns of society, each with a different centre or ruling power. He gives as an example, the difference between a fascist order and a democratic order: “In the fascist order there is a dictator, and round him subservient people who raise their hands in salute, and are thrown into concentration camps if they disobey. In the democratic order … there is an elected government, and round it persons who are interdependent, who share initiatives and ideas.”

So, what are the two orders that he sees described in John’s Gospel? In the first, “the ruling principle is the dictator ME, my ego-centric ego, and the pattern of society is people competing with, manipulating and trying to control each other.” In the second, “the ruling principle is the Spirit of Love, and the pattern of society is one of compassion – people giving to each other what they really are, and accepting what others are, recognising their differences, and sharing their vulnerability.”

When Jesus says that his kingdom is not from here (John 18. 33-37), in this world, he means that it is not a kingdom of the ego dictated by the needs and insecurities of the one in power, instead his kingdom, which comes from elsewhere, from God, is a kingdom of compassion, acceptance, difference and vulnerability.

When John writes of Jesus as faithful witness in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1. 4b-8), he means that Jesus, as witness, revealed to us the very image of God as he was God in human form. His actions and teaching together are the fullest expression of God that can be given and seen in a human being.

As firstborn of the dead, he was both the first to rise from death with a resurrected body and then the one who leads us into that same experience so we can also rise from death and live forever in God’s presence in a new heaven and earth that are joined together to become one.

As ruler of the kings of the earth, he is pre-eminent over all earthly monarchs because as God’s Son he precedes them all, being involved in the creation of the world and all that exists, and, through his life, death and resurrection, sits at the right hand of God and has the name that is above all other names and before which every knee in heaven and on earth must bow.

His death is the act by which we see that we are loved absolutely by God because he does not hold his only Son back from the sacrifice of his own life, breaking for a time the bond between Father and Son. Both were necessary for that to happen in order that we might come to know the depth of love that both have for us as human beings.

Whenever we respond to that love, we become part of his kingdom of love in which his people are his priests because they worship by living lives based on the example of Christ the King. A king and a kingdom where “the ruling principle is the Spirit of Love, and the pattern of society is one of compassion – people giving to each other what they really are, and accepting what others are, recognising their differences, and sharing their vulnerability.”

The Jesus whose kingdom is not from this world is Christ the King, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. He came into the world to testify to the truth and everyone who belongs to the truth listens to his voice. He loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood making us to be a kingdom, priests serving God his Father forever. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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Crown Him With Many Crowns.

Meditation: 'Jesus and Rome - Judgement of the Nations'

I

Outside the gates of Amiens,

in the depths of winter’s bitter cold,

a shivering, half-naked beggar

begs people for pity.

They walk on by on the other side.

The true protagonist of history is the beggar -

Testing and challenging responsiveness,

refining our compassion.

A young tribune rides through the gates

protective armour gleaming,

offensive weapon at his side,

luxurious lined cloak across his shoulders.

From a height, in one quick stroke

he slashes the lovely mantle in two -

the high and mighty considering the lowly -

his death-dealing sword used to give life.

Half to the beggar, clad only in rags,

half retained, sharing not possessing.

At night, in dream, he sees Christ clothed

in the part of his cloak which had covered the beggar.

From Christ begging for our hearts,

to our hearts begging for Christ.

“Here is Martin,” says Christ,

“the Roman soldier who is not baptised;

it is he who has clothed me.”

II

Beside the Milvian Bridge

alongside the Tiber,

Constantine and his troops

sleep on the eve of battle.

He dreams of a cross;

the sign by which his enemies

will be conquered.

Uncertain, he dreams again

seeing Christ command

a likeness of this sign created.

A spear overlaid with gold,

a transverse bar forming the cross,

a wreath of gold and jewels

holding a Chi-Rho,

an embroidered cloth

interlaced with cloth,

a portrait of Constantine

below the embroidered banner.

With the sign of the cross before,

the army follows on

to victory and Empire,

enemies conquered,

Christendom begun.

III

Jesus and Pilate

head-to-head

in a clash of cultures

on the pavement

at Herod’s Jerusalem fortress.

Pilate is

angular, aggressive, threatening

representing

the oppressive, controlling

Empire of dominating power,

with its strength in numbers

and weaponry,

which can crucify

but cannot

set free.

Jesus is

curves and crosses,

love and sacrifice,

representing

the kingdom of God;

a kingdom of love,

service and self-sacrifice

birthing men and women

into the freedom

to love one another.

The way of compassion

or the way of domination;

the way of self-sacrifice

or the way of self;

the way of powerlessness

or the way of power;

the way of serving

or the way of grasping;

the kingdom of God

or the empires of Man.

IV

Then the king will say to those at his right hand,

‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you

from the foundation of the world;

for I was hungry and you gave me food,

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

I was naked and you gave me clothing,

I was sick and you took care of me,

I was in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him,

‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food,

or thirsty and gave you something to drink?

And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you,

or naked and gave you clothing?

And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

And the king will answer them,

‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these

who are members of my family,

you did it to me.’

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Dissident Prophet - Unconditional Love.