The Introduction
The legend of the sword in the stone used to make me shiver when I was young. A poor, helpless child, valued by no one, abused by everyone, could become a king! The selection of the king was made, not by worldly evaluations, but by divine revelation. The choice was made clear by the ability to pull the sword from the stone. Sheer human brawn couldn’t do it. Nor could cleverness. You had to be the one, chosen by an unseen hand, to be able to release the sword.
Pilate looks for signs of kingship in Jesus, but he sees only with worldly eyes. Jesus does not have the dress or swagger of the kings of earth. He’s not accompanied by servants, nor protected by armies. If there’s a kingdom belonging to him somewhere, it doesn’t seem to be of much assistance to him now.
Pilate focuses on all the things he can’t see that might make Jesus the kind of king he understands. But he fails to see that Jesus is holding the truth in his hands. Jesus brandishes the truth before him plainly, but Pilate doesn’t recognise it. As he will bluster later in this passage, “What is truth?” Truth is the difference between the kings of earth and the reign of God. The polite fiction that is human authority can be seen with the eye. The kingdom to come is revealed only by those who know the truth when they hear it.
Who are the truth tellers of our generation?
Tell the truth. Admit who you are, and whom you serve. Confess your sins. Put away the life of pretence, and walk into the light of the kingdom.
“Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognises my voice”.
The Scripture (John 18: 36-37)
“My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king”. Then Pilate said, “So, are you a king or not?” Jesus answered, “You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognises my voice”.
The Story – A True Kingdom
In History of the World: Part One, Mel Brooks, playing Louis XVI, had a running gag: “It’s good to be the king”. It implied that the king was free to do whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted, and however he wanted to do it. Funny? Maybe. Historical? Not at all. What he really was describing was a despot or a dictator, not a good king. In reality, a good king was more like who Arthur grew to become in the movie Excaliber, a person who reflected the strength and beauty of the people during good times and the limitations and weaknesses when things weren’t going well. Without the consent and hearts of the people, a king dominates with force and fear only.
Today we proudly proclaim Christ as our king. That means we freely take up the task of being loving, kind, and compassionate so as to reflect those qualities of Jesus. Jesus does not force himself upon us. We listen to him. We know that his message is true, and so we respond. And in so doing we help him create a Kingdom that will not be destroyed, a Kingdom of hope, and a Kingdom of justice for all. And the more that we live out our faith, the greater the grandeur of Christ our King will be revealed to the world. It is an awesome responsibility and partnership that we share.
The Reflection
The school bus is at the top of a steep hill when the bus driver slumps at the wheel. The bus starts to swerve all over the road and is picking up speed. There is general panic on the bus for it is out of control. Two lads rush forward and move the driver off the seat. A girl grabs the steering wheel and gently applies the brakes. She has never driven before but knows what to do. One minute everything was out of control and the next the busload of children was rescued by the quick thinking and acting of three young people. The world seems to have a tendency to run out of control; wars and rumours of wars, famine and earthquakes, violence and force seem to take over. Last week’s Gospel warned us that these things would happen but that we should see them as the birth pangs off the new age, the coming of God’s kingdom. We should celebrate that God is in control, the Christ is our Redeemer and King.
The Commissioning
Christ is our King! We will acknowledge his loving leadership. We will follow his Way carefully. We will serve others justly and carefully. We will strive to establish his rule on earth. Amen.
GPBS © (2024)