I've been reading Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, by Reza Aslan, which has received quite a bit of controversy in the media. I'll share my thoughts on that controversy at another time, but I wanted to note that he makes the point that there were lots of Jews, zealots is the term he uses for them, in the time before and after Jesus who tried to overthrow the Roman government and rebel against the upper class leaders of the Jewish temple. As I reflect on that, I wonder at the irony that Jesus, the one who never really claimed to be "King of the Jews" (although he seemed to accept it when others said it about him), actually was the Messiah, the long awaited "King of the Jews." Maybe it has something to do with the fact that his kingship looked more like what Paul describes in the Colossians passage than any king the world expected.
Jeremiah's passage reminds us that God's people longed for a king or messiah to save them for many years.
As I reflect on wanting a king, I am reminded that even as the United States pulled away from England, the American political leaders distinguished between the rule of England and having a king. For many of the people involved in the revolution, having a king was not a problem, in fact is could be an asset, but how the king ruled them (i.e. - taxation without representation) was the problem. Having a king can be rather comforting, I suppose.
My grandmother loved anything having to do with the royal family of England. This woman who was active in Daughters of the American Revolution still loved the image/legacy of royalty.
I am reminded of this story told by Phillip Yancy Years ago, in the 1840’s, Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish Christian writer, created a parable to help us understand this. It is called “The King and the Maiden.” (Parables of Kierkegaard, T. Oden, ed.)
Kierkegaard tells the story of a
king who was in love with poor peasant girl. She did not know him personally;
he saw her from afar and wanted her for his bride.
At first the king thought he would
do what kings normally did; he would send for her, announce his attention to
marry her, she would accept and be eternally grateful that he had rescued her
from her poor village, etc.
Then the King thought;” I do not
want her to love me like that. I want a real love, a real marriage, a real
relationship. I want her to love me for me!”
So, the king thought, in order to
win his beloved’s hand, he would cover his royalty with a beggar’s cloak and go
forth to woo her.
But then he realized that this was
a ruse, a trick, and love can only be love if it is completely honest and true.
He not only had to appear to be a beggar, he had to really be a beggar.
American writer Phillip Yancey
summarizes the conclusion of Kierkegaard’s parable like this:
The king, convinced that he could not elevate the maiden
without crushing her freedom, resolved to DESCEND. He clothed himself as a
beggar and approached her cottage incognito, with a worn cloak fluttering
loosely about him. It was no mere disguise, but a new identity he took on. He
renounced the throne to win her hand.(Disappointment with God, 1988, p.110
Another story about kings: The first year Ginger was in Winchester, she had a number of
the young people taking part. One of the girls, who had not grown up in church,
asked to be King Herod. As the rehearsal continued and came to her scene, she
broke character in the middle of her speech and said, “Wait a minute! Herod’s a
bad guy.” Blog, don’t Eat Alone
Interesting comparison of kings I ran across a few years ago:
Poem comparing Christ
and Alexander the Great, both of whom died at
33: Jesus and Alexander died at 33; One lived and died for self; the other
for you and me. The Greek died upon a throne, the Jew died upon a cross,
One’s life triumph seemed, the other's but a loss. One walked with mighty
men and the other walked lone. One shed the whole world's blood, the other
gave his own. Jesus and Alexander died at 33. The Greek died at Babylon,
the Jew at Calvary. One made himself go, but the one who was God made
himself loss. One lived but to blast, the other but to bless. When died
the Greek, forever fell his throne of swords, But Jesus died and was raised
by God, to live forever, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
33: Jesus and Alexander died at 33; One lived and died for self; the other
for you and me. The Greek died upon a throne, the Jew died upon a cross,
One’s life triumph seemed, the other's but a loss. One walked with mighty
men and the other walked lone. One shed the whole world's blood, the other
gave his own. Jesus and Alexander died at 33. The Greek died at Babylon,
the Jew at Calvary. One made himself go, but the one who was God made
himself loss. One lived but to blast, the other but to bless. When died
the Greek, forever fell his throne of swords, But Jesus died and was raised
by God, to live forever, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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