Reflections on "King after King" Jeremiah 23: 1-6; Colossians 1: 15-20

When I went to a preaching seminar several years ago, one of the suggestions offered was to have a concrete response built into every sermon so that the listeners could leave and have something to do in response to hearing the preached Word.  Although yesterday's sermon went as intended and was pretty interesting (in my opinion), I'm not sure it provided a response for the listeners to live out once they left church.   I find that a continual weakness in my preaching, but also a challenge when preaching on particular Sundays in the liturgical calendar.  It is hard to avoid merely preaching about Christ the King and instead preach about how Christ the King offers something for us.  

Just before the conclusion during the Chapel service, I added the line in italics. It came out like the concluding remark of a sermon, but then I added the conclusion I had written.  For the Sanctuary service, I moved it to the final line of the sermon (also in italics). What a difference that seemed to make.  I went from what probably seemed like two conclusions in the Chapel service to a much stronger single conclusion in the Sanctuary service.  Don't know why it was not in the original sermon (it seems so obvious now) or why I slipped it in before the conclusion at the Chapel service, but it found the right place in the Sanctuary service.

“King after King” November 24, 2013; FPC, Troy; Christ the King Sunday; Jeremiah 23: 1-6; Colossians 1: 15-20

Introduction:  Today is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in the liturgical calendar.  Next week we start over again as we begin Advent, the time when we start looking toward the coming of the Christ-child.

Last Sunday to remind us of what the little baby in the manger becomes – he becomes the King, who reigns on earth and in heaven.

If you could make baby Jesus into your kind of king, what would you make him?  In other words, what kind of king are you looking for in your life?

Move 1: Lots of people have looked for kings.

            a.  We remember that way back in the history of the Israelites, long before the time of Jesus, the Israelites wanted a king.

                        1.  That’s right, God’s people wanted a king.

2.      They looked around at all the other groups of people, and they all had kings, so they figured they needed a king as well.

3.  why?  Because everyone else they knew had a king.

                        4.  A relationship with God was not enough.

b.  As we follow the history of the Israelite people, we continue to hear them clamor for a king.

1. Or should we say, a different king.

2. when they did not like the kings that rose to power, they kept asking for change.

3. they wanted a king who would save them.

4. Who would defeat their enemies.

5. Who would bring them victory.

6. Who would make them a world power.

c. Fast forward to the time of Jesus.

1.  There were lots of factions of within the Jewish world.

2.  .  It was not uncommon to have someone who claimed to be “king of the Jews” to rise up from different regions.

2.  Typically, these self-proclaimed “kings” would take on the upper class leaders of the Jewish temple, or take on the Roman government, or take on both.

3. These kings were noted for their zealous approach to overthrow the religious and Roman authorities and for their brutality (Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, by Reza Aslan).

4. When they put a sign over Jesus as he was crucified that announced him as “King of the Jews,” it linked him to those others who had come forth claiming to kings.

5.  These “kings” were popular with those who wanted systemic change in their world.

d. Not just a biblical thing

            1.  In his book Revolutionary Summer, author Joseph Ellis focuses on what takes place in the thirteen colonies during the summer of 1776 – you might remember from your history that in Philadelphia the Declaration of Independence was being written and adopted; at the same time the British laid siege to NYC.  I found it fascinating that at this juncture when words of independence were being written and the colonies military forces were at battle with the British, Ellis notes that the sentiment among most of the colonists was that their issue was with the British Parliament – many of the colonists still liked King George of England and would like

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.

2.      Apparently, having a king can be rather comforting.

3. Even today, royalty exists in many countries.  Often with little real power, but these kings and queens symbolize something important.

Move 2:  We might note a problem with kings.

a.      Sometimes kings can be bad.

1.      The prophet Jeremiah declares that the shepherds, the leaders of the Israelites, in other words, the kings, have led the people astray.  They no longer care about the sheep of the flock.

2.       Milton Brasher-Cunningham tells the story of 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

b.      The Little Prince:  When the little prince visits a new asteroid he meets a king.  ‘Ah! Here is a subject,’ Exclaimed the king, when he saw the little prince coming.  And the little prince asked himself: ‘How could he recognize me when he had never seen me before?’  He did not know how the world is simplified for kings. To them, all men are subjects.   Mt. Sterling, Nov. 26, 1995

1.      The subjects may find comfort in having a king, but they are never valued by the king as anything more than subjects to have and to lead.

2.      I suppose, at his best, a king cares for his subjects out of concern.

3.      But in the final analysis, there is a huge gap between king and servant.

Move 3:  What kind of king do you want?

a. the prophet Jeremiah announced to the Israelites that God was going to take care of them. 

1.  The people waited for God to send a king.

2. And God did, in fact, send a king.

3. But a little bit different kind of king.

b.  Phillip Yancy, in his book Disappointment with God, shares the parable that  Soren Kierkegaard, a 19^th century Danish Christian writer, created to help us understand the kind of king God sent. 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 intention 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

c.      That sounds like the kind of king Paul describes in his letter to the Colossians.

1.      Jesus, the one who holds all things together, not by power or force, but by love.

2.      Jesus, the one who reconciles the world to God, not by compelling obedience or destroying those who will not obey, but by dying on the cross.

3. Jesus, the one who chooses to be in relationship with us by coming down to earth and joining with us in our humanity.

What kind of king are you looking for today?

Conclusion:  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 suppose it had everything to do with the pageantry, the dream world where kings and queens protect their subjects and rule with fairness and nobility.

When we declare Christ the king, we declare him King of our broken world.  The king who reigns by love invites us to join with him.

What kind of king are you looking for today?