sure you answers would reveal many similarities. We think of Kings of having wealth and power, perhaps living in a castle with a retinue of servants to answer their every whim and an army at their beck and call to defend them. The expression “living like a king,” implies great wealth and having no wants.
This autumn preaching the gospel has been a challenge. I’ve learned there are big differences between the surface meaning of the gospel and what Jesus is really trying to tell us. We’ve shared the parable of the shrewd manager and the parable of the persistent widow whose meanings were not what they appeared at first glance. An initial reaction to the gospel reading this morning might be that it seems out of place. It is just one week now until advent, the time we get ready, with joyous expectation for the coming of Jesus. Yet we are thrown back to Good Friday. Jesus is dying on the cross between two criminals. Although we are not told what their crimes were, we know their deeds are in sharp contrast to the innocent Jesus who has been condemned to die unjustly.
The picture Luke paints for us is a not consistent with any ideas we might have about Kingship. We think of a King wearing a crown full of jewels. Jesus has a crown of thorns. Kings have armies to protect them. Instead Roman soldiers are casting lots to divide his clothing. In fact Jesus doesn’t even suggest he wants anyone to fight on his behalf. Instead he says “Father forgive them as they do not know what they are doing. We may think of a King sitting at a table laden with food and drinking wine from a golden goblet. Jesus is offered sour wine. A king’s title usually earned him respect. People would bow or perhaps kneel when in his presence. Jesus had a title: This is the King of the Jews inscribed over his cross but it was meant only to mock him.
In our reading from Jeremiah this morning a King is compared to a shepherd who in this case has been unjust and caused his flock to be scattered. Jeremiah prophesizes a good king will come from the Lord. This King will be the good shepherd who will execute justice and righteousness in the land. In John 10 11-18, Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd who will lay down his life for his sheep. This is quite different from our conventional notion of a king where armies are expected to lay down their lives for that king.
But this is not the only way in which Christ differs from a traditional idea of kingship. Kings give orders and they are to be obeyed. Jesus taught being a King means serving others. Some kings accumulate vast riches. Jesus taught that to truly follow him we need to divest ourselves of material things. Kings often are feared because of their power and this fear may be interpreted as respect. Jesus has taught us that we are not respected by our authority but by the kind of person we are.
Sadly we forget this too often. I don’t know how many of you watch the television show Undercover Boss. In this series the Presidents and CEO’s of major corporations go into the field and work with their employees. They do the menial chores essential to the day-to-day operations of their companies. Sometimes these bosses cannot do the tasks they expect their employees to do. In one show the boss actually got fired his first day on the job. Mutual respect is a result. These bosses respect the people who work hard for them, and in some cases understand for the first time how challenging the work is. At the end of the show the employees are called into the boss’s office and thanked for their hard work. The employees have earned a new respect for their bosses based not on their authority but because their employers have shown they care about that employee and understand their personal problems.
This television show is very popular and shown on many television networks. But the concept is not new. This kind of leadership is what Jesus taught. In his Kingship he didn’t sit in the temple office issuing decrees on what should be done. He tramped the roads with his disciples and dealt first hand with the sick and the poor, healing them and making a difference in their lives. At the wedding in Canaan he tries to bring pleasure by turning the water into wine. How interesting it is that some of the Corporate Kings are attempting to follow Jesus’ lead and I wonder how many of them understand the example they are following.
This contrast that Luke gives us of Jesus to a traditional King is not the only contrast in our gospel. The scene presented to us is not a joyous one. We know Christ’s death is only hours away. Yet it is a scene filled with hope and anticipation. One of the criminals rebukes the other for scoffing at Jesus, saying their punishment is just but “this man has done nothing wrong. The Criminal asks Jesus to remember him when He comes to the Kingdom and Jesus tells him that “today you will be with me in Paradise”
When we think about this it is almost mind boggling. Jesus uses his power to welcome a despised sinner into paradise. Yet he does not do the same for himself. In Luke 23 verse 46 He calls out to God “into your hands I commit my spirit.” If we think about this we have to agree that Jesus is consistent to the last. Throughout his ministry he has always put others ahead of himself. I know as Christians this is one of the hardest lessons we have to learn. But there is so much more. As noted earlier this criminal is not a Christian. He probably never went to the synagogue and his life was led not in helping others but in selfish pursuits. He hasn’t had a life altering transformation where he has repented of his ways and tried to make up for his crimes. Yet by confessing his wrongdoing Jesus welcomes him with open arms. If he does that for the criminal how much more so does he do it for us? True we have sinned, but most have not committed crimes that have carried prison sentences. Crimes for which we felt no remorse until our dying moment.
In the darkest hour, Jesus promises to remember the criminal. So too in our darkest hours will God remember us. This is something we should be mindful of. No matter how severe the trials we have, God is walking alongside of us. We do not journey alone. As Paul noted in his letter to the Colossians through the blood of His cross we are reconciled to God and will be transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved son.
As we enter the Advent season filled with peace hope joy and love we should remember what Christ’s death means to all of us. Indeed we can rejoice that the King of kings has prepared a room for us in our Father’s house, and all our sins are forgiven. AMEN
