Citizens of the Kingdom

The scriptures referred to are Matthew 5-7.

Remember civics class? A lot of you are probably groaning inwardly. It was usually not the most exciting class. It covered the nuts and bolts of how our government is set up and how it works, as well as the rights and duties of citizens. The subject matter was important, if not very imaginatively presented. I had a much better exploration of some of these issues in a couple of history classes. One teacher had us debate positions as they arose in our study of history. That way we understood some of the issues our founding fathers faced in creating this country. The other teacher did not have us participate as much but would focus on specific issues and dissect them. He spent an entire class on Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, laying out all the arguments, pro and con. You felt the weight that fell upon the new president, who had been kept in the dark about the Manhattan Project by his predecessor, FDR. It's too bad our civics classes didn't deal with case studies like these, that vividly illustrated the principles of government in action and sometimes in conflict with each other.

We have been talking about Jesus as our King. In an absolute monarchy, the king sets foreign and domestic policy, makes laws, acts as judge, and acts as the mediator between his people and God. What we haven't dealt with is our duty as citizens of the kingdom of God. In the Old Testament, there is a charter for the Israelities. It begins in Exodus 20 with the 10 Commandments and continues for the rest of the Torah, interwoven with the narrative of the Israelites traveling to the promised land. Is there anything similar in the New Testament?

Actually, there is. Matthew gives us the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus acts like the new Moses, presenting the law of his kingdom to his followers. And what is interesting is that he doesn't so much lay out precisely how to carry out these rules as he does to what extent we are supposed to go beyond the letter of the law and why. So he continually refers to the Old Testament but encourages his disciples to look deeper into the meaning of what is stated and to discern God's intentions in laying down these laws.

We haven't enough time to cover these 3 chapters of Matthew in depth but let's take a quick overview of what it means in practical terms to obey Jesus as our King.

Whereas the Old Testament law begins with 10 commandments, Jesus begins with 8 beatitudes. (Matthew 5:3-11) A commandment tells you what to do or not do. The beatitudes are a mix of attitudes (the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the pure in heart), actions (peacemakers, being merciful) and circumstances (those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake).

These 8 have two things in common. First, they are virtues associated with the oppressed and with underdogs. So Jesus calling them blessed is a paradox. It is a perfect introduction, however, to God's kingdom in which the values of human societies are turned upside down. The things that our culture sees as vital—the promotion of yourself and your personal interests, benefits and privileges—God sees as less important than the wellbeing of others and holiness. On the other hand, people don't always see these things as virtues. When was the last time anyone was praised for being meek or for mourning? Even being pure in heart is often seen as a way of saying someone is hopelessly naive. The world pays lip service to certain virtues but chooses vices if they get the job done.

Second, these are states of being. And that is a major difference between Christianity and ethical systems that are mostly compilations of laws. Jesus recognizes that what you do comes from what you are. So he is more interested in changing the nature of people. Most folks are virtuous when others are looking and when such behavior gains immediate rewards. The true test of character is, as they say, what do you do when no one is around to praise or scold you. The best way to understand the Sermon on the Mount is as a description of the kind of person who fits the role of citizen in God's kingdom.

So Jesus says that citizens of the kingdom are the salt of the world. (Matthew 5:13) Salt gives flavor. Contrary to popular belief, Christians aren't supposed to be bland. In fact, real Christians aren't. You can't be neutral about people like Mother Teresa or Paul of Tarsus or Francis of Assisi. They are either to your taste or not.

Salt is also used as a preservative. It keeps things like food from going bad. It also increases thirst. We Christians should increase people's thirst for justice and peace while working to keep the world from going bad.

Jesus says citizens of the kingdom of God are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14) Light helps us see things as they are, which in turn helps us deal with them in the right ways. Light also helps us navigate properly through the world. We all know people who have a lot of problems because they are blind to some aspects of the world or some aspects of themselves. The result is they continually get tripped up by the same things again and again. If it's because they are in the dark about something, they may benefit from the light being shined on those things. If, however, they are still unable to see certain things no matter how often they are pointed out to them, then they may be willfully blind. (John 9:40-41) They don't really want to see the truth about the world or about themselves.

Jesus does specifically mention a number of commandments but always to get to the principles that underlie them. So Jesus traces the seed of murder to anger and contempt. (Matthew 5:21-22) He points out that adultery begins when you look at a person you're not married to as the legitimate object of your lustful attention. (Matthew 5:27-30) Even if you never follow through, you will never be able to look at that person the same way. It changes you. The seed is planted. So it is better to sacrifice anything in your life that triggers, entices, or enables you to sin, even if it feels like a part of you, rather than let it cause your destruction, and the destruction of your relationships and family.

Adultery is still one of the main causes of divorce. In Jesus' day, only men could initiate divorce and they could do it for the most trivial of reasons, like burning dinner, which, let's face it, sounds like an excuse. This left the wife and children in danger of poverty, which is true even today. The men hearing Jesus preach were probably shocked by his condemnation of what was a common practice. (Matthew 5:31-32)

A citizen of the kingdom doesn't need to take oaths. He is always as good as his word. (Matthew 5:33-37) A citizen of God's kingdom does not take revenge for wrongs done to him but turns the other cheek and goes the second mile. Thus he repays evil with good. (Matthew 5:38-42) A citizen of the kingdom doesn't just show love to those who love him but acts with love even towards his enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48)

A citizen of the kingdom of God is generous but doesn't advertise her charitable giving. (Matthew 6:1-4) She doesn't draw attention to the fact that she is fasting, either. (Matthew 6:16-18) Similarly she doesn't make her prayers into public performances. (Matthew 6:5-8) Her prayers are straightforward: praising God, asking that he carry out his will in this world, asking for her basic needs, asking for forgiveness in the same measure that she forgives others, and asking for protection against temptation and evil. (Matthew 6:9-15)

A citizen of God's kingdom doesn't believe that he who dies with the most toys wins. He treasures heavenly things that cannot be possessed or hoarded but only stored in his heart. (Matthew 6:19-21) He stays clear-eyed about his priorities and never puts money ahead of God. (Matthew 6:22-24)

A citizen of the kingdom of God doesn't worry about the temporary things of this life. She trusts God to provide for her needs. Instead she concentrates on the day at hand, not scary shadows of possible futures that will not necessarily become realities. (Matthew 6:25-34)

A citizen of God's kingdom doesn't pass final judgment on others, knowing that he would fail to meet his own standards. (Matthew 7:1-2) He is conscious of his own faults and wouldn't dream of trying to correct someone else's minor flaws without taking care of his own first. (Matthew 7:3-6)

A citizen of the kingdom is bold, knowing that God will give her what she needs and asks for, make available what she seeks, and open any doors on which she knocks. Because God is a good and loving father. (Matthew 7:7-11)

A citizen of the kingdom knows that the heart of God's law is treating others with the same respect and fairness with which we expect to be treated. (Matthew 7:12)

A citizen knows that entering the kingdom is tough and the requirements are demanding. You don't just stumble into it. It takes total commitment. (Matthew 7:13-14)

A citizen of the kingdom of God realizes that there are frauds passing themselves off as God's spokesmen. He looks beyond their words to see whether what they are doing is actually good or evil. (Matthew 7:15-20) He knows that just saying that you're a Christian won't cut it with Jesus if your behavior doesn't match your beliefs. (Matthew 7:21-23) He knows that you're only secure if you build your life on the rock-solid foundation of Jesus' actual teachings and commandments. (Matthew 7:24-27)

Jesus says other things about the kingdom of God elsewhere but the Sermon on the Mount is the core. And I just want to note two things. First, these are not ways of being a citizen of God's kingdom some day in some perfect future but right now in the imperfect present. Just as Jesus brought in the seeds of the kingdom while he was living in enemy-occupied territory, so we are to plant and nurture the seeds of the kingdom while living in a world that has rebelled against its rightful King. And just as Jesus did not come as a warrior, neither do we. We are to be his ambassadors. (2 Corinthians 5:20) We are bringing the good news of God's good will towards those who are open to his reign. And just as an embassy is not considered a part of the country where it is situated, but instead as a part of its homeland, so the kingdom of God exists wherever we do the work of the kingdom. And that's how we spread Jesus' royal reign.

Second, this is a tall order and we cannot do it on our own. Fortunately, we are not on our own. Jesus our King has sent a counselor, advocate and helper, his Spirit, to dwell in us, to give us the words we need and the power to obey his words and to do his works. (John 14:16-17; Luke 21:15; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7) And when we fail him, which we will at times, he intercedes for us and cleanses us and re-forms us, making us ever more Christ-like. (Psalm 51:10-12; Romans 8:26-27; 2 Corinthians 3:18)

In Luke 17:21, Jesus says, “The kingdom is within you.” Some translations render it, “The kingdom is in the midst of you.” I like how Biblical scholar N.T. Wright translates it: “The kingdom is within your grasp.” And so it is. Jesus has given us his words, his example and his Spirit. He's laid the groundwork. He's given us the tools we need. Let's get started. We don't have all the time in the world. Haven't you heard? The King is coming!

First preached on December 20, 2009. It has been revised and updated.

In What Sense Is Jesus Our King?

The scriptures of the day are Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7 and Luke 3:7-18.

I have lived under 13 presidents but I have only seen one in the flesh. Gerald Ford spoke at my college. I know what the others look like, thanks to photos and videos. In the past it was only possible, however, for the average US citizen to see the president's actual face from the term of James K. Polk onwards. Though John Quincy Adams was the earliest ex-president to be photographed, and a daguerreotype of William Henry Harrison was made while he was in office, Polk's was the first presidential photograph to survive. It was taken in 1849. Even so, newspapers didn't start printing photos until 1880. So up until then, most people only knew what their national leader looked like through drawings, paintings, sculptures, and for much of history, through their images on coins.

The reason I bring this up is to answer one objection that some might raise to Jesus being our king: he is not physically present. But not since the era of city states have people been ruled by leaders they all could actually lay their eyes on. Most of us will live and die without ever seeing at least 90% of the presidents, senators, governors and other people who make the rules we obey. And that includes the CEOs of any large corporation we might work for. Aside from brief clips in the news, we primarily know about those whose decisions have a huge impact on us by reading about them and reading their messages to us. And few of us think twice about never meeting them face-to-face.

So the fact that we will probably never, in this life, see Jesus walking down our street is something he shares with all national leaders. But since he has no official capital or legal jurisdiction, in what sense is he our king?

This gets tricky because we all live in nations to which we pledge allegiance. We are bound to obey the various civic officials and laws of this country. So is there room for Jesus as king? And what do we do when his laws clash with those of our earthly country?

This is a problem that arose very early in the history of the church. It is likely that Jesus called himself “the Son of Man” precisely because a more obviously messianic title would have gotten him arrested before his ministry got very far along. And, sure enough, his opponents tried to get him in trouble with the occupying powers. “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” they asked him. The tax in question was the tribute tax, which was essentially acknowledging the inferiority of Judea to the pagan empire. There had been major riots over this tax in the recent past. Jesus knew what they were doing. If he said “No,” he could be denounced to Pilate, the Roman governor. If he said “Yes,” he would lose much popular support, not to mention that of the Zealots, whose slogan was “No king but God.”

Jesus asked to see a coin. He is given one with Tiberius Caesar's image on it. What's interesting is that no one on the temple grounds should have one on him. Jews minted their own copper coins that omitted the image of the deified emperor. To pay Roman taxes they had to use the gold and silver coins that did have Caesar's face on them. However, those coins were not used in the temple to make offerings. That's why moneychangers set up shop there to change the blasphemous Roman coins into the approved Jewish ones. These moneychangers set such unfair exchange rates that Jesus called them thieves. So if those quizzing Jesus were serious in their religious observance, they shouldn't have been able to produce the silver denarius they passed to him.

Jesus asks whose image and inscription, which said, “son of the divine Augustus,” is on the coin. When he is told that they are Caesar's, he replies, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Some think Jesus was avoiding answering the question. But that's to assume that Jesus' admittedly clever response is also empty. But he is saying, among other things, that human government does have authority over certain things.

Despite what the Zealots thought, human government is necessary for keeping order and building and maintaining the common good. Things like the excellent Roman road system and the armies that enforced the Pax Romana, the long period of peace within the empire, were paid for by taxes. It's for this reason that Paul, who was able to travel safely throughout the empire and spread the gospel, wrote in Romans 13:1, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. There is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist have been appointed by God.” God did intend for humans to rule the earth as it says in Genesis 1:28. That we haven't done it well is one reason why he sent his son. Christian anarchy, however, is an oxymoron.

But what if God's commandments contradict the laws of a human government? In Acts 5, we learn that the apostles were thrown into prison for proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord. They had in fact been previously warned not to preach in Jesus' name. So when they were hauled up before the Sanhedrin, the high priest accurately pointed out that they had violated the council's clear orders. To which Peter and the other apostles reply, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)

This sounds like a contradiction of what Paul writes but there is a different issue at stake. Paul was talking about the general principle that Christians should be law-abiding in matters of the common good. In the previous chapter of Romans, he said, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.” (Romans 12:18) However, Peter and the apostles were given a specific order that contradicts Jesus' command to preach the gospel to all. Jesus' law supersedes that of human authorities.

There is an analogous situation in our country. Most of the time the laws we obey are local ones—traffic laws, sales tax, signage, etc. But local laws cannot void state laws. Monroe County cannot ignore state laws on health and hygiene in local restaurants. Nor can state laws preempt Federal laws. Florida cannot revive slavery, for instance. If it tried to, the US Supreme Court would find that law unconstitutional.

This is roughly how Jesus functions as our king while we live on earth and are citizens of its nations. There is no Biblical body of traffic laws. Scripture does not tell us what is the right speed limit nor whether it is divinely ordained that we drive on the right or the left. We obey such earthly laws out of Christian love for others. Nobody wants our streets to look like something out of the film Road Warrior. For most of the mundane things that need to be ordered, human laws will do. But God's laws, like the Ten Commandments, and especially the two greatest laws, to love God and love others, take priority in the event of a conflict of real consequence. Such as when Christians decided not to obey the Fugitive Slave Act which required even people in the slave-free northern states to return escaped slaves to their masters in the south. Or when Christians in Nazi-occupied Europe, like Corrie Ten Boom, decided to hide Jews from the authorities. They were obeying Jesus' command to love others as they would themselves

Let's look at what Jesus said when given the coin. We cannot claim that the very principle of taxation is wrong. You need money to organize and run a civilization. But a Christian could discern that a particular tax was immoral if it fell unequally and unfairly on the poor, or if it was used to keep people from voting, as the poll taxes did, or if the tax was enacted to fund an evil action, such as putting people in concentration camps because of their ethnicity, or national origin, or religious beliefs. The Biblical principle of justice would supersede such an evil law. And the Christian who did this would otherwise submit to the justice system. The early Christians did not evade going to prison for acting on their faith. It was part of their witness.

A word of caution on this matter. The church has had a distinctly mixed record when it comes to upholding and defying laws. Christians were the major force in ending slavery in the US and in Britain. But other Christians opposed this, quoting scriptures to buttress what were essentially racist and self-serving arguments. During the Middle Ages, bishops and popes protected Jews from persecution—by other Christians. Throughout history Christians have protected and championed the oppressed—while other Christians have passed laws that oppressed and persecuted the same people. Christians have both opposed wars and started them.

So when trying to discern the Christian position on an essential issue, we need to realize a couple of things. First, we must acknowledge that the laws and situations relating to theocratic ancient Israel may not apply to living in a modern secular country. God's covenant with us through Jesus is not identical to his covenant with the Israelites through Moses. America is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible and cannot be considered the new promised land of God's people. We are like foreigners and exiles in this world, as it says in 1 Peter 2:11.

Secondly, a Christian should honestly ask himself if he is seeking the mind of God and listening to his voice in scripture, or if he is merely seeking God's approval for something he already has in mind and using scripture to justify his own prejudices and positions. Are you being selective in which passages you refer to and ignoring the ones that go against your desires? One clue: if you think God always agrees with you, you are deluding yourself. The only person 100% in sync with God is Jesus. And you are not him.

But what if, after prayer and Bible study and honest self-appraisal, you decide a human law seriously contradicts God's law? How should a Christian honor the law of his divine king when it comes into conflict with a law of human devising? How should we respond?

How we function as citizens of the kingdom of God while living in the kingdoms of this world will be the topic of the last sermon on the last Sunday in Advent.

First preached on December 13, 2009. It has been revised and updated.

Should Jesus be King?

The scriptures of the day are Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11 and Luke 3:1-6.

In the first sermon in this series, I asked at the end whether we need a king. Last week I finished by asking if the absolute power of kings corrupted them, should we use that term of Jesus? The two questions are related and that's what we will be exploring.

Looking at the roles of a king and our need for a king, that is, a single authority to tell us what to do as Christians, is analogous to considering what a car does and why you need a car. But before you buy one, you still have to determine what kind of car you need. The size, features and price must be considered. Jesus encourages us to think about practical things before following him and to “count the cost.” (Luke 14:28-33)

Sometimes when determining what you need, it's best to start by deciding what you don't need. If you are looking at getting a vehicle, you may want 4 wheel drive if you are a lumberjack, or if you work somewhere that has a lot of ice and snow, like Minnesota, but you really don't need that if you are an urban commuter in Brownsville, Texas or the Florida Keys.

So what kind of king don't we need? We don't need a micro-manager. Human rule-makers rarely take into account all the variables that those who must carry out the rules have to deal with. As a nurse, I found that administering literally hundreds of pills to 2 or 3 dozen patients with varying abilities to swallow, and different levels of compliance, and doing it both accurately and in a limited amount of time, means that time management is a much bigger consideration than nursing home administrators realize. It is not helpful when they add tasks or when they specify that certain things be done in ways that assume we operate in an ideal situation. Some patients must have each pill crushed and poured down a feeding tube; some need to have their pills crushed and put in applesauce or ice cream and then they have to be spoon-fed; some patients may have to be hunted down because they might be in their room or in the lounge or in physical therapy. Adding more tasks can mean that the last patient will get their 8 AM meds at noon! Bosses always want quantity, quality and quickness. They don't realize that you can't have all three at the same time.

With Jesus as king, you wouldn't expect that kind of micro-managing to be a problem. Jesus knows what it's like to be human, something which ironically many human leaders seem to forget. Jesus knows what it is to obey God while having to factor in all the demands and limitations of living in time and space, as well as deal with certain political and social situations. So in healing people he used different methods in different situations. For instance in dealing with a deaf and mute man, Jesus explained how he was going to heal him by miming. (Mark 7:32-35) Sometimes he laid hands on people and other times he simply gave the word and healed them at a distance. (Matthew 8:1-13) Jesus did not rigidly stick to one way of healing people. He suited his method to the situation and the person.

And so Jesus' commands are refreshingly lacking in details. This horrifies human rule-makers and so they are always trying to fill in what they see as appalling deficits in our Lord's pronouncements. It is common for certain religious groups to lay down specific rules about how people should dress (or not dress), vote (or not vote), and exactly how certain tasks or rituals must be performed. They do this despite the fact that it rarely works. Because of their use in gambling and fortune-telling, the Christian college I went to forbid us to have traditional playing cards. This did not stop students from violating the spirit of the rule while observing the letter of it by using Rook decks instead.

Another problem is that, however well-intentioned, if the rules are too restrictive, people will come up with work-arounds. Orthodox Jews who interpret the Sabbath rules against work to include things like turning on the light switch often employ a Gentile to do those things for them. The work is nevertheless done and it is paid for by those for whom it is intended to be a spiritual discipline.

In addition, no rule, no matter how specific, can cover all contingencies and extraordinary or unexpected situations. They need to leave room for some discretion on the part of those carrying them out. Jesus had many run-ins with the Pharisees on such matters. Yes, the Ten Commandments forbid working on the Sabbath. But what if your work is healing the sick? (Mark 3:1-5) A righteous man should not let a promiscuous woman kiss him. But what if she were repentant and showing it by washing your feet with her tears and kissing them? (Luke 7:36-50) A man should behave himself in a place of worship. But what if those running the place were letting unscrupulous businesses exploit worshippers by overcharging them? (Matthew 21:12-13) The Pharisees, like all human rule-makers, had gotten so caught up in trying to close all the loopholes that they had forgotten the original intent of God's laws. Jesus said that loving God with all your being and loving your neighbor as you do yourself were the bases for all the other laws. (Matthew 22:36-40) If we come up with rules that harm those two relationships then there is something wrong with those rules or how we are carrying them out.

We also don't need a king who is partial or biased in his judgment. The seeds of destruction are sown whenever some people are either exempt from the rules or unduly favored. At one of the radio stations where I worked, a “super” salesman was hired. Instead of letting him prove himself by starting from scratch, he was immediately given several prime accounts—taken from other successful salesmen. Or rather, saleswomen who were outperforming most of the men. In the end they lost the women due to the sales and general managers' blatant unfairness. And the star salesman proved not to be so super. Had they not shown favoritism they wouldn't have lost so many valuable salespeople nor such a great amount of money. We see the same favoritism shown to popular entertainers and politicians. Folks cut them a lot more slack than they do others.

Jesus is consistent in his judgment. He said that on the last day, many would call him Lord but the only ones he would recognize were those who did his Father's will. In other words, simply identifying yourself as a Christian doesn't count, just like merely protesting your innocence doesn't determine the outcome of a trial. Jesus will look at the evidence. If it doesn't back up your claim that you actually follow him, Jesus will say, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers,” (Matthew 7:21-23)

On the other hand, we don't need a king who is rigid when it comes to those who break the rules, especially those who truly are willing to turn their lives around. Peter rebuked Jesus for saying that he would be executed by the authorities. (Mark 8:31-33) He later denied Jesus three times while our Lord was being tried. (Luke 22:54-62) Jesus forgave him. (John 21:15-19) Thomas could not believe his fellow disciples when they told him they had met the resurrected Christ. Jesus not only forgave him but invited him to feel his wounds. (John 20:24-29) James and John lobbied to be his right hand men, sowing dissention among the Twelve. Jesus forgave them. (Mark 10:35-45) Saul of Tarsus oversaw the stoning of the first deacon, Stephen. Jesus forgave him. (Acts 7:58-8:3; 9:1-6)

If they showed that they could and would change the direction of their lives, the real definition of repentance, Jesus forgave them. But Jesus went beyond that. He even asked forgiveness for his executioners, based on their ignorance of what they were doing. (Luke 23:33-34) Which makes you wonder what Jesus might have said to Judas had he come to the cross rather than deciding to be his own judge, jury and executioner by hanging himself. (Matthew 23:3-5)

We need a king who is fair, who gives us clear rules but lets us work out how to carry them out in specific situations and who forgives those who are willing to turn their lives around and who helps them do so. (Ezekiel 36:26-27) We need someone just and merciful like Jesus to be our king, the person who ultimately calls the shots in our lives.

But our second question still is unanswered. Should anyone be trusted with absolute power? Isn't the concept of a king an inherently bad and corrupted one?

If Jesus were merely human, then, like all other humans, he could not be trusted with such power. But while fully human, he is also fully divine. And you can't tempt or bribe God. What can you offer him that he did not make and could not take back if he wished? Of course, we do try to bribe God. But we are like ants waving crumbs before someone who has prepared a banquet. “Grant this prayer and I swear I will go to church every Sunday from now on.” “Don't let me get in trouble for this and I will be good from now on.” The only thing Jesus wants from us is our love and loyalty and he is wise enough to know when they are being freely and sincerely given and when they are simply attempts to manipulate him.

Corrupt people want power so they can use it for their own benefit. But Jesus' motive is to put back together the world his Father created and which we have shattered through our arrogance, violence, selfishness and foolishness. The world was designed so that everything that is a part of it, including us, meshes and works in harmony with every other part. It is held together by trust and love. Ever wonder why the world seems to fit together almost, but not quite, perfectly? We have put grit in the gears. We have pulled out some parts and tried to use them for our own purposes. We have, each of us, tried to put ourselves at the center of the universe, thereby distorting its design and throwing it out of balance. What sometimes appears to be God moving against us is really him putting things right and putting us back in our proper places. And shouldn't the person leading us be the one person who knows exactly how everything should go together, something no mere human can do?

We need a king and he needs to be Jesus. But this leads us to another question. Jesus has yet to return and in the meantime we live in a world where we already have nations and governments. So in what sense can Jesus be our King, here and now?

That's our topic next week.

First preached on December 6, 2009. It has been revised and updated.

Who Needs a King?

The scriptures referred to are Daniel 7:9-10,13-14; Psalm 93; Revelation 1:4b-8 and John 18:33-37.

Last week we traced the development of the concept and office of king. However, the way ancient Israel got a king was a bit different. As a federation of tribes who could trace their descent from a common ancestor, the Israelites had no king. The tribes were allotted territories in the promised land and each handled its own business through tribal structures. But they were periodically attacked by the Philistines, a group of seafaring folks who came from Cyprus and Crete. They settled on the coastlands and continually pushed in towards the hill country which the Israelites controlled. They were pushed back by a series of charismatic leaders who would temporarily unite the tribes of Israel militarily. We call these inspired leaders “judges,” from the Hebrew word for those who dispense justice. But since the judges would only arise when things went bad for the Israelites, there was a feeling that the disunity that otherwise prevailed led to a lack of morale and morals. As it says in the book of Judges, “In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)

So the people went to Samuel, the current judge. He was getting old and his sons were corrupt and the people were not looking forward to them succeeding him. They asked Samuel to “Give us a king to lead us like all the other nations have.” This would give them a strong and permanent military leader with a standing army. But Samuel warned them that this would be expensive. There would be taxes to support him and his family and his administrators, as well as the army. Their young men would be pressed into military service and their young women would be utilized as cooks and staff for the royal household. The king would get the best land, a tenth of their crops, and as many wives as he wished. Nevertheless, the people wanted a king. And though this meant a rejection of God as their king, the Lord told Samuel to anoint a human one. (1 Samuel 8)

As I said last week, the Bible is quite aware of the problems of kingship. You give one human being that much power and he will abuse it. As Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Our own form of government was a reaction against the abuses our founding fathers saw in the British monarchy. And yet there was a popular movement to make George Washington king! In general, it seems that people are only opposed to a strong leader when he is one of their political enemies. They want their own leader to be more powerful than that of the opposition.

So, in the light of the well-documented abuses of kings, should we even use the term “king” in regards to Jesus?

A lot of people think that not only the title of “king” but the whole concept of Jesus ruling over us is an outmoded way of thinking. They would rather see Jesus as a guide or an adviser. They don't like the idea of him being able to veto any of our ideas or desires. In his film Dogma Kevin Smith has a bishop introduce a replacement for the traditional representation of crucified Christ, which he calls a “bummer.” Instead, he unveils the “Buddy Christ.” a smiling Jesus, winking and giving a thumbs up to all. This is a satirical jab by Smith, a Catholic, at how America already views Jesus, not as Lord but as supportive “homie.” The “Buddy Christ” would never presume to tell you what to do or not to do. He's got your back, bro, no matter what you do.

And that's the problem. Studies have shown that self-identified Christians do not have lifestyles that are appreciably different from non-religious citizens of the US. Their divorce rate is the same. A Gallup poll found that white Evangelicals are disproportionately racist in their views of blacks. A Pew Research Center survey shows that a majority of white Evangelical and nonevangelical Protestants and Catholics see the influx of migrants as a crisis rather than a major problem. 46% of Christians overall think that poverty is due to a lack of effort rather than difficult circumstances. A host of outspoken Christian politicians have been exposed as adulterers. There have been scandals involving Christian clergy. In short, like the book of Judges says, by not seeing Jesus as king, everyone is doing whatever they consider to be right for them.

Obviously these are people who only hear the “Jesus loves you” part of the gospel and not the “repent” part. (Mark 1:14-15) They cheer when Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery that he doesn't condemn her but tune out before he tells her to “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:3-11) They don't let Jesus' commands to be godly, to be faithful and to love one's enemy veto what they want to do. (Matthew 5:44, 48; Luke 16:10) Rather they let their own inclinations and desires veto Jesus' clear commands.

Research by the Barna polling organization shows that the average American agrees with the Hindu leader Gandhi when he said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

When his disciples reported that they discouraged a man from casting out demons in Jesus' name because he wasn't part of their group, Jesus rebuked them. “He who is not against you is for you,” he said. (Mark 9:38-40) Yet churches are quick to condemn Christians who disagree with them on non-essential issues.

Jesus condemned hypocrisy. But as we have seen, a lot of high profile Christians have been doing the very things they condemn. And supporting others who violate Christian principles rather than properly correcting them. (Galatians 6:1)

Despite living under the thumb of an oppressive occupying pagan power, Jesus refused to get drawn into discussions of certain political issues. He said there were things that bear Caesar's image and belonged to Caesar and things that bear God's image—ie, people—and which belong to God. (Luke 20:21-25) He said his kingdom did not come from this world. (John 18:36) He refused worldly power when it was offered to him as a temptation. (Matthew 4:8-10) Yet the church has frequently flirted with taking on political power and, like a moth attracted to a flame, has suffered the same tragic results.

Jesus was executed unjustly. Yet the majority of white and Hispanic Protestants support the death penalty. Catholics and black Protestants are evenly split while younger Christians are less supportive of the death penalty. And this is despite evidence that some innocent people do get condemned and sent to death row. This is an area where an uncorrected mistake is always a fatal one. At least in this area, the Roman Catholic church's official position is consistent, saying that being pro-life means opposing executions as well as abortions.

These contradictions between the way our Lord spoke and the way we Christians act is apparent to the world, if not always to us. It has gotten to the point where some people, wishing to disassociate from a category that includes both Robert Jeffress and Joel Olsteen, don't call themselves Christians but Christ-followers. That doesn't seem to be catching on but I think those who coined the term are onto something. The label “Christian” has become diluted. It can mean as little as “I like some of the things Jesus stands for the way I like some of the songs in Les Miz.” Ironically, it no longer means “I take everything Jesus said as gospel.” It doesn't even mean “I seriously consider what Jesus says on issues first so I might even go against my personal opinions and desires if they are in conflict with Jesus' explicit commands.” Today the word “Christian” basically means, not “Jesus is my Lord,” but “Jesus is my mascot.” To some, Jesus is a symbol, not a savior.

When I identify myself as a nurse, I see a more favorable reaction than when I identify myself as clergy. People know what a nurse stands for—healing and caring. People aren't always sure what a priest stands for. And it's the same when you identify yourself as a Christian. Often they think it's the same as saying you belong to a specific political party. Though neither party is 100% in sync with God's point of view.

This is not to say that following Jesus may not lead you to take positions on issues that people see as political. The Bible literally mentions our duty to help the poor, the oppressed, the immigrant, the sick, the disabled and the imprisoned over 800 times. It speaks of God as being interested in promoting justice, peace, and mercy. It condemns greed, deceit, arrogance, rage, envy, violence, being divisive and harmful speech. If those were the issues we voted on, how would we rate as a Christian nation?

Part of the problem is that we have so emphasized being saved by grace through faith alone that we have forgotten that being saved isn't just declaring you're on God's team rather than the devil's. It's about being transformed from a person with a fractured relationship with God and everything and everyone he has created to a person with a restored and healing relationship with God and everything and everyone he created. It's not so much about being on a different side; it's about being a different person, a person who is becoming more Christlike. Jesus is the incarnation of the same God who, in the words of Psalm 146, “upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free. The Lord gives sight to the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow...” (Psalm 146:7-9) If those are the priorities of our God and King, then they are our priorities as well.

We need a king because we need someone whom we must obey in such matters, not someone whose opinion we'll take under advisement. You can't say to a king, “Well, I'll obey you when what you say is in agreement with my opinion on the matter.” That's not obedience but disloyalty. You can't say to God, “I'll do the spiritual stuff: praying, worshipping, etc—the stuff that makes me feel good—but not the harder 'love your neighbor' stuff or the really challenging 'love your enemy' stuff.” That's not following Jesus. It's following your own desires. You can't do that with someone who is your Lord and King. What you can do is figure out how best to obey him in each circumstance.

But we still have questions to answer about kingship. Like this one: Given what we've said about the problems of an absolute monarch, who demands obedience, why should we choose Jesus as our king? Think and pray about that this week and we'll look at that next Sunday.

First preached on November 29, 2009. It has been revised and updated.