Why Christ Is King--Reign of Christ Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019

Year C, Reign of Christ Sunday, SMHP, Nov. 24, 2019

Luke 23:32-43

               ³²Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

          ³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. ³⁵And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”   

          ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, ³⁷and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”   

          ³⁹One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

          ⁴³Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

          [Slide 2] In 1919, a small group of disaffected Germans, demoralized after their defeat in World War I, formed the Deutsche Arbeiter-partei, the DAP or German Worker’s Party.  [Slide 3] That year, a soldier named Adolph Hitler joined the party, quickly impressing the leaders with his oratory skills.  The DAP promoted German nationalism and anti-semitism, ideals attractive to the young Hitler.  He was appointed Chief of Propaganda for the party, and began to promote a “Germany First” model among his fellow soldiers and other Germans.

          [Slide 4] On February 24 of that year, the party changed its name to the National Socialist German Worker’s Party.  NAZI for short.

          I probably don’t need to tell you about them…except to say that the sin of Nazism is simply nationalism taken to its logical conclusion.  If one’s primary allegiance is to the state, then the state becomes a sort of deity, and one begins to worship it…and believe it can do no wrong.  Those beliefs are easily transferred to the leaders of the state, and especially to a single leader whose propaganda skills are well-honed.  Nationalism thrives in a world in a world rocked by change.  When people feel that their foundations are not solid, when their time-held traditions and attitudes—right or wrong—are being challenged, they will follow a strong leader who promises to put them and others like them at the center.

          In 1921, Hitler was appointed Fuhrer, or Leader, of the Nazi Party. In 1923, he led a failed coup in Munich and was thrown in jail.  [Slide 5] While there, he dictated the first volume of his memoir and manifesto, Mein Kampf.  That book expounded upon his belief that Marxism, globalism, and Judaism were forces which must be combatted with all due force.  Nationalism was the only answer for Germany, the Fuhrer insisted, and he would “make Germany great again.”

          By now you might be wondering what all of this has to do with Christ the King Sunday and the lesson before us, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  Well here it is:

          In 1925, dismayed by the rise of nationalism in Europe, [Slide 6] Pope Pius XI established the Feast of Christ the King.  It was first observed on the last Sunday of October, and in 1969, moved to the final Sunday of the Church year.  Most protestant churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary observe it on this day.

          The Pope announced the new festival in an encyclical which explained his concerns about the sort of nationalism he was seeing in places like Germany and Italy, and why it is incompatible with our Christian convictions. [Slide 7] In that encyclical, titled Quas Primas, or “In the First,” the pope wrote that Christians were bound to observe the kingship of Jesus Christ above all other social and political allegiances.  Only Christ, the pope wrote, is truly worthy of our absolute fidelity, because Christ "has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.”

          And on the final Sunday of the church year, we contemplate the nature of our Lord, by observing Christ the King, or Reign of Christ Sunday.  We don’t do so in a vacuum; we think about our own world, and why it is that we invite Christ to reign over our lives, supreme to any other being.

          The answer to that why question should be about as clear now as when Pope Pius XI looked around and saw a world sweeping up the devastation of The Great War, and building the foundations for the Next Great War.

          So let’s break it down.  Why is Christ our king, rather than the president, or the chancellor of Germany, or even Oprah? [Slide 8]

          Because, as Pope Pius said, of his essence and his nature. 

          His essence—who he is.  Son of God.  Born humbly, lived simply, preached radical love. 

          Willing to take on our suffering—the worst of our suffering—in order that we might have life eternal. 

          That is the essence of one who ought to be directing our pathways, wouldn’t you say?

          And his nature?  His nature is evident in Luke’s presentation of the terrible moment of crucifixion.  There’s a lot of dialogue from a lot of constituencies in this text.  The religious leaders mock Jesus.  The soldiers scoff at him.  [Slide 9]  Under the direction of Pontius Pilate, a sign above him reads “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

          Even a criminal, crucified alongside the innocent Jesus, derides him, doubting his power and demanding salvation.

          [Slide 10]  But Jesus says only two things to those who have gathered for his final (brief) sermon:  a word of forgiveness and a word of inclusion.

          [Click]  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

          And, to the second criminal,

          [Click]  “Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

          Forgiveness and inclusion.  To the very end, Jesus preaches a word of mercy and a word of radical love. 

          In the midst of an agonizing death which he could have avoided, Jesus was still teaching. 

          “Forgive one another.”

          “Love one another.  Keep drawing the circle wider and wider.  Bring ‘em all in.  Paradise is for everybody.”

          On our own, we chase after other ideals.  Left to our baser instincts, especially our fear, we gravitate toward the one who promises safety and comfort.

          Those reigns lead inevitably to division.  Destruction.

          The reign of Christ is different.  The reign of Christ knits us together in love and mercy.

          The reign of Christ is difficult.  It requires us to lay our fears and our hopes in one place.  At the foot of the cross, before the one who leads with mercy and love.  And teaches us to do the same. 

          Today, as the church year draws to a close, and we prepare to gather together to give thanks as a community, let us once again pledge our allegiance to the one who draws the circle big enough for everyone.  Let Christ be our sovereign, our example, the one who directs our steps and enlarges our hearts. 

          He is the only one who can, and the only one who should.

Amen

HOD #343 “My Song Is Love Unknown”