The Throne Of The Cross
Sermon
Ten Hits, One Run, Nine Errors
Gospel Sermons For Sundays After Pentecost (Last Third) Cycle C
Kings are not what they used to be. In Bible days there were kings of Israel and caesars of Rome. In more recent history there were czars of Russia, kings of France, emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and kaisers of Germany. They all were powerful and privileged, but they are gone now.
Even the royal family of England has had to reinvent itself to win the support of English taxpayers. Verse three of "Onward Christian Soldiers" has proven truer than its nineteenth-century author could ever have imagined:
Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Some of the power and majesty we once attributed to kings is now imitated by stars of television, music, sports, and Hollywood. Today's shakers and movers are politicians, bankers, and chief executive officers of giant corporations.
It is no accident that a rock musical of some years ago took for its title, Jesus Christ, Superstar. If you and I were really trying to be modern and so-called "relevant," we might very well change the name of this last Sunday of the church year from "Christ the King" to "Christ the Superstar," or perhaps, "Jesus, C.E.O. of the Universe."
Let us, however, preserve enough dignity and tradition to keep "Christ the King" as our name for this last Sunday of the church year.
There is a pastor who prepares little paper crowns for today's children's sermon. In addition to the colors of precious stones, the words "King Jesus" appear on the little crowns. Children are invited to take two crowns per child -- one to take home, and one to hang on the head or arms of a suitable altar cross.
It seems strange to have a Good Friday lesson this close to Christmas-time. Two of Good Friday's Seven Last Words are quoted in today's Gospel Lesson: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," and "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
We sometimes accuse advertisers of "rushing the seasons." Christ the King Sunday seems to leapfrog the next seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Lent -- running right into next Holy Week itself.
Actually Christ the King Sunday does not leapfrog the next three-and-a-half months at all; it summarizes the past twelve months. Wrapped up in today's Gospel is the infant king of last Christmas: "Hark! The herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn king.' "
The mocking of the soldiers in today's Gospel ("If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!") is an echo of last winter's First Sunday in Lent, when the devil dared to goad Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread" (Luke 4:3). And again, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here ... " (Luke 4:9).
Indeed, all of Jesus' parables, miracles, and sermons of the past twelve months are focused today on the throne of the cross.
There was a high school textbook which ended each chapter with a summary. Lazy students tried to take shortcuts by reading the summary without reading its preceding chapter. It did not work well as a substitute, but for the students who had read the chapter diligently, the summary was a good condensation of the preceding seven or eight pages. Similarly, today's Gospel is a summary of the twelve months we have just finished.
Christ the King Sunday reminds us of our need for reconciliation with God.
A few years ago we heard high level apologies for historic sins. Lutherans apologized to Jewish people for Martin Luther's anti-Semitic writings in the 1540s. Roman Catholics and Lutherans apologized to each other for the unpleasant things our ancestors said to each other some 460 years ago.
The United States apologized to our citizens of Japanese descent who were forced into internment camps in some of our western states during World War II. (Their loyalty had been doubted in our war against Japan.) Baptists apologized to African-Americans, because Baptists had supported slavery before the Civil War.
All these apologies revealed an uneasiness about past sins; but the apologies seemed too little and too late. "You cannot unring a bell," says an old proverb. We end up confessing somebody else's sins; and these apologies leave us wondering (at least they should leave us wondering) what bad things you and I are doing today that will make future generations apologize for us. Next, we should stop doing these bad things right now!
Perhaps future generations will feel the need to apologize for our running up the national debt for our grandchildren to pay off. Perhaps they will apologize for our cutting down too many trees, and then covering the earth with blacktop.
Will our as yet unborn apologists say, "Sorry!" for our heating up the globe, or for driving too many cars? Will it be because we are tolerating a system of government which leaves such feelings of hopelessness that so few people even care to vote? "There's not a nickel's worth of difference between the two parties," complained one independent presidential candidate. And "People get the politicians they deserve," wrote a newspaper columnist.
In all these things, and no doubt many more, we need to repeat the words of the tax collector in Jesus' parable, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" (Luke 18:13).
Thank God for his forgiveness through Jesus' death on the cross. Christ the King Sunday reminds us of our need for reconciliation with God.
Christ the King Sunday also reminds us of our need for reconciliation with each other.
All good kings wanted their subjects to like each other. Bad kings did not care, just so long as people obeyed royal edicts and paid royal taxes. As a good king, Christ wants us to like each other. All people who are loyal to Christ the King should find ways to get along with each other. A theologian said, "When we gather to kneel at the foot of Jesus' cross, we also get closer to each other."
Although we Christians disagree about answers to the question "What would Jesus do?" we should be able to disagree and to discuss with respect and love. We may need at times to be "the loyal opposition," as a minority in Christ the King's house of parliament.
We should keep in mind that if we act considerately and intelligently, it should be unnecessary to have lots of reconciliation all the time. There is some truth at least to the advice of a saintly church-going mother, "If folks don't like you or me, the fault with us is likely to be."
An advice columnist listed a number of "inviting" personal behaviors for us to learn to imitate: a relaxed posture, smiling, listening carefully, shaking hands, opening a door for someone, being on time, sending a thoughtful note, accepting praise graciously, learning names, and waiting your turn.
Next the columnist listed "disinviting" personal behaviors for us to unlearn: interrupting, looking at your watch, scowling and frowning, slamming a door, using ridicule, making fun of a person, laughing at someone's misfortune, mimicking, being late, shoving ahead.
These "inviting" and "disinviting" personal behaviors are not mere tips from a how-to book on winning friends and influencing people; they can help us learn how to be good subjects of Christ the King. Christ the King Sunday reminds us of our need for reconciliation with each other.
O Jesus, king most wonderful!
O Conqueror renowned!
O Source of peace ineffable,
In whom all joys are found.
-- Bernard of Clairvaux
Even the royal family of England has had to reinvent itself to win the support of English taxpayers. Verse three of "Onward Christian Soldiers" has proven truer than its nineteenth-century author could ever have imagined:
Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Some of the power and majesty we once attributed to kings is now imitated by stars of television, music, sports, and Hollywood. Today's shakers and movers are politicians, bankers, and chief executive officers of giant corporations.
It is no accident that a rock musical of some years ago took for its title, Jesus Christ, Superstar. If you and I were really trying to be modern and so-called "relevant," we might very well change the name of this last Sunday of the church year from "Christ the King" to "Christ the Superstar," or perhaps, "Jesus, C.E.O. of the Universe."
Let us, however, preserve enough dignity and tradition to keep "Christ the King" as our name for this last Sunday of the church year.
There is a pastor who prepares little paper crowns for today's children's sermon. In addition to the colors of precious stones, the words "King Jesus" appear on the little crowns. Children are invited to take two crowns per child -- one to take home, and one to hang on the head or arms of a suitable altar cross.
It seems strange to have a Good Friday lesson this close to Christmas-time. Two of Good Friday's Seven Last Words are quoted in today's Gospel Lesson: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," and "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
We sometimes accuse advertisers of "rushing the seasons." Christ the King Sunday seems to leapfrog the next seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Lent -- running right into next Holy Week itself.
Actually Christ the King Sunday does not leapfrog the next three-and-a-half months at all; it summarizes the past twelve months. Wrapped up in today's Gospel is the infant king of last Christmas: "Hark! The herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn king.' "
The mocking of the soldiers in today's Gospel ("If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!") is an echo of last winter's First Sunday in Lent, when the devil dared to goad Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread" (Luke 4:3). And again, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here ... " (Luke 4:9).
Indeed, all of Jesus' parables, miracles, and sermons of the past twelve months are focused today on the throne of the cross.
There was a high school textbook which ended each chapter with a summary. Lazy students tried to take shortcuts by reading the summary without reading its preceding chapter. It did not work well as a substitute, but for the students who had read the chapter diligently, the summary was a good condensation of the preceding seven or eight pages. Similarly, today's Gospel is a summary of the twelve months we have just finished.
Christ the King Sunday reminds us of our need for reconciliation with God.
A few years ago we heard high level apologies for historic sins. Lutherans apologized to Jewish people for Martin Luther's anti-Semitic writings in the 1540s. Roman Catholics and Lutherans apologized to each other for the unpleasant things our ancestors said to each other some 460 years ago.
The United States apologized to our citizens of Japanese descent who were forced into internment camps in some of our western states during World War II. (Their loyalty had been doubted in our war against Japan.) Baptists apologized to African-Americans, because Baptists had supported slavery before the Civil War.
All these apologies revealed an uneasiness about past sins; but the apologies seemed too little and too late. "You cannot unring a bell," says an old proverb. We end up confessing somebody else's sins; and these apologies leave us wondering (at least they should leave us wondering) what bad things you and I are doing today that will make future generations apologize for us. Next, we should stop doing these bad things right now!
Perhaps future generations will feel the need to apologize for our running up the national debt for our grandchildren to pay off. Perhaps they will apologize for our cutting down too many trees, and then covering the earth with blacktop.
Will our as yet unborn apologists say, "Sorry!" for our heating up the globe, or for driving too many cars? Will it be because we are tolerating a system of government which leaves such feelings of hopelessness that so few people even care to vote? "There's not a nickel's worth of difference between the two parties," complained one independent presidential candidate. And "People get the politicians they deserve," wrote a newspaper columnist.
In all these things, and no doubt many more, we need to repeat the words of the tax collector in Jesus' parable, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" (Luke 18:13).
Thank God for his forgiveness through Jesus' death on the cross. Christ the King Sunday reminds us of our need for reconciliation with God.
Christ the King Sunday also reminds us of our need for reconciliation with each other.
All good kings wanted their subjects to like each other. Bad kings did not care, just so long as people obeyed royal edicts and paid royal taxes. As a good king, Christ wants us to like each other. All people who are loyal to Christ the King should find ways to get along with each other. A theologian said, "When we gather to kneel at the foot of Jesus' cross, we also get closer to each other."
Although we Christians disagree about answers to the question "What would Jesus do?" we should be able to disagree and to discuss with respect and love. We may need at times to be "the loyal opposition," as a minority in Christ the King's house of parliament.
We should keep in mind that if we act considerately and intelligently, it should be unnecessary to have lots of reconciliation all the time. There is some truth at least to the advice of a saintly church-going mother, "If folks don't like you or me, the fault with us is likely to be."
An advice columnist listed a number of "inviting" personal behaviors for us to learn to imitate: a relaxed posture, smiling, listening carefully, shaking hands, opening a door for someone, being on time, sending a thoughtful note, accepting praise graciously, learning names, and waiting your turn.
Next the columnist listed "disinviting" personal behaviors for us to unlearn: interrupting, looking at your watch, scowling and frowning, slamming a door, using ridicule, making fun of a person, laughing at someone's misfortune, mimicking, being late, shoving ahead.
These "inviting" and "disinviting" personal behaviors are not mere tips from a how-to book on winning friends and influencing people; they can help us learn how to be good subjects of Christ the King. Christ the King Sunday reminds us of our need for reconciliation with each other.
O Jesus, king most wonderful!
O Conqueror renowned!
O Source of peace ineffable,
In whom all joys are found.
-- Bernard of Clairvaux
