Thursday, November 19, 2015

Our Kingdom (Reflections on Christ the King, Year B)



This is a pretty cool story. The Gospel lesson appointed for Christ the King Sunday in Year B (John 18:33-37) is part of one of the most gripping scenes in scripture—the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. Pilate fascinates us as a literary and historic character. Here is our enemy, the dude whose job it is to oppress us, and yet he’s more sympathetic and respectful of truth than those who are supposed to be our brothers and sisters. Our sympathies go out to him as he finds it impossible to do the noble thing in a world filled with anger and hate.

At least this is the way we might think of him. To be honest, most Bible scholars would agree that the characterization of Pilate in the Gospels takes more than a little poetic license. John is writing around the end of the first century of the Common Era, and he’s probably more interested in sucking up to a Roman-dominated world and not too keen on pleasing a Pharisaical Jewish community which is already taking a pretty dim view of the followers of Jesus. Ancient historians such as Philo and Josephus state overtly what the Gospels only suggest—Pontius Pilate was a political thug whose job was to shake the conquered people down for taxes and keep them from revolting.  He was renowned for his corruption, brutality, and total disdain for those whom he was charged to govern.

Knowing what we do about ol’ Pontius makes his cynical comment in John 18:38 (disgracefully omitted from this week’s assigned reading if you ask me!) all the more poignant. When Jesus tells him he has come to bear witness to the truth, all Pilate can answer is, “What is truth?”

This guy doesn’t have a clue. He is enmeshed in the kingdom of this world with its politics, selfishness, fear, and reliance on violence and intimidation. Jesus’ kingdom does not involve the need to dominate and destroy enemies. Jesus’ kingdom reigns without victimizing or demonizing or dehumanizing. Jesus’ kingdom does not require armies with weapons and the celebration of victory over vanquished peoples.

And Jesus’ kingdom rests on the true might of service, humility, sacrifice, and love. All the empires of this world with all of their victories are only temporary. Every use of force will only hold the field for a blink of God’s eye. The kingdom of Jesus, based on the Law of God to love God and love humanity, is the only one which will stand forever. In their fear of loss, victimization, and insignificance, the Pilates of this world can’t understand this.

In last Sunday’s Gospel Jesus warned us about false prophets in a time of change and chaos. I pray to God that we, American Christians, won’t buy into the panic of ISIS terrorism and the knee-jerk reaction of some who urge retaliation by denying compassion to the poor and the stranger. Such may be the world’s reaction, but we do not belong to that kingdom.

As I write this post, a congregation of Pakistani American Muslims is preparing to begin a worshiping community in a former United Church of Christ chapel around the corner from my parish here in Far Northeast Philly. May we all remember that our true kingdom is not of this world. May we follow the example of our True King and show honor, welcome, kindness, and hospitality as befits the subjects of his kingdom.


God bless you, my fellow subjects. Long live the King in our hearts and minds!

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