Christ the King Sunday

Christ the King Sunday
Matthew 25: 35-46
November 22, 2020

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Amen.

I’ve been told by a boss – or two – maybe more?? – that I have “a problem with authority.”

The first supervisor to tell me this had a daily habit of sneaking outside, two or three times a day, to smoke cigarettes, in what she thought was secret. She sprayed perfume all over herself before coming back into our one-room office, hoping to hide the smell of the smoke. She probably never knew it, but our entire small office staff could watch her smoking on the security camera, and as you can imagine, the smell of perfume mixed with cigarette smoke fooled no one. This was just the tip of her dishonest ways, all of which left me with very little respect for this supervisor. And although I always performed my job responsibilities as I should, I was told – and it was true - I definitely had a “problem” with her authority.

The second supervisor to identify my “problem with authority” was a woman who tried to make my life as difficult as possible. She made impossible, super-human demands on my schedule, and in her mind, I was to jump at her every demand. The one time gathered the courage to speak up for myself, I made the mistake of physically crossing my arms during our conversation, and she jumped all over the unintentional message this body language supposedly expressed, and continued to yell at while wagging her finger in my face. This supervisor was a bully, and yes, again, I definitely had a “problem” with her authority. 

Well, today, on this “Christ the King” Sunday, it would be easy to attribute THAT kind of authority to Jesus. Because even simply saying the word “king” conjures up images of abuse of power and authority.  Kings are often known for their domination, double standards, dishonesty. For their bullying and greed. Of course, that’s not the God we worship by any stretch. It’s not the God who was born in a lowly stable, who grew up as a refugee, and who had no problem washing others’ dirty feet.

Instead, the authority our God exerts comes from offering us an invitation, an invitation to wholeness and healing, an invitation which comes from a place of humility and vulnerability, rather than from deceit or domination. Now it’s true that God created us in love, in order to have something/someone to love. But God seeks our love by loving us first, by having the nature of love through and through. That love doesn’t even know coercion. That love doesn’t even know domination. And that love doesn’t even know how to threaten like a bully. That’s the point of this Christ the King Sunday – to spotlight the differences between the kings; kings here in their earthly kingdoms, and the King we know as Jesus. Although it sounds like an oxymoron, theologian Thomas Oord wrote, God’s power can solely be defined in terms of an “uncontrolling power of love.”

So what does that mean, exactly? Well, our Gospel from Matthew today gives us a very vivid and clear picture. Jesus, the King, is homeless.  Jesus, the King, is hungry. Jesus, the King, is in prison. Jesus, the King, is cold. And we could go on. Jesus, the King, is lying in a hospital bed, struggling to breathe. And using the image of one of favorite theologians, Nancy Eiesland, Jesus, the King, is even sitting paralyzed, in a sip-puff wheelchair.

By emptying himself of divinity, Jesus took on a completely different kind of authority. He dared to enter our lives of limitation, suffering, and even helplessness. His own body was wounded and scarred. That certainly doesn’t sound like any king I’ve ever heard of.  And think about it – remarkably – even after Jesus’ brutal crucifixion, which included wounds in his hands, feet, and side, his resurrection appearances to his disciples – glorious as the resurrection was - certainly could have portrayed Jesus with a crown of jewels, robes of silk, rippling muscles and flowing hair – but instead, Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances actually included those wounds. This is our King!

So, if we take Jesus’ Kingship seriously – respecting God’s hand in creation and in the world presently (which, unlike my former bosses, I do) – that means that we are to follow Jesus’ lead and go into those places. Places where God’s people are hungry. Places where God’s people are suffering.  Places where God’s people are lonely or displaced.  Places where God’s people are disabled. You’ll notice that today’s Gospel, as the goats and sheep are separated out according to their service and generosity, there’s not one mention of making a “faith statement” or an ability to quote even one famous theologian. No. But as the goats recognize, there are missed opportunities. Still, because of God’s “uncontrolling power of love,” change is possible, and our faith can grow. Our faith can be made strong by spending time with Christ, our King, in places where offering a simple cup of water or a box of produce, where helping nuns clean their property, where sharing a warm coat or scarf make a difference.

So put God’s “uncontrolling power of love to work.” That is, indeed the kind of authority I can get behind, and it’s a reminder that in spite of what some of my bosses have thought, I don’t have a problem with THIS kind of authority at all! -  the authority of LOVE.
Amen.