King without a Kingdom
Tomorrow is Christ the King Sunday and in the Gospel reading, Jesus and Pilate have the following exchange of words after Pilate has asked Jesus' own people want him dead.
In his own lifetime, people projected all sorts of their own ideas of power and authority onto Jesus. Some wanted a warrior to lead a Jewish military victory over Rome. Others wanted a prophet to lead a religious victory over a priesthood gone complacent at the Temple in Jerusalem. Since Jesus death and resurrection, people have declared him to be a great teacher, a magician, a philosopher, a poet, prophet, or even a deluded fool.
On Christ the King Sunday, the challenge is to answer the question Jesus used to challenge his own followers. He asked them, “Who do you say that I Am?” It doesn’t matter so much who other people say that he is. “Who do you say that Jesus is?” Was Jesus just a teacher, poet, magician, politician, an outlaw or was he something more? The answer is personal and for Jesus the answer had to do with getting at the truth of the matter. For what this king wanted and wants still is not to be king of an earthly klingdom, but to be the king of your life.
peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor + King of Peace Episcopal Church
"My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
In his own lifetime, people projected all sorts of their own ideas of power and authority onto Jesus. Some wanted a warrior to lead a Jewish military victory over Rome. Others wanted a prophet to lead a religious victory over a priesthood gone complacent at the Temple in Jerusalem. Since Jesus death and resurrection, people have declared him to be a great teacher, a magician, a philosopher, a poet, prophet, or even a deluded fool. On Christ the King Sunday, the challenge is to answer the question Jesus used to challenge his own followers. He asked them, “Who do you say that I Am?” It doesn’t matter so much who other people say that he is. “Who do you say that Jesus is?” Was Jesus just a teacher, poet, magician, politician, an outlaw or was he something more? The answer is personal and for Jesus the answer had to do with getting at the truth of the matter. For what this king wanted and wants still is not to be king of an earthly klingdom, but to be the king of your life.
peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor + King of Peace Episcopal Church
posted by King of Peace @ Saturday, November 25, 2006
1 Comments:
At 11/27/2006 10:09 AM,
Anonymous said…
It is very hard to accept Jesus as both Savior and Lord. Too many times we hear too much of one or the other. He is the Good Shepherd but He is also the omnipotent, righteous judge with standards that transcend our understanding.
Thank God for His mercy for otherwise who could be saved?
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