06 24 Christ the King (Psalm 93)
Today is Christ the King Sunday. An important day in the church year, for it gives us a sense of perspective and focus, something that is often difficult to have in these busy times. But there is something about Christ as King that helps us, the people of his kingdom to put things into perspective.
Of all the things that I have learned in my years of schooling, no lesson has been more powerful, has had a bigger impact on me, or has been as fresh in my mind as the lesson that I learned about living with Christ as King.
It was the first Sunday that I had been left to “run the show.” I was the vicar and the pastor was on vacation visiting family. Sunday, December 28. The feast of the innocents, that is when we remember those young children who were ordered to be executed by the horrible king Herod. That Sunday the community was remembering the loss a child. You see, on Monday, December 22 a seven year old child was playing with his father’s shot gun, and it was an accident of course, but he shot himself. This tragedy was felt in the small community and the family was lifted up in many prayers.
This kind of tragedy finds it way into everyone’s life at some point or another. It does not always take this form, but it is there. Death, loss of a job, broken relationship, financial hardship, addiction, the results and consequences of sin are a harsh reality in life. One that faces us, boldly. It is just there. We can’t hide from it, we can’t run from it. It is a chaos that is massive like an ocean.
Now it was custom at my vicarage congregation to have prayer requests collected during the offering. This was the most agonizing part of the service, because the handwriting was often difficult to read. But it was no surprise that a request was made for the family that had lost their son. I didn’t know them, but my heart ached for them. We prayed for God to comfort them, and to be present with them. That they would find hope in his love and presence. And then the service went on.
After it had concluded, I stood at the door shaking hands, greeting the members of the congregation. And one man, waited to be the very last person out the door. As he shook my hand, he told me that he needed to talk with me. Now this wasn’t the “I need your help” kind of we need to talk. This was the “you are in trouble” kind, and my mind began racing through the sermon to try to find any elements of supposed heresy.
It’s amazing how fast you can go from a calm state to one of adrenaline. My heart was pounding, I began to sweat, as I waited for him to voice his concern. “I have a concern with your prayer.” What? My prayer? Was this guy serious? What was wrong with the prayer? I mean I was sure that I was able to read everyone’s handwriting without any trouble.
He went on. “You prayed for that family. And you should not have done that!” He was serious. There was no joking or kidding, he was very serious. “They are Catholics you know, and God doesn’t answer the prayers of Catholics. They are all going to hell.” I was beside myself. Not only that I was beginning to get angry. I mean really angry. I didn’t show it, but inside I was thinking, “Man, what a mean, insensitive, arrogant, and not to mention stupid thing to say.” I couldn’t get over the fact that this guy was completely and totally serious.
We continued our conversation. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I asked him if he knew the family, and if he knew that they were catholic. He said no, but since they had the funeral in a catholic church, they had to have been catholic.
I mean that this guy was serious. He really was. The words that were coming out of his mouth were filled with such hate, I just couldn’t believe it. Time had passed. Quite a bit actually. Because we were the only ones left in the church. Mindy and David were patiently waiting for me, so we could go home. I tried to show him how his understanding of things was flawed. And how, though we don’t agree with Catholics on a number of things, that that doesn’t have to condemn them to hell. But nothing I said worked. Well then it happened. I had no idea how it happened, but it did. And for me it was life changing.
Have you had a moment like that? One of those times in your life when, after it happened you were a changed person. These are the kind of moments that happen every so often. And when they do, we remember them in a big way.
Now David was a little more than two years old at the time. And he wasn’t much for social interaction. Which if you know him now, might be kind of hard to believe. But David did not like people he didn’t know talking to him or having anything to do with him. In fact, Mindy and I would often joke that we never had to worry about David being kid napped, because anytime any one he didn’t know would say, “Hi” to him, he would scream, “Noooooooo”. He even did this to his grandparents. So needless to say, David wasn’t one for hanging out with people that he didn’t know.
But on that day, at that moment, as I was standing there talking to this guy, whose hatred was flowing out of his mouth. As I was standing there ready to hit him, David runs over to this complete stranger. And throws his arms around his legs, and gives him the biggest bear hug those little arms can muster. I stood there in awe of what I had just witnessed. And the man, well, he just stopped.
That is what it is to live with Christ as King. That is what it is to live in his kingdom. That is what it is to live as the people of his kingdom. That is the perspective that Christ as king gives to our lives. You see, I was ready to haul off and hit this guy. And he was wrong. So wrong. But what good would it have done to hit him? Especially when what he really need was love, and to be loved. This guy was lonely. He wasn’t married. He lived in the same small town his entire life. He was very judgmental, I mean he lived in a world where most of the people around him were destined for eternal separation from God. He was filled with pain and anger, that is no way to live. And here what he really needed was love.
Living life in the kingdom of God is to live a life of love. Not the pushover kind of love where you become a doormat. But the kind of love that God loves the world with. This is hard and difficult. It requires sacrifice and purposeful actions. It means foregoing what we want and sometimes even what we need so that the love of God can shine through us.
Living life in the kingdom of God is to live a life that is not controlled by the garbage and sin in our lives. Living life in the kingdom of God is not being overwhelmed in the chaos of life. But it is a life that stands on the foundation that our God is in control. He is big enough and powerful enough to forgive us our sins, make us his people and work in and through us.
That is where this psalm comes in. It is a beautiful and deep psalm. It is just six short verses, but it sings what it means that our God is king. “The Lord is king; he has put on splendid apparel; the Lord has put on his apparel and girded himself with strength. He has made the whole world so sure that it cannot be moved; ever since the world began, your throne has been established; you are from everlasting. The waters have lifted up, O Lord, the waters have lifted up their voice; the waters have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the sound of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea, mightier is the Lord who dwells on high. Your testimonies are very sure, and holiness adorns your house, O Lord, forever and forevermore.
We live in a world that is chaotic and twisted and warped by the effects of sin. If our focus stays here, it can become depressing and even hopeless. Yet we are in this world, but not of it, for we are also members of God’s kingdom. He has conquered the chaos. He is strong and unwavering. Nothing is outside of his control. He is king. Nothing is above him. He is king. Nothing is beyond his ability to handle. He is king.
The psalm illustrates this as it talks about the waters. In the ancient world, water represented chaos. It was uncontrollable. Often it was portrayed as an enemy. The gods of the ancient world were powerless against the power of the water. Yet in the presence of our God, even the water is still. In the book of Revelation there is a picture of God on his throne. There is a sea there that is as glass. It is calm and there is no motion. The unconquerable has been conquered by our God. He is king. He reigns.
As members of God’s kingdom we are charged with spreading that kingdom. To take it out into the world in love and service. In relationship and caring. In law and in gospel. God’s kingdom comes without our asking, but we ask that it may also come among us.
Christ is our king. I pray that this awesome fact would be a source of comfort, strength and encouragement for you. Now and always. Amen.