Sermon for November 20, 2016
Proper 29C – RCL (Track 1)
When
they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there
with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said,
"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And
they cast lots to divide his clothing. The people stood by, watching Jesus on
the cross; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let
him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The
soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying,
"If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an
inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."
One of the criminals who were hanged
there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save
yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear
God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have
been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but
this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me
when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
Today is the last
Sunday before advent. Next week we will
change the liturgical color from green to blue – or in some churches purple – and
begin a season of preparation for the birth of our Savior. Today is also known in our church as Christ
the King Sunday. Today we remember the “King-ship”
of Christ. And what strange
readings. Why not the reading of the
triumphal entry into Jerusalem? Where
the people are calling out Jesus as a king.
Why do we have the reading of the crucifixion?
Todays reading
really does ask the question of what kind of King do you want? Jesus on the cross does not fit our earthly
model for a king. Jesus on the cross
does not fit our political rhetoric in this country with talk of deportation, ‘extreme
screening’/profiling of people entering the country from predominantly Muslim
countries – because somehow they are tainted by terrorism. Never mind that most of the terrorism in this
country since horrible events of 9-11 have happened by homegrown
terrorists. Many of whom have claimed to
be Christian. We – and we are not alone –
look for leaders who are strong. Who
will somehow magically keep us safe from a changing world. I am not saying that we shouldn’t want strong
leaders. I am not condemning people who,
for whatever reason, feel unsafe.
But I am asking what it means to be a
Christian on this Christ the King Sunday.
It has been said in many election cycles that if Jesus where to come and
run form office he would be un-electable.
Just look at the Jesus we remember as King today. We are remembering a King who was crucified. Not because he threatened to overthrow the
empire by power. But because he was
turning the world right-side up and that threatened to upend the power
structures.
Just listen to
the mockery that we here being hurled at Jesus – mockery that is unbeknownst
telling the truth. They say if Jesus is
the Messiah he should save himself. That
if he is King of the Jews he should save himself and – to the people mocking
him more importantly save the people from empire. After all that this what we want from a
king. We want power and decisive action.
But this Jesus
that we purport to follow is not like that.
This is not what some sectors of Christianity call a muscular
Jesus. A muscular Jesus that we have
created to justify putting people in prison and killing them. A muscular Jesus who justifies keeping our
power structures in place where some people have extreme wealth and others have
nothing. A brand of Christianity that is
exclusive and inward looking and sees anyone who is not part of the brand as a
threat. A kind of Christianity that sees whole peoples – refugees, women,
GLBTQ, Muslims as a threat and unwelcome.
That is not my
kind of Christianity. And unfortunately
is seems that – as in Jesus day – I am in a minority. I see power structures that imprison and kill
as needing reforms. Of all the ballot
measures the one that I am very disappointed that lost is the repeal of the
death penalty. I see a society where I
have much privilege because I am a white male as a problem. I see a call to bring Jesus kingdom to this
earth as one where all are beloved.
Where all have access to good reasonably priced food. Where we don’t judge but evaluate people
based on their actions – not on their appearance. I follow a Jesus that was mocked and even
during his crucifixion told the criminal that was being crucified with him – a
criminal that somehow recognized the true messiah being hung on the cross – that
Jesus would bring that criminal with him to paradise.
That is not the
kind of Christ the King we remember today.
Carolyn Lewis, one of the preachers I follow points out that “One of the
primary characteristics of our king is a commitment to solidarity with and in
our suffering. The salvation in which we believe because of the cross of Christ
is not just about Jesus’ death. It is salvation that the criminal received,
felt, and knew both before his own death and Jesus’ death -- that there was
someone who saw his suffering, who was willing to stand in that suffering with
him, who spoke up against his suffering in the form of empire, evil, and
totalitarianism. That someone was Jesus. The criminal died knowing that someone
was with him in his suffering.”[1]
No matter what
kind of earthly leader we look for we need to continue to follow our messiah
. A Messiah that healed when the power
structures said it as unacceptable. A
messiah that ate with tax collectors and sinners. A messiah that challenged the power
structures. A messiah that himself was
poor and recognized the poor as needing special attention. A messiah that preached a radical welcome
that is frankly scary to many churches.
Many churches talk about radical hospitality but it can all to often
turn into a polite welcome at best. But
if you suggest that those outside of the ecclesiastical power structures should
be given a seat at the table that is another story.
Opening ourselves
to being transformed by people not like us is true hospitality. Opening our churches and our governance to
people who do not have societal bestowed power and privilege is radical
hospitality.
The radical
hospitality offered by Jesus is none other than paradise. And no sooner than today. Listen to what Jesus offers the criminal
being crucified with him when the criminal asks Jesus to remember him in his
kingdom. "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in
Paradise." Jesus is not promising
some future action but promising that truly today you will be in paradise.
And that is our
promise too but we have work to do.
Because the paradise and the kingdom that Jesus ushered in on the cross
is breaking in all around us. It is
breaking in here at St. Matthews where we have been willing to give up control
of the property so that it can be used to provide food to people in great
need. We invite all to the table and
truly listen to their concerns. We are
more concerned that our legacy of service survive than we are concerned that we
survive in our current form.
And we will
survive as a church – not just as a social service outreach center. Because we need to feed people’s souls as
well as their bodies. That is what makes
us different than the Sacramento Fod Bank – an organization that provides
tremendous outreach – but we are different.
We are hear to provide healing to our world. We are here to prove that the kingship of
Christ is different. We are called to
hear and heal the world.
A tall
order. But we are up for it. Carloyn Lewis calls us “[to] be the light of
Christ. The light that sheds light on that which justifies and validates hatred
and violence so as to expose it for what it is. The light that sheds light on
those who have been ignored, overlooked, and silenced so as to disavow
ignorance for good. The desperately needed ray of light that shines as a
glimmer of hope for all and especially for now.
Today we
celebrate a kingship like no other. A
kingship that is willing to suffer alongside us and to lead us to create God’s
reign here. Today. Not with earthly power but with amazing love.
Amen.
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