PENTECOST XXVI

Christ the King Sunday

November 21, 2021

“A King for All People”  

Lead on, O King eternal, till sin’s fierce war shall cease,     and holiness shall whisper the sweet amen of peace;     for not with swords loud clashing, nor roll of stirring drums,     but deeds of love and mercy, the heav’nly kingdom comes.   

Verse 2, “Lead On, O King Eternal!, ELW 805

Ernest W. Shurtleff, Henry T. Smart      

A Sunday that is focused on Christ as a King may feel a little out of step for 21st-century Americans, considering that we generally view kings as irrelevant figureheads rather than heads of government.  After all, we quickly point out, our ancestors fought and died to ensure that there would be no royal ruler on this side of the Atlantic.  Our form of government was established so that no one rules because of the family into which they are born, and it’s probably safe to say that’s exactly how we like it!     

So how do we appreciate and have an understanding of the many references to Christ as our king, and the ruler of a heavenly kingdom that we find in our Bible?  Prophets, poets, and the many writers of both Old and New Testaments wrote in the language they and their readers spoke.  If they were referring to someone with great authority, that meant a king.      

As we read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, we learn how he sought out the poorest and lowest of society and cared for them — hardly the behavior of the powerful, arrogant figure we picture when we think of a king.  He and his disciples walked the roads of Galilee, spent time in little villages, hoped someone would provide them with food and shelter, and continued to teach, preach, and heal all in need.  These actions and lifestyle hardly sound like that of a royal personage, but as time went on, his followers came to the understanding that this teacher was indeed God’s own Son, sent into the world to bring people into relationship with their heavenly Father.  Here was a king for all people: peaceful, fair, just, and benevolent.     

Kingship, royalty, privilege, and power are all turned upside down and sideways in the person of Jesus.  He is the servant, the sacrifice, the one who gives his all for others, whose reward is that of doing the will of his Father.  And he is the one who is raised from the dead, the living embodiment of the creative power of God.      

The message of the great hymn, “Lead on, O King Eternal” may sound like a call to battle, and throughout history, the conflict with sin and evil has been ongoing.  But read and listen to these words — they’re actually a statement of faith.  “Your grace has made us strong,” and “we follow not with fears” speak of our confidence and trust that through Christ, we will be able to do that to which we are called — the “deeds of love and mercy.” 

Praising our King for his boundless love,

Your friend in Christ,

Mary Rogers