Christ, No King

November 24^th, 2013       “Christ, No King”           Rev. Heather Jepsen

Luke 1:67-80 with Luke 23:33-43

          Today is the final Sunday of the liturgical year, we switch the colors to white, and we celebrate the reign of Christ, or Christ the King Sunday.  Personally, I have always struggled with this feast day.  Every year it comes around and every year I struggle with what to write in my sermon. There is something about comparing Christ to our modern notions of power and authority that just doesn’t gel with me.  Sure, we can talk about what a different kind of King Christ is.  A shepherd King, a servant King, but I think we really struggle with that because it just doesn’t fit.  Finally this week it came to me.  I don’t feel called to celebrate Christ the King, I feel called to celebrate Christ No King. 

             While I had always assumed this was an ancient festival day, I was surprised to find out that the holiday of Christ the King was not instituted until 1925 by Pope Pius the 11^th.  That makes it a relatively young holiday in the history of the church.  Instituted in the time between the World Wars, this holiday was created in response to a rise in Nationalism and Secularism around the world.  Perhaps an even more relevant context; is that this holiday was instituted right in the middle of a disagreement between the papacy and the Italian government.  Christ the King has overt political overtones if we are considering it in light of an argument between the Vatican and Italy.  Christ the King in essence equals Church as King and separate from Italian rule.

          Of course, now it has been almost 100 years and this story is long forgotten.  Yet still I struggle with this idea of Christ the King.  When there is a king, then there is hierarchy, and people are always struggling to fill in the gaps in between.  First there is Christ the King, then the church, then the clergy, then the lay people, etc.  In searching the Scriptures I find little evidence that Jesus himself would support such a title or such a hierarchy.  In fact, I find just the opposite.  Jesus seems to shun all markers and notions of authority and power.  Hence my idea of Christ No King.

          Both of this morning’s readings are from Luke and throughout this gospel, Jesus rejects our human hierarchies.   We spoke a few Sundays ago about the Sermon on the Plain and the way Jesus envisions a world where the high are brought low and the low are lifted up.  Jesus envisions a world without hierarchy, without a king and all the structures that follow.

          Yes, Jesus speaks of a kingdom, but it is a backward upside down place.  The kingdom that Jesus speaks of defies common sense and practice.  It is a place where a shepherd abandons 99 sheep to look for one, a place where a father greets a disobedient child with a party, a place where the rich invite the poor to banquets, a place where the last become first and the first become last.  The kingdom of heaven is a backward place, a place where a King would have to be a Non-King.

          I see Christ No King very clearly in our first reading today from the end of Luke’s gospel.  While it seems out of place as we stand on the edge of Advent, it is good for us to be reminded of the crucifixion of our God.  After all, this is the final Sunday of the church year and we need to review the whole story. 

          Here on the cross I find Christ No King.  The sign above his head calls him King, but he has rejected that title and status.  The soldiers around him mock him as King, but he will not respond to such taunts.  Jesus is not helpless, he is not without power, but he is not the King here, clearly he is not in the role of Caesar.  No, Christ here is the Non-King, the backwards King, the power in yielding King, Christ No King.

          Like the circle of the liturgical year, our second reading takes us back to the beginning of the story.  Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, is filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks words of song and prophesy.  He speaks of the power and promise of God, of deliverance for the people of Israel, and of the forgiveness of sins.  He speaks of Christ No King.

          For centuries the people of Israel had longed to be free from their enemies.  From years of exile in Babylon to years of oppressive Roman rule, the people longed for justice and freedom.  Zechariah speaks of a people who would be rescued from the power of their enemies. 

Does this rescue come in might and violence, does in come in the power of a kingdom?  No – this rescue comes in peace.  In one of the most beautiful lines of Scripture Zechariah declares that “Because of our God’s deep compassion, the dawn from heaven will break upon us, to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide us on the path of peace.”  How will the Israelites beat their enemies?  By laying down their weapons and embracing peace.  The gift of victory comes in peace, led by the prince of peace, a King who is No King.

          Advent is right around the corner and we are about to celebrate the baby in the manger.  From familiar story to favorite song, this is one of the high points of our church year.  And of all places, in the little baby of Bethlehem, I see Christ No King.  A baby so precious and cute is also extremely vulnerable.  A baby has no power, a baby has no authority, a baby is nothing.  A baby will die if no one helps it and often no one does.  From stories of babies encased in cement in Pleasant Hill, to stories of babies flushed down the toilet in China, the world reminds us that a baby is the weakest thing there is.  A baby cannot be a king.  Christ No King. 

          As we come to the end of the liturgical year, this is the Christ I celebrate.  Let me be clear, of course I believe that Jesus is the greatest of all, most supreme, and yes the king.  I stand here every Sunday and preach his praise.  But I reject the idea of putting human images of glory and power on his name.  I reject the idea of Christ as a King, as much as I reject the idea of Christ the President.  Jesus has no interest in our human trappings and imagery.   Jesus rejects those power structures and titles.  I worship a Christ, not a King.  In the backward upside down kingdom of God, Christ is the No King.

          This week we will gather around our tables at home with family and friends and we will give thanks.  While from the outside it appears as a party, from the inside this can be a stressful time for many people.  Families don’t always get along, and family gatherings are often full of stress and tension.  I would encourage you this week, to remember the path laid out by our Christ, the path of peace.  True power is found in yielding, true strength in letting go, the path of victory is the path of peace.

          I would also encourage you this week to give thanks.  Give thanks to God for all the blessings of your life.  From health and joy, to family and friends, to food on the table and a warm bed to sleep in at night.  And as you give thanks, I encourage you to share.  May our eyes be opened to the world around us and may we see Christ No King in the people who don’t have enough to eat or a warm house to stay in.  May we give as we are able, humbling ourselves in search of the backwards kingdom of God, where the way up is the way down.

          Today, as we end the liturgical year, I marvel at this image of God that we find in the gospel of Luke.  Christ comes to us as nothing, the baby of unwed parents, born outside and alone.  Adored by shepherds, dirty outcasts, he grows up in the humble home of a carpenter.  The devil tempts him with power and authority, and he rejects those things.  Instead he wanders with outcasts and sinners, preaching of the upside down kingdom, where we get ahead by falling behind.  Finally he dies as a criminal, hung in shame for all to see.  This is the Christ we worship and praise.  This is Christ No King.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.