Saturday Night Theologian
21 November 2004

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Today is Christ the King Sunday, the day that the church celebrates the reign of Christ in our hearts and anticipates the reign of Christ in the world. While some envision a literal reign of Christ--replete with a throne, a palace (the rebuilt temple) and a capital city (Jerusalem)--most Christians believe that the reign of Christ in the world will never be more than approximate; the true reign of Christ is reserved for the next life. Nevertheless, our anticipation of the reign of Christ in this world is real, despite our non-literal understanding of the term. In fact, one could argue that our zeal for the reign of Christ is more real than that of our fellow Christians who hold a literal view, because we not only anticipate Christ's reign, we also work hard to bring it about. Today's reading from Jeremiah acknowledges the imperfection of human rulers and systems of government. It also creates the expectation that a ruler truly led by God, who deals wisely, executes justice, and promotes righteousness, can bring salvation to a nation. Unlike the historical King Zedekiah, whose reign didn't live up to his throne name "The Lord is our righteousness (or justice)," the king Jeremiah envisions will establish justice, and his reign will be such that people will give glory to God. Fundamentalist Christians often characterize progressive Christians as less committed to God, but the fact that we see a passage like this one in Jeremiah as a call to work to establish God's kingdom, even if we know that we can at best create a rough facsimile thereof, indicates that we take our commitment to God very seriously. Praying "thy kingdom come" is good, but insufficient. We need to put feet to our prayers. We take sin seriously, because we see it all around us, even in those who proclaim Christ most loudly--and we see it in ourselves as well. Nevertheless, we also take redemption seriously, because we know how God has transformed our lives, and we've also seen God at work in the world. Therefore, we're optimists, not pessimists, about the possibility of establishing God's kingdom in the present world. The twentieth century saw tremendous conflagrations that enveloped almost the entire world in war, and the twenty-first century begins with more war, acts of terror, and other acts of violence pervading the world. However, that's not the whole story. With some notable exceptions, nations are learning to work together to solve problems like global warming and nuclear proliferation. Countries are learning to respect other countries, and they're realizing that war is not the solution to all the problems of the world. Renewed economic hope is blooming in South America, parts of Africa, and Asia. There is much more to do, of course, and we'll never completely succeed, but I'll let you in on a secret. I don't think we're heading for Armageddon and the end of the world. I think God will raise up wise rulers--political and spiritual both--and the people of the world will unite to solve our problems in ways other than war. In the meantime, we celebrate Christ as king in our hearts, and we look forward to the day when the spirit of Christ will pervade the world and reign in peace through his followers.

For another discussion of this passage, click here.

Psalm 46

In an analysis of the recent presidential elections, many pundits claim that voters who were interested in moral values swayed the election in favor of the Bush administration. More than 20% of voters told exit pollsters that they cast their votes on the basis of moral values. Moral values are certainly important, but which moral values are most important to rulers and their subjects? In Psalm 46 the psalmist praises God's strength and ability to deliver, two clearly important characteristics in a leader. Every nation wants a leader who is strong and who can protect his people, but these characteristics are not enough. The psalmist goes on to describe God as one who takes away fear. Citizens want leaders who can protect them from their fears. Ironically, that sometimes means that leaders generate false fears, or exaggerated fears, and then promise to protect the people from them. The classic example of that is Adolf Hitler, who drummed up fears of the Jews and other non-Teutonic races, then was elected to office on the basis of his promises to protect the German people. Protecting people from legitimate fears is a good ability for a to leader have, but it is not enough. The psalmist describes God as one who is powerful. Everyone wants a leader who is powerful and decisive, not weak and wishy-washy. Strength comes in different forms, however. Some people are physically strong, while others have intellectual or moral strength. Which of these types of strength is most important to people? Interestingly, intellectual strength often takes a back seat to moral strength, and even sometimes to physical strength (hence the attempts by candidates to portray themselves as being in robust health). Strength of character is indeed important, though strength of mind is as well, but various manifestations of power are not enough. Finally, the psalmist describes the effect of God's work on the world: "He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire." God is one who brings peace to the earth. Since the psalmist describes God as exalted among the nations, he clearly does not have in mind a peace that is kept at the point of a sword. No, God's reign is one in which weapons are not even needed to maintain order. After all the talk about God's strength and ability to protect, it turns out that God's greatest strength is his ability to make peace. When we seek leaders in our world today, do we look for those with access to the greatest military? Do we seek someone with great intelligence? Do we look for somebody with impeccable moral credentials? Do we search for the person who can quell our fears? There are many good characteristics in a leader, but regardless of what other characteristics he or she might have, a leader without a commitment to make peace does not deserve to be called a good leader.

For another discussion of this passage, click here.

Colossians 1:11-20

Electromagnetic force, gravity, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force--these four naturally occurring forces are found throughout the universe. They attract and repel charged bodies, bend the fabric of space-time, bind the nucleus together, and cause radioactive decay. Without these forces the universe would fly apart, descending into chaos, and life would cease to exist. Powerful as they are, though, all of these forces (with the exception of a small range of frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum) are invisible. We can see the result of the forces as they act on matter, but we can't see the forces actually working. However, no one doubts that the forces are real, because there is too much evidence to deny their existence. Paul describes Christ as the image of the invisible God. As the Gospel of John says, no one has seen God at any time, so how do we know God exists? How do we know God isn't just a fairy tale passed down for generations? We know because we've seen the evidence. Christ is the image of the invisible God, the visible manifestation of the unseen deity. We can observe the teachings of Jesus and know that they are more than just simple human wisdom. We can look at the compassion of Jesus and know that something more than selfish ambition drives him. We can look at the death of Jesus and understand that he endured all he did through the strength of a higher power. When we want to see what kind of God we serve, all we have to do is look at Jesus. Christianity strays from its moorings when it distorts the simple message of Jesus: love God, love your neighbor, even love your enemy; care for the outcast, care for the poor, but care for the wealthy as well; feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, minister to those in prison. Jesus' message is simple, but it is also profound, because its truth comes from the depths of the divine well. Many people today crave a sign to show them how to live or what decision to make, but they overlook the only sign they need, the example of Jesus.

For another discussion of this passage, click here or here.

Luke 23:33-43

Christ the King Sunday marks the end of the Christian year, which began on the first Sunday of Advent a year ago. It may seem strange to visit the cross just one week before we begin our four-week journey toward the manger, but Jesus' remarks from the cross in the Gospel of Luke remind us of the kind of king Jesus is and the kind of kingdom he came to establish. The first remark comes in verse 34: "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." This statement is missing in the earliest and best witnesses in all the ancient text-types, but it is included in other early and diverse witnesses. It is likely that this saying of Jesus was not original to the gospel but was added at an early point in the process of transmission of the text. Maybe it is an example of a saying of Jesus that floated about in popular stories about Jesus and was added to the gospel at some point. Whether original or not, it clearly expresses Jesus' compassion even for his enemies. It reminds us that we too must forgive those who do us wrong, showing love in return for hatred. In so doing we might be able to win over some of our enemies. The type of king Jesus is is also reflected in verses 39-43. Despite his suffering, Jesus recognizes the need of the thief on the cross and offers him both forgiveness and salvation. These words of Jesus remind us that no matter our circumstances, we should always be ready to minister to the needs of others. What kind of kingdom, then, did Jesus come to establish? In part, he came to establish a kingdom whose inhabitants forgive the wrongs done to them, one whose inhabitants are not so focused on their own needs that they neglect the suffering of others. Terrorists attack, we hit back harder. We hurt so deeply that we can't see the hurt that others are suffering as well. These may be excused as human nature, but they do not represent the kingdom of God. As we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, let us remember the kind of king Jesus is and the kind of kingdom he came to establish.