IS JESUS YOUR "KING"?

      Above his cross, the sign read, The King of the Jews, “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Ivdaeorvm.” INRI.

      No one believed it, of course. Neither the Jews nor the Romans, but Pilate wanted to hear more about Jesus being a king… so he interrogated him himself. He asked him plainly,  “Are you the King of the Jews?” And Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world." Well, Jesus responded, my kingdom is not of this world." “You are a KING then!” Pilate said, and Jesus responded, “You say that, but I came into this world to testify to the truth.” Pilate asked one of the Bible's many great questions, “What is truth?” and their brief conversation was over. After that, they flogged him and nailed him to a cross on Golgotha, where he died under a sign that read, INRI, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews!

      To the world, Jesus had been crucified by the power of a real king. He had been defeated like all of the other men of peace who came before him and that was the end of it... but to his followers, it was in his dying and rising up that Jesus proved his kingship! They didn’t care if his kingdom was not of this world. They knew it anyway because kings rule by power and oppression. They knew that he wasn't an earthly king, but he was their king. He lived in their hearts and they knew him as their Lord. Indeed, they were sure that the day would come when everyone would bow down to him as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. 

      It’s easy enough to go to church and not all that hard to read a Bible, but it’s much more difficult to live our lives as if Jesus is Lord... because we don’t want to stand out and apart from others who serve the Lords of power, wealth, pleasure, and self. We want to fit in with the secular world… so we never take a leap of faith and embrace Jesus as OUR Lord. It is tempting to have our cake and eat it too, but according to Matthew 25, those who will be welcomed into Jesus’ kingdom… will be those who lived as if he was their Lord AND who visited, fed, clothed, and otherwise cared for Jesus when he appeared as one of the least among them. 

      Earlier in Matthew, Jesus called his followers aside and told them about his kingdom. Listen, he said, and I will tell you how I expect you to live if I’m your king. In this world, those who are filled with pride expect to be favored and honored… but in my kingdom, those who are poor in spirit will be blessed and those who are meek will inherit the world- not the braggarts and the bullies. In the world, warriors and gladiators are cheered, but in my kingdom peacemakers are honored. In the world, it doesn’t seem to matter what you feed to your minds and no one seems to worry much about the injustice that’s all around… but in my Kingdom, those who hunger for righteousness will be blessed and those who are pure in heart will see God.   

      The world values things like power and wealth, but if Jesus rules in our hearts, these values will shine forth in our deeds: 

1) Grace (radical and unmerited favor, paying those who start work at 5pm the same as those who started at 5am, forgiving again and again, until people begin to laugh at us and consider us to be fools); 

2) Faith (living AS IF what we believe is true). If Jesus is our King we will joyfully trust and obey him; 

3) Love (sacrificial, forgiving, inviting, inclusive love that seeks good in the other). If Christ is our Lord we will love others in the same way that he did; 

 4) Justice. If Jesus is our King, we will protect the weak, respect the poor, and welcome the stranger; 

5) Peace. Those who know Jesus as their King will feel at one with themselves, with their Lord and with their neighbor. They will know that's there's nothing to worry about because Christ is their King! 

6) Freedom. If Jesus is your King, you will be free! You will be free, not to do whatever crosses your mind... but from the chains of ego and fear that bind you; 

7) Service. If Christ is your King you will be busy because there is so much healing, loving, visiting, feeding, and praying to do. 

      If Jesus is your King, he will rule in your heart and in your mind Monday through Sunday, in the church and in the office, at the grocery store and at your dinner table. You will serve him in every way you can… and doing that will fill you with joy! Jesus is not (yet) king of this world, and I suspect that Caesar and all of the Caesars who followed would have laughed at the thought. The world's "kings" think in terms of power, but they come and go as if they are specks of dust. Everyone of them- Caesar, Pilate, Herod, Hitler, Stalin- thought they were invisible... but they are gone now. Long gone, and Christ still reigns in the hearts and minds of billions of people, giving them dignity, hope, and opportunity. Amen!

GRATEFUL... AT THANKSGIVING... AND EVERY OTHER DAY

Gratefulness, someone said, is the fullest expression of the human heart... but I often take my blessings for granted. When I started my spiritual journey in the fall of 1976, a wise man told me that my life would be better if I took the time to write a gratitude list every morning. A casual thought wouldn't do, he said, because writing it down would give give the things that I was grateful for... specificity and clarity. My friend said that this spiritual discipline would lift my spirits and keep my feet on the right path... but I forget to do it, or feel as if I don't need to do it... so I plod along, wondering why I don't receive as many blessings that others seem to have. This way of thinking is self-defeating and counter-productive... so today... as another Thanksgiving nears... I will write my Gratitude List, even as I encourage you to write yours. 

Today, I am grateful for... Christ, Golgotha, and the Easter Promise... my wife, my family, and friends who have accepted me as I am and overlooked my faults and shortcomings.

Today, I am grateful for... the healing power of laughter and the depth of heartfelt tears. I am grateful for my vocation (what a joy it is to minister and preach in Christ's name), for adult baptisms, for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances, for unexpected generosity, and for the many people who have shown me what it means to serve,

    

Today, I am grateful for... the oldies station, for praise music (with its energy and joy), for classic country (when Willie dies I am sure to cry), and for old-time gospel music. I am grateful for the unmistakable and empowering thread of hope that runs through Christian

funerals... and for people who die with grace.

Today, I am grateful for... good coffee, bad coffee, cold coffee, and reheated coffee, even though I've recently been advised that 10-15 cups is too many. I am also grateful for mulligans (why should I count shots that weren't my best)... and forgiveness.

Today, I am grateful for an oncology nurse named Maria (who saved Sherry's life) and for a preacher named Lu (who led me to Christ). I am grateful for people who have shown me what it means to be a Christian in the way I live- Edna, Bill, Joan, Joyce, Bus, Jeff, Will, Uncle Bill, Donna, Trish, and many of you who are in my life today. 

Today, I am grateful that my wife, Sherry, who was diagnosed with a terminal cancer 17 years ago, is still with me. I am grateful for the children, grandchildren, and great-grandson that God has given to us. I've been sober now for 42 years... and I am eternally grateful for the joy, hope, and peace that I have found in Christ Jesus.

I grew up in a secular home and we celebrated holidays in a very secular way. Alcohol and laughter were a big part of our holidays... and we didn't lay wreaths on graves, serve food to the needy, give to the Salvation Army, or lift up Christ. But at Thanksgiving, when we sat down together for our feast (which included Marie's oyster dressing and cranberries, even in the year of the great cranberry scare)... one of the elders would say grace! It wasn't a sophisticated prayer, but it was an acknowledgment that we were blessed and that what we had... had been given to us... as a gift which we ought to be grateful for. It's not the greatest spiritual memory in the world, but it has remained with me... and long before I ever dawned a church door, I knew that all good things came from God. I became a pastor when I had passed 40 and I was 62 when God blessed me with a call to Rock Island. People said that, at that age, I wouldn't ever be called to a full-time ministry again, but God had other plans and Sherry and I were blessed to serve with a wonderful congregation for years. Earlier this year, when I was 71, I saw an ad in a Presbyterian newsletter that said, "part-time Pastor wanted in Knoxville," and in my view it was signed, "God." So, here I am, and I am so very grateful! 

      

I've read that the Masai people say, "My head is filled with dirt," when they are grateful. Rather than saying "thank you," they say, "My head is filled dirt"... because, when they are grateful, they fall on their knees and actually put their foreheads in the dirt. This is much too vulnerable for most of us, but when you've been saved by grace and showered with unmerited blessings... what else can you do... but fall on your knees and say, "My Lord and my God, my head is filled with dirt"! Amen. Please write your own gratitude list and share it with your family this Thanksgiving.

LOVING THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT THAN US

       "Matthew the tax collector; Thomas the Doubter; Peter the Rock; Judas the Traitor; Mary Magdalene, Martha, the popcorn-eating old woman... and the man in the pick-up. They're all our family, and you and I are their family, and we're all each other's family, because that is what Jesus has called us to be. Our happiness is all mixed up with each other's happiness and our peace with each other's peace. Our own happiness, our own peace, can never be complete until we find some way of sharing it with people who...have no happiness and know no peace. Jesus calls us to show this truth forth. Be the light of the world (especially where there are dark places). Be the salt of the earth. Bring out the true flavor of what it is to be truly alive. Be life-givers to others." This is what loving each other means.... Frederick Buechner
     "People are often unreasonable...and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you're kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you're honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. Give the best you have and it will never be enough. Give it anyway... because it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway." Mother Teresa.
      Today we're focusing on what it means to love God with all of our hearts... and to love our neighbors as ourselves... but I suspect that they're the same thing because we can't love God without loving our neighbors. We can't see God unless we see the image of God in one another. We can't embrace God unless we embrace the lonely, hungry, sick, and forgotten people in our own world. We can't love "people" and despise individual people. We can't feed people unless we go to their tables or serve them in the food bank, We can't take a drink to a man who is dying in the desert without going into the desert and lifting his head up. In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus gives us a look at what it takes to get into his Kingdom. According to Matthew, the people of the world will gather around Jesus on the final day... and he will welcome those who ministered to him on earth into his Kingdom. Those who saw him naked and clothed him, who saw him hungry and fed him, who saw him down and gave him a helping hand, who saw him alone and visited him, who saw that he was being treated unjustly and stood by his side, who saw that he was brokenhearted and cried with him... will be welcomed in the Kingdom because they loved him... by loving those whom He loved!
      According to Mark, a teacher of the law approached Jesus and asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Is it one of those that affect my behavior in the marketplace (like keeping my thumb off of the scale)... or is it one of the commandments that focus on my neighbor (like respecting his property line and not coveting what he has)? Is it more important for me to avoid swearing in the Lord's name, or to share some of my wealth with the poor? We have many commandments, teacher- love God, love our moms and dads, keep the Sabbath holy, don't lie, don't pervert justice, don't seek revenge, don't withhold a worker's wages, honor those who are old and wise, don't indulge in familiarities (such as kissing, hugging, winking, and skipping) with our relatives, don't wear clothing that is intended for the opposite sex...and more than 600 more laws... so which one is the most important? And Jesus answered by citing Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "This is the most important: you shall love the Lord your God... with all your heart... soul... mind... and strength," and Leviticus (19:18): "love your neighbor as yourself.' According to Mark's gospel, Jesus concluded by saying, "There are no commandments greater than these," (Mark 12:31) and according to Matthew (22:40), Jesus also noted that, "All of the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments!"
     All of the Law and all of the prophets... hang on these two commandments because it's all based on love! God's word, God's law, Jesus' life, his coming to earth, Calvary's cross, our purpose... are all based on love! Get a hold of this and you can throw your scorecards away... because love demands generosity, faithfulness, and forgiveness. I'm not an expert on loving God or neighbor. I struggle to be my best self every day... but I have learned this much over the years:
1. You can't love God or your neighbors unless you love yourself. You may need God and somebody to love you... but you will never be able to love them in a deep and real way unless you see that you are created in God's image and that you are loved and accepted... as you are!
2. Biblically speaking, love is an action word that has little to do with feeling tingly inside! Of course, people had feelings for one another in Jesus' day, but at its heart, the word "love" was about faithfulness, commitment, and service. When Jesus gave his first sermon, he pointed out that he had been called to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, feed the hungry, and preach good news to the poor. If you read the 19th chapter of Leviticus you will see that loving your neighbor is all about treating others in ways that are just, merciful, and kind!
3. God is not finished with us yet. If you can't love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength... love him with all that you have! And if you have trouble loving your neighbor as yourself, work at really SEEING your neighbor. Look deeper than skin color, beyond their hair style or the clothes they have on. Look into their eyes and listen to their stories. Look until you see God's image, listen until you hear God's voice. Look for Christ in the popcorn-eating old woman and in those who are caught up in their pain. And if they don't respond, keep looking for Christ anyway.
4. Nurture yourself with prayer, study, community, and service. Loving God will involve a bit of effort and discipline, just as it does to love your spouse. You will love God more completely and more freely... as you invest in your relationship with Him and listen to His voice... through Scripture, prayer, community, and your own journey!
5. Our neighbors are everywhere! They're not just Presbyterians, not just white people, or people who mow their yards and comb their hair. Our neighbors are a much bigger group than we're accustomed to- some of them are wounded deeply, some of them are burdened with pain and doubt, some of them won't trust us, some of them won't like us. We're too old for some of them, too staid for a lot of them, too religious for a few of them, and too wealthy for others. Some of our neighbors don't speak our language. Some don't like our music and don't find us as charming as we think we are... BUT they are our neighbors... and we're commanded to give them the same understanding, the same amount of "slack" and just as many excuses as we give ourselves. Amen!