The Reign of Christ in the face of horror

Listen to it here

Gate Pa – Reign of Christ Sunday 2015

Readings:

Psalm                          Psalm 132:1-12, 13-18           

First Reading:                         2 Samuel 23:1-7

Second Reading:                    Revelations 1:4b-8

Gospel:                                    John 18:33-37

                                                           

What I want to say:

What does the idea of the reign of Christ have to say to the events in Europe and the Middle East over the last few weeks/moths/years. Where might be the reign of Christ in all this?

What I want to happen:

People to be signs of the reign of Christ in Tauranga Moana and in the world

The Sermon

     1.     Introduction:

Feast of Christ the King – or reign of Christ dates only from 1925 encyclical letter by Roman Catholic  Pope Pius XI

thought in main part to be in response to growing nationalism and secularism^[2]

world increasingly fractured by national borders and interests

            world where loyalty to nation state was first

            and being Christian was seen in that light

or to put it another way

to remind us that our first loyalty is to Christ and not Caesar

It was a Sunday set to remind us all that our identity if found first and foremost in Jesus the Christ

·        not ethnicity

·        not culture

·        not nation

·        not even our denomination

not to all those things that have become Caesar today

as we look around world and learn own history

      incredibly hard to do

and that this should shape how we see the world

and how we act and respond to events around us.

Current date of last Sunday before advent dates from 1970

     2.     Images

Readings set down by offer number images of reign Christ – Kingdom of Christ

want to look at two today

first is that found in David’s last words in 2 Samuel

“One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God,

is like the light of morning,

like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,

gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.”   (2 Samuel 23:3-4)

At this point – this is not a very accurate description what happening David’s family

or kingdom of Israel

mess

all kinds intrigue and in fighting among various factions

including Bathsheba and Solomon

trying claim throne for themselves as David lay dying

they needed reign Christ Sunday as much as we do.

     3.     Mess of today

today is just as big a mess

wonderful words

offer such serene and peaceful image

seem so far off

Wars in Syria and Iraq continue

bombings and attacks in Beirut and Paris last week

            second sent shock waves around world

the second event used as excuse by some to repeat their refrains of hate and prejudice

            inciting hate of Muslims

            closing borders to Syrian refugees-

            increase in bombings so that more will die

We are far from being where the sun rising on a cloudless morning,

gleaming from the rain on the grassy land

     4.     Reign of Christ and the Gospels

What then are we to say about the reign of Christ in the face of all this?

To truly catch a glimpse what reign of Christ is about

            suggest we need to look to the gospels

today lectionary writers offered us interesting piece from John

from Jesus trial before Pilate

this is just between Pilate and Jesus

in this world Pilate was the one who would ask the questions

as prinsoner

as peasant from galilee

Jesus only rightful role is to give answers….

which he was never good at

instead he asks questions of Pilate

exasperate Pilate asks (according to John) - “What have you done?”

             - here quilt is assumed

            the only question is what punishment will fit the crime

But Jesus ignores Pilates questions and states,

“My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

                which is another way of saying that his kingdom was not

                        is not about the same things Pilate, Caesar, Herod and the high Priests were about

                                    land

power

                        wealth

which can also be understood to mean –

            we are not threat

            leave my followers alone.

What is Pilate to do with that. He asks, “So you are a king?”

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

     5.     Not of this world

statement “My kingdom is not from this world”

led some believe that reign christ has nothing to do with this world

not this time

not of this place

so we as followers of Christ the King need not worry about these events

simply sign that this world in ending

we are to look to future

            not care about what is happening here

            hunger, poverty, war, injustice are not our concern

our role is simply to get ready for life after death

            real realm of God.

     6.     Our Father in Heaven

attitude bears little resemblance to what Jesus say and did

where he described kingdom of God and now and not yet

where he acted out generosity and healing at the centre of this kingdom

and invited others live based on God’s generosity, mercy and peace

offering that to all they live among

This vision of the reign of Christ is at the heart of the Lrods Prayer

prayer which prays – your kingdom come here on earth as in heaven

reign of Christ is now.

what does this reign look like?

prayer goes on to ask

give us today our daily bread

line pray I suspect without ever really thinking about.

three groups of people Jesus was teaching to pray

·        those lost their lands due to debt now lived as day labourers

o   never sure if they would have work

o   never sure if they and their family would have food

·        those small land holders still had family land

o   forced pay up to 80% crop in tax – Romans and Herod building projects

o   as they saw that disappear wondered if they would keep their land

o   whether they would have enough food – if they would have daily bread

·        representatives of those who obtained so much land because small land holders unable pay taxes and live

o   those who had too much land

o   too much bread

o   refused to share it.

in light of that hwo do you read the rest of this prayer Jesus taught

give us today our daily bread

forgive us our debts

as we forgive those indebted to us

save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory

now and forever

     7.     Today’s invitation

Dalai Lama –

We cannot solve this problem only through prayers. I am a Buddhist and I believe in praying. But humans have created this problem, and now we are asking God to solve it. It is illogical. God would say, solve it yourself because you created it in the first place.

We need a systematic approach to foster humanistic values, of oneness and harmony. If we start doing it now, there is hope that this century will be different from the previous one. It is in everybody’s interest. So let us work for peace within our families and society, and not expect help from God, Buddha or the governments.

invitation this reign of Christ Sunday is to remember that our first loyalty is not to this country

            not to our culture and way of life

it is to reign of Christ

and every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are invited to think of the generosity and compassion inherent in that prayer

and be people who live out that prayer.

Then and only then might there be any hope for this world.