November 24, 2024
St. Luke Lutheran Church
Albuquerque, NM
John 18.33 Εἰσῆλθεν οὖν πάλιν εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον ὁ Πιλᾶτος καὶ ἐφώνησεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων;34 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, Ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις ἢ ἄλλοι εἶπόν σοι περὶ ἐμοῦ;35 ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Μήτι ἐγὼ Ἰουδαῖός εἰμι; τὸ ἔθνος τὸ σὸν καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς παρέδωκάν σε ἐμοί· τί ἐποίησας;36 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, Ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἦν ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή, οἱ ὑπηρέται οἱ ἐμοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο [ἄν], ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· νῦν δὲ ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντεῦθεν.37 εἶπεν οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Οὐκοῦν βασιλεὺς εἶ σύ; ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Σὺ λέγεις ὅτι βασιλεύς εἰμι. ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πᾶς ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀκούει μου τῆς φωνῆς.
[38 λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια;] not included in the Lectionary, but essential to the story.
The following translation of the Gospel for Christ the King is from THE NEW TESTAMENT: A NEW TRANSLATION AND REDACTION by Norman A. Beck [Poehlmann Professor of Theology and Classical Languages, Texas Lutheran University; Seguin, Texas. 2001]
In Beck’s own words: “A new translation and redaction that dares to be sensitive,sensitive to anti-Jewish polemic and to sexism,and dare to be innovative for our time by moving back into the past of early church development and forward into the future of the church that is still to come.“
33 Pilate entered into the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Are you trying to be the king, the political ruler of your people?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this based on your own observation, or have others said this to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I one of your people? I certainly am not! Your own people and your chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not authorized from within this world. If it were authorized from within this world, those who serve with me would have fought to try to prevent me from being handed over to Annas and Caiaphas. But my kingdom is not authorized from within this world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are trying to be a king, a political ruler of your people?” Jesus answered, “You are saying that I am trying to be a king. I will tell you the reason that I was conceived and I have come into this world in order that I may testify to that which is the truth. Everyone who is conceived from the truth hears my voice.”
[38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”] not included in the Lectionary, but essential to the story.
That to Which Your Heart Clings
Introduction
This Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King marks the end of the Church Year, Year B in our Three-Year Lectionary, or the Year of the Gospel According to Mark. Next Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the new Church Year, Year C, or the Year of the Gospel According to Luke.
+ In nomine Domini. Amen.
The Feast of Christ the King begs us ask the question: Who is the Jesus you follow?
We answer, “Jesus of Nazareth, of course. He is the Promised One, the Christ.”
Yes. But which one?
It seems that when we look around, we find all kinds of versions of that Christ. For example, we find one version who is judgmental and does not approve of certain people.
“What‽” we exclaim. “How? Where? Why?”
And we answer,
“Remember how the Church gave approval to slavery in our own nation — in the name of Jesus Christ? Remember how not all that far from where we are sitting, people of faith came marching up the Rio Grande and demanded that human beings already living here in communities immediately convert to the religion of the Church, or else?
Remember how in the name of Jesus, young children were removed from their families and sent far away to schools where they were not allowed to speak their own language, nor practice their own faith, now dress the way they wished — and they had to become someone they were not, or else?
Remember how some people who claim Jesus as Lord insist that other people who are of a different sexual orientation are evil, damnable, and not to be welcomed in the Church.
Martin Luther in the 16th Century, in his Large Catechism explaining the Ten Commandments said: “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.”
And that, dear friends, can be many things. One’s heart can cling to fear and hate, and that can be your God. One’s heart can cling to love and forgiveness, and that can be your God.
The same is true with Christ. If we cling to a Jesus of hatred and punishment, then that is our Christ. If we cling to a Jesus of hope and promise and understanding, then that is our Christ.
The Hymn of the Day that we will sing this morning — O Christ, What Can it Mean for Us to claim you as our King? — was composed by Delores Dufner, an American sacred music composer, librettist and organist who is a nun in the Order of St. Benedict and lives at the Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota.
The tune of her hymn [all saints new] dates back to the 19th Century and was composed in 1872 by Henry S. Cutler (an organist in Boston at the Episcopal Church of the Advent). He composed the tune for a hymn written by Reginald Heber, a Bishop of the Church of England. The words of the hymn that Heber wrote begin: The son of God goes forth to war, a kingly crown to gain; His blood-red banner streams afar! Who follows in his train?
That hymn was #562 in the red Service Book and Hymnal which many of us this morning know very well. I grew up with that hymnal and I grew up singing this hymn. The tune caught me; I never paid attention to the words.
It’s a horrible hymn [The full text of Heber’s hymn may be found at the end of this Sermon] — parts of it are not so bad and speak of martyrdom and the pain of being faithful — but it is a marital hymn [it was General Patton’s favourite hymn and was sung at his funeral] and the image of Jesus going to war is, I fear, not the image one’s heart can cling to, at least not according to the Gospels. What took place is that Heber essentially re-wrote Jesus to make him into a Christ of Bloody Battle. That is so opposite of the Jesus we find in the Gospels who continually proclaims peace and forgiveness, loves children, wants healing for all people, and suffers death because of it.
What Sr. Delores has done is to redeem the melody with her new words:
O Christ, what can it mean for us to claim you as our king? What royal face have you revealed whose praise the church would sing? Aspiring not to glory’s height, to power, wealth, and fame, you walked a diff’rent, lowly way, another’s will your aim.
The good Sister has taken what to me became music of war, bloodshed and conflict and changed it into what might just possibly become my favourite hymn.
See the difference as you sing this Hymn today. See if this is the Jesus you can follow. See if your heart can cling to this Lord, to this Christ.
Sr. Delores:
You came, the image of our God, to heal and to forgive, to shed your blood for sinner’s sake that we might rise and live. To break the law of death you came, the law of love to bring: a diff’rent rule of righteousness, a diff’rent kind of king.
Jesus explains to Pilate when he is on trial that his kingdom (Jesus’ kingdom) is not from this world. It is not a kingdom of power and wealth, narcissism and arrogance, bullying and hate. Jesus’ kingdom does not repel people, it invites them in. Jesus’ kingdom does not ignore the poor or make fun of them, it welcomes them to the table of sharing. Jesus’ kingdom does not bring fear into the world, it brings truth.
And Pilate of course, in that almost throw-away line he mutters [What is truth/] — Pilate does not, will not, risk following such a Lord. He’d rather cling to Caesar.
Sr. Delores:
Though some would make their greatness felt and lord it over all, you said the first must be the last and service be our call. O Christ, in workplace, church, and home, let none to power cling; for still, through us, you came to serve, a diff’rent kind of king.
About six years ago my friend Rab. Neil Amswych and I were bicycling in the Acoma Century west of Albuquerque. He was raising money for Temple Beth Shalom (where Beverly and I are honoured to have lifetime memberships) and he asked me to ride with him so that we could bicycle of course, but also discuss religion and theology.
It was a lovely ride, and a good deal of money was made for the congregation through pledges. When asked at one of the rest stops by a mother from Laguna pueblo what he was doing, Neil explained, “I’m raising funds for my community, people are pledging so much a mile as we ride.” She turned to me and asked, “And you, what are you doing on the ride?” “My job,” I said, “is to make sure he finishes!” She laughed and offered a much welcomed blessing for us on our journey.
As we climbed up the long hill that goes out from Acoma back toward the Interstate, the good Rabbi asked me, “Has anyone ever walked out of one of your Sermons?”
“One time,” I said. “Well, one time that I know of. And it was very dramatic. It was some time ago when our government was engaging in waterboarding and other horrible methods of interrogation. And I said in the Sermon at the 8 o’clock Service, ‘You cannot be a follower of Jesus and believe in torture.’ To which one of the people at worship stood up, slammed his hymnal to the floor and stormed out of the nave. We were all a bit taken aback, and one of the dearest women in the congregation said to me aloud after he left, ‘Pastor, I don’t thing he agreed with you.’ Laughter, healed the moment for the rest of us — but it was that kind of laughter that is born out of sadness and pity.”
As I think back on that experience I would have to say that the heart of that individual was clinging to a god of anger and punishment and hate [and torture to be sure] — and not the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, not the God of Moses and Miriam, not the God of the Prophets, not the God who raised Jesus from the dead, not the God who promises endless love and life when we die, not that God.
Sigh.
Sr. Delores:
You chose a humble human form and shunned the world’s renown; you died for us upon a cross with thorns your only crown. But still, beyond the span of years, our glad hosannas ring, for now at God’s right hand you reign, a diff’rent kind of king!
May it be so, may this be the God of our hearts, the Jesus of our faith, the gentle and loving King who is the Christ.
Let us pray. Holy One, enthroned in glory over all creation,you are a shepherd to the lost and the least. Teach us to see your face among the poor — feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting those who are sick or in prison — so that we may share in your eternal realm prepared from the foundation of the world; through Jesus Christ, who comes indeed, to reign with justice, compassion, and love. And let us say: Amen.
Deo Gratias (+)
The Rev. Benjamin Larzelere III, Retired
Full text of Reginald Heber’s hymn:
1 The Son of God goes forth to war a kingly crown to gain;
His blood-red banner streams afar! Who follows in his train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe, triumphant over pain,
who patient bears his cross below, he follows in His train.
2 The martyr first, whose eagle eye could pierce beyond the grave;
who saw his Master in the sky and called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue in midst of mortal pain,
he prayed for them that did the wrong! Who follows in His train?
3 A glorious band, the chosen few on whom the Spirit came,
twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew, and mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel, the lion’s gory mane;
they bowed their necks the death to feel: who follows in their train?
4 A noble army, men and boys, the matron and the maid,
around the Savior’s throne rejoice in robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of heav’n through peril, toil and pain;
O God, to us may grace be giv’n to follow in their train.
Nota(ble) Be(n)e 