Jesus, Remember Me…

On Thursday I drove to Allenspark, Colorado where I had a meeting at Highlands Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center. It is always a beautiful drive along Colorado Hwy 7 and this drive was beautiful. Yes, the snow was beginning to fall and the roads were beginning to be a bit slippery (not as bad as when I returned a couple of hours later), but the beauty still had me in awe. I stopped along the side of the road to take this picture of the little St Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church which is right outside of the old St Malo’s Retreat Center.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of ministry which included a whole lot of catching up after a week at our Spiritual Discernment Class at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, I pondered the passages for tomorrow’s service. I also contemplated the meaning behind this last Sunday in the season  of Pentecost. The origins of Christ the King Sunday are relatively recent. Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in 1925. It was a response to the increasing secularization of much of Europe and a corresponding denial of the Lordship (Kingship) of Jesus Christ.

The following comes from his encyclical Quas Primas (Latin: In the first) which established the feast:

1. That nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state (Quas Primas, 32).

2. That leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ (Quas Primas, 31).

3. That the faithful would gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as we are reminded that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies (Quas Primas, 33).

For churches that follow the Revised Common Lectionary, the readings for this day are similar (Gospel and Epistle) to the Roman Catholic Lectionary readings (where the Old Testament and Psalm are different). The church was concerned that Jesus wasn’t being properly revered. It was also concerned (it appears) that the state was taking away the church’s right to religious freedom.

A decade later, the German Lutheran Church (Confessing) was speaking out against the rise of the totalitarian regime of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi government’s religious lap-dog, the German Christian Movement which was a perverse mixture of Nationalism and christianity (lower case intentional). Sadly, it reminds me of American Civil Religion where the cross is wrapped up in the flag and the battle cry is “God, Guns, and the Bible!”

So once we peel back the layers surrounding this “feast day” of the church, what are we left with. Well, let’s dig into that a bit with the two readings from the Revised Common Lectionary. Beginning with Jeremiah 23:1-6 lets explore what Scripture has to say about the church and state.

“‘What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people–the shepherds of my sheep–for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,’ says the Lord. Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds. ‘Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.” (Jeremiah 23:1-2)

Who were these shepherds of Israel? Well, it was a combination of secular and religious leadership. Israel did not have any sort of separation of church and state like we do in the US today. The King AND the religious leaders were both charged with tending God’s flock.

That wasn’t what God had originally wanted for God’s people. During the time of Samuel, the people were fighting the Philistines and lost the Ark of the Covenant when it was captured by the enemy. Samuel led the people of Israel to victory over the Philistines and the Ark was recovered. Up until that point in their history, the people had been ruled by a series of Judges (after the time when Moses and Joshua led the people).

As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons  to be judges over Israel. However, the people had a bit of a problem with envy. They wanted to be just like everyone else in the neighborhood. It didn’t help matters that Samuel’s sons were greedy and accepted bribes, thus perverting justice. Boy that sounds awfully familiar! Lobbyists perhaps? Anyhow, the elders of Israel went to Samuel and said that because his sons were corrupt, they wanted a king to judge them just like all the other nations have. Samuel was not happy in the least by this request (I would imagine he wasn’t very happy with his sons either!), but he took it to God.

“‘Do everything they say to you,’ the Lord replied, ‘for it is me they are rejecting, not you.  They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from the land of Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.'” (1 Samuel 8:7-9)

That was indeed the beginning of the end for the people of Israel. They wanted to be just like everyone else and didn’t want to be led by God or God’s appointed Judges anymore. They got what they wanted and the history we read in 1&2 Kings and 1&2 Chronicles reveals the ups and downs of the “kingdom” they wanted and the eventual downfall and exile of the people. Careful what you ask for, folks… you asked for it, you got it…

This sort of “kingship” was an abysmal failure for the people of God. They placed their faith in the ruling elite. They set up their kings to be, in a very real sense, gods! The highs and lows of the kingdom were tied to how well the King followed the Lord. Some, like Josiah, did very well (he recovered and re-established the Covenant between God and God’s people). Others didn’t do so well.

By the time we get to the time of Jesus, the people are back in the land, but they are not free. They are captives of the Roman Empire. Their religious leaders (Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, & High Priests) are vassals of Rome and do whatever Rome wants them to do so that they can keep their position of privilege and power (just like Samuel’s sons)!

Meanwhile, John the Baptist enters the scene and breaks the 500 year silence of the prophetic voice of God. He came to, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, prepare the way of the Lord and make straight in the desert a highway for God. (Mark 1:3; Matthew 3:3; Luke 3:4) Yet once again, the people were looking for a king to save them. Palm Sunday was the perfect example. They hailed him as a king when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (just like King David did).

Who was Jesus? The ruling religious elite saw him as a threat to their corrupt schemes and power. The people? Some saw him as a revolutionary. Others hoped he would be the militant messiah come to lay waste to Rome and free the people and restore their land and heritage. But who was Jesus? He was the one who said “Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20) and “Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” (Matthew 5:5)

The “king” we meet in the Gospel reading for Christ the King Sunday is Jesus on the cross. He was hanging like a common criminal on a cross with a mocking sign hanging above him that said “King of the Jews”. This was hardly the kingdom the people were longing for.

Jesus was NOT the king the people were looking for at all! This “king” was the one who washed his disciples feet like a common servant. This “king” didn’t live in a palace of glittering gold. This “king” was homeless (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head – Luke 9:58). The only one who recognized the Lord as he hung dying on the cross was the penitent thief.

As they hung, the other thief was haranguing Jesus–“So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself–and us, too, while you are at it!” (Luke 23:39) His companion who was on the other side of Jesus protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41)

Instead of ridiculing Jesus, he simply asks Jesus the following: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) Did he fully understand what it meant to “come into your Kingdom”? I don’t know. However, I do believe that this penitent thief had heard about Jesus and after watching him on the cross (“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) perhaps he began to see just who Jesus was. How does one forgive? How does one endure the persecution even when he is hanging on the cross? All he could say was, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

Jesus Remember Me… I first heard this Taize chant a number of years ago when Denise was leading a prayer vigil in Alabama. The Quest for Social Justice was the organization she was the Executive Director for. They would hold a candlelight vigil in Mobile, Alabama on the day a prisoner on death row was being executed. They prayed for the victims of the crime and for the families of the victims. They also prayed for the one being executed and that person’s family. As those gathered learned about ALL of the victims, faces were put to names and stories were told.

As I re-read this passage of Scripture and reflect on the story, I attempt to put myself into the situation as Ignatius of Loyola taught his Jesuit brothers to do in the Examen. As I reflect on what it means to say Jesus is King, I keep coming back to the one who washed his disciples feet… the one who forgave those who tortured and condemned him… the one who told the penitent thief, it isn’t too late for you, my friend… “today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Joining hands and hearts with all who are being persecuted by governments and the church… joining hands with the immigrant (documented or undocumented)… joining hands with my Muslim sisters and brothers… I lift this simply prayer… Jesus, remember us… Will you join with me, dear reader? Will you join with me and with those whom certain parts of the government, nation, and church condemn? Jesus, remember us…