Christ the King + Year B + 11.24.24

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M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(2 Samuel 23:1–7; Ps. 132:1–13, (14–19); Revelation 1:4b–8; John 18:33–37)

Good morning.
Viva Jesús el Rey! We sing in the Spanish service today and I truly believe that, depending on how we see Jesus, kingship looks different. Even though my country of birth has a king, and I respect him, Jesus is the true King of my heart.

This Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, was developed around the time of World War One, when there was a sense that there were so many ideologies around nationalism that were in the atmosphere, at least in the Northern hemisphere, and they were contributing to war. People were very focused on loyalty to nation and flag over almost anything else, so the church decided to develop Christ the King, so that we would remember that, no matter what country we live in or are loyal to, that as Christians, Christ is our true model of a King and leader, rather than any earthly leader.

Recently we have seen examples of leadership that are very much focused on the strong man. I think this is a great Sunday to remember, that as much as we have a natural sense of patriotism for our birth country and/or current home country, we also always as Christians always have our highest allegiance to Christ.

This is the last Sunday before Advent, during which we are preparing for the Messiah. It is a season when we reflect up on what is it that we look for in a leader? In whom do we place our faith? To what are we allegiant? Rather than any earthly leader primarily, we as Christians are allegiant to Christ.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, due to Christian Nationalism, some folks have interpreted this language of Christ the King and have conflated Christ’s power with earthly power in the US. But we know that Christ shines a light upon all the nations, is the lover of all people. Our Messiah doesn’t have only some special nations, but in Jesus every nation is to be the receiver and bearer of God’s love. There is a concept of a chosen nation amongst our Hebrew siblings in faith, however our call is to follow a Savior who cares for all the nations. In Christ, for us, that chosen nation sense has been translated into all those who love Christ, not just those of a certain ethnic group or nation.

Part of why we pledge our troth, why we put our allegiance in Christ (and here I am referring to both Jesus Christ and to the Cosmic Christ), is that we know that nations can fail. Today we have the beautiful quilts from the Gold Coast AIDS Quilt Project, and we are reminded of the ways in which our nation, and other countries, have failed those who have suffered from AIDS. There still isn’t a cure! At first in the 1980s, it was disproportionately gay men who were affected, but now straight women are some of the most at risk. We pray for our nation to fully take responsibility, and that there will be an end to AIDS and that there will be a vaccine.

We trust that even now, God is guiding doctors, and researchers towards that cure. Also, we remember that our allegiance as Christians is to Christ. And Christ cares for the most vulnerable. So, we must do the same- band together for the most vulnerable in our midst.

The Psalm today says “Remember David.” And I think of King David, both a hero and anti-hero of the Bible. It is helpful to know that some of the instructions to the kings of ancient Israel, particularly in Deuteronomy 17 there is an admonition that kings should not have too many warhorses, wives or too much in their coffers. This was in part to keep Jews Jewish as intermarriage led to religious confusion – something that we deal with differently in our current interfaith context.  But the idea was that kings should not lord wealth or power over their subjects- we know that this was not always the reality, but it was the ideal.[1]

They were supposed to be like siblings to the fellow Israelites. And in the same way Jesus is not that different. He actually doesn’t talk a lot about being a king- this gospel passage seems to be about as direct as he gets. But the kingship that he does show in the reluctant way he embraces it is through a sort of siblinghood with all of us, through a gentle leadership that really reaches out to the last and the least. It isn’t associated with wealth and power. Perhaps because wealth and power tend to divide us.

We know that we get into conflict when we focus too much on other people and the differences we have with those people- that was part of our Welcome Table Friendsgiving discussion this past Friday. In a recent movie, “Conclave” (2024), which shows cardinals coming together to select a new pope, there is an amazing scene as the cardinals are meeting following a dramatic event. There’s a new cardinal in their midst, and another cardinal starts talking about religious war. How the church must combat those of Muslim background. And the other cardinal stands up and says, “With all due respect, what do you know about war?” He has served in Afghanistan, the Congo and other places, and he points out that he has seen Christians and Muslims dying in war. He says that the true war is fought within our hearts.

And I think about that. Where do we put our hearts? Where do we pledge our troth? One of the most helpful things about that film was the examination of the heart and how we need to do that if we seek any kind of power. I think as today, we look toward this season, that we can remember that as much as we are faithful members of this country and perhaps also other places where we may have been born, we are also pledging our troth first and foremost to Christ. First and foremost, that is where our allegiance lies, that is where our heart should be.

I always love the song “As the Deer” (Martin Nystrom, 1984) and the verse that goes “He is my friend and he is my brother even though he is a king.” That is the kind of leadership we look toward. And it is in Christ that we ultimately place our faith, and where our hearts should be. As you go forward towards this season, find a way to keep your faith alive. When you see other examples of leadership in the world, remember that the leadership that we really look for is servant leadership, and we look for a king that is not really like any king that we know, that is truly a brother, a sibling and friend to us all. The good news is that we have a leader who truly cares for us and models a leadership based on love and justice. And I ask that we, in Jesus’ name, seek a better and more just world, a world in which all people are treated with dignity, no matter who they are and where they come from. And may we each do the heart work that we need to do to help make this a reality. Amen.


[1] Sprinkle, Preston. "Israel's Upside-Down Kingdom" Chapter 2 in Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2024. (Note: I do not agree with everything this author says, but found the points around kingship in Israel germane to this sermon.)

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