Things Are Not As They (Might) Seem

Sunday I went to a church with three women friends to hear a guest speaker-who was known to two of them from a spiritual formation program they had attended. The text of the presentation was taken from Luke 23:1-49 – the time leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus. The speaker said after wrestling with the text for a month that she had come to conclusion this story was about Jesus assuming his kingship. This was not said to in anyway diminish the suffering and death of Christ, but rather to show how everything Jesus had taught about the kingdom of God -- he lived during these last days. She suggested there were three distinct characteristics of his kingship:

1)    Non-violence: Jesus did not defend himself nor retaliate when insulted or struck and he asked his disciples to stand-down when they were prepared to fight (Luke 22:49-52).  Likewise when Pilate asked Jesus if he was King of the Jews his only response was “Yes, it is as you say”. He displayed how the ‘greatest’ can be viewed as being the ‘least’ of all.

2)    Radical Forgiveness: In asking God to forgive those who were nailing him to the cross Jesus showed the radical forgiveness of God (Luke 23:34). God’s forgiveness is not based on a person’s worthiness. He forgives us so that we will forgive others (i.e.the Lord’s Prayer).

3)    Radical Compassion: Jesus showed us God’s love by how he engaged (spoke to, healed, ate with, etc.) people from all walks of life (lepers, beggars, sinners, Samaritans, etc.) and he did so without considering their status and how associating with them might reflect on him. His compassion continued even as he was on the cross – uniting his mother and the disciple John as ‘mother and son’ (John 19:26 & 27).

I now see this as Christ’s coronation so to speak. Normally coronations are regal, elegant, exuberant sorts of affairs that follow specific procedural etiquette. This was anything but that. These are examples of how things are often not as they seem at least from a worldly perspective. Consider a few more aspects of this time in Jesus’ life;

•         Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, often called his “triumphant entry” was in reality a humble event. He rode in on the back of a donkey while people along the way “spread their cloaks on the road”. His disciples sang “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” and the Pharisees protested. Jesus’ responded that the “stones would cry out” if the people were silenced (Luke 19:28-40) -- indicating that all of creation would recognize him as king.
•         During the Last Supper he sought to prepare his disciples for what was about to happen (Luke 22:15-2). He described how the disciples would serve in the kingdom (Luke 22:26-30).  However, very soon they would realize this was not going to be the sort of earthly kingdom they might have imagined or hoped for.
•         Jesus is ‘tried’ and found ‘guilty’ and sentenced to die on the cross – a death reserved for criminals. Leading up to his crucifixion, a “purple” or an “elegant robe” and a crown of thorns are placed on him – mocking his kingship (Mark 15:17; Luke 23:11). Later he is stripped and his clothes are divided up by casting lots (Luke 23:34) and he is nailed to the cross.

In the future, there will be no mistaking Christ as king -his return will be announced with trumpets (I Thessalonians 4:16) and he will be seen coming on clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). The elect (followers of his who have been waiting for his return both the living and the dead) will be gathered from the “four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24:31). And Jesus will sit on the throne in “heavenly glory” and separate (judge) all the nations-separating the sheep from the goats – the sheep will be invited to enter the kingdom prepared (Matthew 25:31-34). At this time, Jesus will be recognized as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords-and things will be as they seem.