Cuba Christian Church
2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18)
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37
“A Wise Reign”
Once upon a time there was a kingdom where there lived a princess trapped in a tall tower . . .
Once upon a time there was a kingdom where the king and queen were very sad because they had no children. One day, to the joy of all, the queen announced she would have a baby. . . .
Once upon a time there was a kingdom . . .
Whenever I hear about a kingdom, I get images in my head of fairy tales, nursery rhymes, or children’s stories, often produced by Disney. There are even a few hymns that contribute to that kind of image of kingdom.
“O worship the King All glorious above;
O gratefully sing His power and his love:
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.
O tell of his might, O sing of his grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunder-clouds form,
And dark is his path on the wings of the storm.”
In that hymn I see the pavilions or colorful tents with colorful fabrics and a standard or flag flying with the symbols and colors of knights. I imagine war stallions thundering or horses pulling a chariot to war—and visions of the shining armor of a warrior king going to battle.
Often and in familiar traditions, the sovereignty of Jesus has been depicted that way—that kind of warlike imagery for the kingdom of God, ushered in through the life of Jesus justified the crusades that led thousands, if not millions of Christians to fight battle after battle for Jerusalem and other cities in what had been Israel.
And in the scripture today, despite Pilate’s denial of his interest in whether or not Jesus claims a kingdom for himself, there are political concerns in Pilate’s question. “Are you the king of the Jews?” In Pilate’s and in the Roman Empire there was one king of Israel—and of the whole empire of Rome—Caesar. Jesus’ presence before Pilate can only be understood if there were some criminal charge against Rome and sedition and criminal rebellion against Caesar were the only possibilities. But Jesus answered Pilate’s question this way, “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.”[1] Jesus was not interested in defeating the political regimes or the kingdoms and nations that were in power—yet he was concerned about the existence of justice and righteousness because he loved those that Rome ruled, in Jerusalem, in the Roman province of Judea and throughout the world.
The rule of Jesus was not demonstrated by an overwhelming and violent show of force in the face of opposition to his authority and power—the wise reign of Jesus began when he quietly rose from the tomb where his death by crucifixion had put him. The wise reign of Jesus was not described by his death on a cross that normally signaled shame—his reign was described by his daily actions as he taught people. He taught that the kingdom was like a mustard seed—or a pearl of great price—or a woman who lost a coin—or a woman who took four measures of flour and made bread—or any number of parables. Jesus taught about the kingdom when he saved the life of a servant in a Roman centurion’s home and when he healed the mother-in-law of Peter. He revealed the household and neighborhood of God’s dwelling place when his power flowed into a woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years and into a 12 year old girl who had just died. He showed the intention of God’s indwelling presence when he accepted the anointing of an unnamed woman as he approached his death. He revealed God when he forgave all who participated in his death—the ones who betrayed, the ones who denied, the ones who accused, the ones who convicted and the ones who throughout history would misunderstand and believe that God’s wrath was satisfied by his blood.
The indwelling Wisdom with which Jesus reveals himself is reason John described Jesus as the Word of God incarnate. Wisdom and Word are very similar, yet wisdom in Greek is a feminine noun and Word is a masculine. These have nothing to do with human gender, but it is more grammatically comfortable to describe a male with a masculine noun than with a feminine one. The Wisdom of God, Word of God, which was in Jesus’ physically, mentally and emotionally—in all he did and said, is consistent with how it is that Wisdom spoke and taught within First Testament scriptures. Wisdom was a sought after asset in governors, kings and in anyone who wanted to live according to God’s guidance.
In the book of Proverbs, where we hear the most about Wisdom, her actions are clearly those that faithful people would respect and favor.
20Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
22‘How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
23Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.[2]
4‘To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.
5O simple ones, learn prudence;
acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
6Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right;[3]
The Wise reign of Jesus as it is described within the witness of the entire scriptural standard reveals that it is internal to the persons and communities where Jesus is called upon to be the authority—where the tenets of God, which have been revealed from the beginning, are held firmly as the standards for the lives of those who wish to be faithful.
One author writes of Wisdom as the guide and rule by which the household of God exists and in which the presence of God is revealed in Jesus.
[Wisdom’s] is the power of person-making among those diminished
by pain who do not know their own dignity;
[Wisdom’s] the grace of conversion to turn from dead-end ways
to walk the path of newness of life;
[Wisdom’s] the light
of conscience;
[Wisdom’s] the power to shake up assured certainties
and introduce the grace of a new question;
[Wisdom’s] the strength to foment discomfort
among the unduly comfortable;
[Wisdom’s] the oil of comfort (cum + fortis, “making strong”)
known in experiences that heal refresh and invigorate;
[Wisdom’s] the vigor that energizes the fire
of active, outgoing love.
The creative power that knits us into life continuously
and mends the torn fabric of our lives,
forming in the process fine new and possibly surprising patterns.[4]
In the beginning of the gospel of John, Jesus is named Word or Logos (Greek for Word), he could have easily been named Wisdom or Sophia (Greek for Wisdom). This reveals continuity within God’s intention for the internal knowledge that our home, the realm of our belonging, the kingdom of God, can be lived out by following the wisdom that Jesus revealed in his lifetime and beyond as he lives among us and within us through the power of resurrection.
Jesus’ testimony of truth to Pilate reveals that the way his lived his life from beginning to end was a revelation of all that God wanted him to be—not a violent man who fought back when he was threatened, but a man who stood his ground against power that destroys instead of heals and makes whole. When he showed anger it was not against those who threatened him, but against those who took advantage of others—who were unjust and greedy or who made faithful living seem impossible to anyone other than the rich or privileged.
Jesus gave people dignity when others would take it. (Think of the woman at the well who had gone through 5 husbands, when have you been in need of dignity?)
Jesus gave people the grace of new life. (Think of the lepers who came to him to be made whole, how has God shown you a new way of living?)
Jesus taught people that they could live by the conscience they were given. (Think how he told Nicodemus that he was very close to the kingdom, where have you experienced the way that God would have you live?)
Jesus gave people an opportunity to be shaken by his teaching. (Think how his own hometown rejected him as a revealer of God’s truth, when have you had to follow God’s way instead of parents’, friends’ or others’ ways?)
Jesus made the powerful uncomfortable in their power. (Think of Pilate, Herod and some leaders within the Jewish faith, how has your privilege or the privilege of others been challenged by the knowledge of Jesus’ words and deed?)
Jesus gave comfort—made strong—those who needed new life. (Think of Lazarus and a 12 year old little girl, also a woman whose son had died and those who were freed from mental torment.)
Jesus breathed life into dead people and situations with love. (Think of the disciples who were given purpose and direction like never before, how has Jesus’ example and action revealed a purpose and direction for you?)
Jesus taught God’s never-changing desire for justice, mercy, equitability and hope in ways that seemed utterly new. (Think how you and others have been changed by the knowledge and awareness that the stories of Jesus have brought you.)
I have come to understand God in particular ways over the years—ways that have shown me that sometimes I need all that God has offered me in the life of Jesus—in the ways of wisdom—to move into life each day. And it takes all of God’s wisdom for the guidance I need as I step into the way that God would have me go.
In my life this realization of the Wisdom of God in the life of Jesus has been a powerful force—the knowledge that God has given intellect as a gift, that we don’t have to ignore the mind. It has given me the awareness that whatever I learn can be helpful in my ministry as long as I am careful not to use it for my own gain. I have learned that the opportunities to learn new things and meet people and help in ways I hadn’t realized were possible were invitations from God that I could accept or not. I have learned that God works in me when I make the best choice and when I don’t make the best one, just another one—and even when I make stupid choices, Wisdom’s guidance is still possible, I may just need to pay more attention.
The image of a fairy tale kingdom was far from the heart and mind of Jesus as he stood in the Pilate’s headquarters that day and acknowledged the kingdom that God was revealing in him. In his mind, as I understand it, were the teachings that he had shared throughout his life—revealing the wholeness, comfort and dignity that God was offering. The home and belonging that he revealed would not have any purpose in an armed uprising against Rome, but in the daily living to which he called those who would follow him.
Let us make Jesus’ welcome in all that we do and say—in the ways that the Wisdom of God is revealed in our hearts and minds. Amen.
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[1] John 18:36b
[2] Proverbs 1:20, 22-23
[3] Proverbs 8:4-6
[4] From She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse by Elizabeth A. Johnson New York: Crossroad, 1992
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