The Last Sunday after Pentecost, Nov. 23, 2003 (Proper 29B)
Dan. 7:9-14; Psalm 93; Rev. 1:1-8; John 18:33-37 (or Mark 11:1-11)
A common understanding of the coming Messiah was that he would be a military king like David. However, the Hebrew people became disillusioned with their kings. This disenchantment caused some to place their hopes in a more mystical figure. Daniel describes the Ancient One (God) taking his throne in the high heavens. One “like a human being” (son of man) is presented before the Ancient One and given dominion and kingship. Some of the Jewish community hoped that the Messiah would be the king from heaven Daniel described rather than a descendant of David. It was an easy step for the early Christians to apply this passage to Jesus. Perhaps Jesus himself made the application and therefore referred to himself as “the son of man.”
Today is the feast of Christ the King. What kind of king is he? If he is the king described in Daniel, what kind of king is that? Questions are sometimes more at the heart of religious activity than answers. Therefore in the gospel story we find Pilate, moved by political concerns, involved in religious activity. He is asking questions of this supposed king before him. “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33). It’s like asking, “Are you the president of the United States?” Jesus says he is not that kind of threat. His kingdom is not of this world. When Pilate presses him more, Jesus says an amazing thing. He equates being a king with testifying to the truth. In our cynical age, we usually don’t think of leaders of nations having the main role of testifying to the truth. It is not a usual expectation, although we would hope our leaders would testify to the truth. So Jesus is not king of this country and also not king in the usual sense.
Our gospel reading does not go on to verse 38. In that verse Pilate asks a deeply religious question. “What is truth?” John the Evangelist says that Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). It seems that truth in John’s gospel has many nuanced meanings. Generally it is not content or data or a bit of information. Rather truth is a way of being in relationship with God.
In the early centuries of Christianity in some regions Christians were anointed at baptism with the words, “I anoint you priest, prophet and king.” The Book of Revelation refers to part of this idea when it says that Christ made us to be a kingdom and priests (Rev. 1:6). Even the women were anointed kings as a sort of clumsy attempt at equality. The point was that we are to be like Christ and testify to the truth. If Christ the King testifies to the truth we kings are to do the same. That is the royal activity. Since truth in the Gospel of John is not a specific bit of information, but rather a way of being or a person, then we will not and cannot always testify with words. St. Francis put it this way: “Always preach the gospel; if necessary use words.”
Look It Up
The word “truth” is found in the Gospel of John 37 times. Read those passages to get a feel for what John understands by this word.
Think About It
If asking questions is an important religious activity, what questions would you want to teach your children? Better yet, what questions are your children asking?
Next Sunday
The First Sunday of Advent, Nov. 30, 2003 (1 Advent C)
Zech. 14:4-9; Psalm 50 (or Psalm 50:1-6); 1 Thess. 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-31
