“Two Kings”
“Two Kings”
Mark 2.1-12
Mark 2.1-12
In the name of the Living God and the Christ who has appeared to us. Amen.
Two Kings. Two paths. Two worlds. Two destinies.
Herod, on the one hand. By any earthly standard an effective ruler, able administrator, and worthy of this world’s epitaph of “The Great.” Named King of the Jews by the Roman senate, he consolidated power by brutally crushing any opposition. Remarkably, Herod sustained his reign over Judea through successive Roman emperors and was even known for “great works” for his people: famine relief, defensive fortifications, and the building of a great temple for the Jews in Jerusalem.
But he loved wealth, loved power, loved himself, and degenerated into a paranoid and cruel ruler known at this end of his life for irrational fits of, rage, wrath, and jealousy. In order to hold onto his “Great” kingdom, he murdered close associates, his wife, at least two sons, and of course, the baby boys of Bethlehem.
Contrast this with a King of another kind: the one the Magi come to worship. This king is born in a barn, son of a common servant girl, “stepdad” a carpenter; he never travels more than a hundred miles from his village, never holds public office, never even owns a home much less a palace, and dies hanging naked on a Roman instrument of execution. The words “King of the Jews” hung in irony above his thorn-pierced head as he takes his last gasps of life. And yet, and yet, his kingdom has spread in the hearts of millions upon millions across the globe and over the centuries.
Two kings. Two paths. Two worlds. Two destinies. One of Herod, who builds and strives and clutches in the ultimate attempt at self-preservation which, in the end, becomes his own destruction. Another of Jesus, who empties, and gives and loves in ultimate self-sacrifice which becomes salvation and victory eternal.
You probably know where I’m going with this. It’s the same place St. Matthew went when he wrote this gospel and these words: the contrast, the choice, the paths are for us this morning, as we encounter Jesus, the Messiah. Oh, of course it’s easy on the macro-level: diseased Harod, turned in on himself in paranoia and hate; risen and glorified Jesus Christ, who reigns throughout the world in the faith and love of his followers. Shall we vote? Anyone need more time?
No, that’s the easy part. The hard part is on the micro-level. The devil in the details of our personal Christian walk, the daily and difficult task of following that star through frustration, failure, broken lives, and broken promises, and broken hearts; through despair and even death. The Herod vs. Jesus contrast is most challenging in the most normal, everyday experiences. Do I curb my tongue from a cruel retort and instead give gracious reply? Do I curb my heart from lust of this world towards love of the things of God? Do I give my gifts generously, recklessly like the wise men, or hold onto them in selfishness? Do I expend my time—the most precious gift I have from God—in inane or crass or empty earthly pursuits, or in precious and enduring things of God? Do I listen to the world’s wisdom, or follow the wisdom of the cross? Do I let go of the need for recognition or retribution or embrace instead self-sacrifice, humility, and even suffering if necessary?
You see, Matthew has given us the great contrast of two kings: Herod vs. Jesus. We know how the story ends. No additional information is needed. What is needed are lives lived in perseverance, faith, and worship—like those of the Magi. Lives immersed in God’s word, which cuts at us and curbs us, but also reminds us of the light and forgiveness and life brought us by the baby king.
Matthew bids us Walk with the wisemen; to Move with the Magi. It will be difficult. The journey is long, the road narrow. You’ll get lost along the way. There will be moments when you’ll want to turn back; you’ll lose sight of the star at times but stay with it. Keep searching. In the end, the Magi encounter the only King whose rule is eternal. When they find him, they rejoice exceedingly with great joy. It’s joy upon joy for them, as it is for us this morning, for what we find in Jesus is truly life-giving and life-altering.
Walk with the Wisemen. Move with the Magi. Find your identity not in the things you can accumulate, or experience, or what gives you pleasure, but in what you can give, how you can serve, who in your life is the hardest to love, not the easiest. Place all that you are as a gift to the Christ child: every journey you take, every hour you clock, every item you own, every future you dream of. Which king would you rather hold them: The “Great Herod”, who lies dead and despised in a tomb; or the risen Christ, who rules heaven and earth? Which king would you rather have a hold of you?
May the one and only true King of Kings, Jesus, Messiah and Lord, reveal himself anew to us this day, through his word and sacraments, that we too may follow him in this life and reign with him in the life of the world to come.
Come soon Lord Jesus. Amen.