Josh Broward
November 23
Warning: Parts of this week's sermon are not good for children. The text describes Roman soldiers abusing Jesus. We will watch graphic videos of abuse and discuss torture. If you have a small child here today, I strongly recommend that you join the Children's Church for today.
Today is Christ the King Sunday. Around the world today, Christians are celebrating that Jesus is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Supreme Ruler of the Universe.
We are celebrating Christ's Kingship today with one of the most ironic passages in the entire Bible. All week long, I've been thinking of a song that Alanis Morissette sang when I was in high school:
A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic...don't you think
A little too ironic...and, yeah, I really do think...
It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures
Matthew 27:27-31 is deeply ironic. The Roman soldiers give Jesus, the King of Kings, a crown of thorns, a wooden scepter, and a fake robe. As they insult him and poke him, they reveal his true nature as King. Isn't it ironic? Let's read the text now.
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Video of this scene from Passion of the Christ.1
(Warning: Graphic Content. We will only watch portions of this clip during our worship service.)
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As I thought about this text and the rest of chapter 27, my mind kept returning to modern examples of torture – particularly what happened at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. Abu Ghraib was originally used as Saddam Hussein's central site for torture. It had the reputation for being the site for some of the worst torture of modern history.2
After the US-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003, the US military took control of Abu Ghraib and used it both as a prison and as a military base. Unfortunately, the torture did not stop when the US arrived. Abu Ghraib became famous around the world when photos of the torture of Iraqi inmates by the US military and CIA. Only a few of the photos are mild enough to show here.
This horrible and very visual evidence of torture and abuse by US military people has caused many people to ask some hard questions. Why do people torture? What is the motivation to destroy another person? How could basically “good” people from a free country engage in torture and abuse of others?
I got some help understanding torture from an article called “An Orgy of Power” by George Gessert. He explained, “Lions and hyenas kill swiftly. Housecats play with their victims, but only to practice pouncing, not to cause pain. … Only humans torture.”3
OK, but why do humans do it? Jean Amery who was tortured by the German Gestapo in 1943 explains that torture is all about “power, domination over spirit and flesh, an orgy of unchecked self-expansion.”4 Torture is a twisted attempt toward omnipotence. In George Gessert's words, “The torturer and his or her superiors mimic God.”5 Humans torture because we want to be in control.
And, maybe, humans torture because we so often feel out of control. I imagine that the Roman soldiers who tortured Jesus and the US soldiers who tortured Iraqis both felt out of control much of the time. Their governments sent them to a far away place that was both strange and unsafe for them. They had to answer the orders from above without question. Many of their friends had been killed by revolutionaries. Daily life was a one dangerous event after another.
Feeling out of control over much of life, they took absolute control over others through torture. Torture is the ultimate expression of the human desire for power and control. We try to become god-like in absolute power over another individual for a brief moment in time.
Here's the really scary part. George Gessert argues, “The smile of the torturer is latent within everyone” because “the source of torture is our innate drive for unchecked self-expansion.”6 We all want power. We all want control. We all want control over own lives, and if we're honest, we want control over others, too.
We are far to willing to use and abuse power to maintain our safety and security. We stand on the sidelines while our governments commit grave injustices in the name of “national security.”
But on a simpler, more practical level, we are also tempted to abuse power and to misuse people. Let's be honest, teachers. You know that moment when you stand in front of your class right before you hand out the quiz, and you see that look of fear in your students' eyes. Have you ever felt just a little a surge of power right then? “Wa-ha-ha-ha!”
The students here today are going, “I knew it. I knew all of those teachers liked torturing us with tests!”
Or how about this? How often do we do something that is wrong or against the rules because we know we will not “get caught”? How often do we mock someone or tease someone as a small way to have power over that person? How often do we complain or gossip as an expression of power? How often do we refuse to share our money so we can keep our power? How often do we rare up to fight when we feel threatened? How often do we get angry and aggressive (maybe even rude or cruel) to defend what we think is right?
Power. Control. We want it. We think we need it. And we aren't afraid to hurt others to get it or to keep it. We aren't so different from those soldiers after all.
I'm remembering the line from Brent's sermon a few weeks ago: “Some of you probably came to church happy today.” The good news in today's text is kind of hidden. You can't see it right away. You kind of have to read between the lines. You have to look for it in the irony.
Pilate (the Roman governor of Judea) asks Jesus: “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Matthew 27:11). Jesus replies, “You said it, not me.”
Twice Pilate says “Jesus who is called the Messiah” (27:17, 22).
Three different groups of people mock or cry out that Jesus is “the Son of God” (27:40, 43, 54).
A sign was nailed to his cross: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (27:37).
The religious leaders mock Jesus for claiming to be “the King of Israel” (27:42
And in our little scene, what we have is more than a group of bullies making fun of Jesus. The soldiers give Jesus a crown – a crown of thorns. They give him a stick to hold as his kingly scepter. They put a royal, red robe on Jesus. And they bow before him, “Hail! King of the Jews!”
They are mocking and abusing Jesus, but here is the deep irony. They are also pointing toward Jesus' true identity. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the King of the Jews.
But he is a different kind of King. This is the great problem of the gospels. Jesus came as a completely new kind of King. He came in weakness not in power. He came in humility not in arrogance. He came in gentleness not in force. He came in submission not in suppression.
In the book of Revelation, there is a beautiful scene in chapter 5 that describes Jesus shocking character as King of the Universe. John is watching a great scene of worship in heaven. God holds a scroll (a rolled up piece of paper) which contains his plans for the world. But no one can open it and read it and put it into action. No one is strong enough or worthy to open the scroll. John begins to cry in sadness.
Then, one of the elders says to John: “Stop your crying. Look, here comes the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the true King. He has won the victory, and he can open the scroll. He can make God's plans happen.” John looks up expecting to see Mufassa from Lion King, the King of Beasts, the King of the Universe, Raw Power, the symbol of kingship and strength and domination.
John looks for the lion, but he sees, “a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered,” a Lamb that has been butchered, cut from toe to ear. The Lamb takes the scroll and heaven erupts like a volcano with songs of praise. Millions of people and angels sing:
You are worthy to take the scroll
and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered,
and your blood has ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
And you have caused them to become
a Kingdom of priests for our God.
And they will reign on the earth. …
Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered -
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.(Revelation 5:9-12)
The Lion of Judah is a Lamb. The King of the Universe is a crucified criminal. God made flesh is a human who was beaten and mocked and cursed and spat upon.
And by this descent into the worst of human experiences, Jesus breaks the mold of power. True power takes a new form. Power has become powerless.
Look at how Paul lived this out. The Corinthians had been arguing about which groups of Christians had the best leader (and were, therefore, more important). Let's read 1 Corinthians 4:1-13.
Wow! “I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor's parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world … We appeal gently when evil things are said about us, yet we are treated like the world's garbage, like everybody's trash – right up to the present moment” (4:9,13).
In Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth, he explains more. Let's read 2 Corinthians 4:5-18.
“We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. … Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. … but this has resulted in eternal life for you … All of this is for your benefit.”
The way of Christ is the way of laying down our power for others, laying down our lives in the service of others. “We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit” (2 Cor. 4:14-15).
The way of Jesus is the humble way. Jesus' power is a power so strong that it can be powerless. Jesus' strength is a strength so strong that it can be abused. Jesus' kingship is a kingship so high that it can be a lowly criminal, beaten and spat upon.
OK, so what does this look like in our world? What does it look like for us to be followers of this Broken King? Maybe I can make a few suggestions.
First, we should change our tactics in the War on Terror. Military aggression should be a last, desperate resort. In the words of my friend David Brush, “Do I want terrorists to win? NO. I want us to shower them with houses and schools, hospitals and mosques, food and water.”7
It's time for us to actually live what the Bible says: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. ... "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17,20-21). If we will build more schools and hospitals, we will “need” far fewer bombs and guns.
Second, if Christ is really King in powerlessness, made to be the King in weakness, then why do we feel the need to defend him so strongly? We Christians need to stop fighting to defend Christianity. We will see much better results if we will start demonstrating Christianity through humble, loving service. After all, most of the complaints people throw at Christianity are at least partly true. Instead of arguing, let's prove our point by loving. Let's live such beautiful and helpful lives that people can see the truth (the light of God) shining out from our broken but honest lives.
Finally, let's face our personal hunger for power. We all want power. You want power. I want power. It's part of life. It's not always bad. It's good to take action. If we had no desire for power at all, we'd just sit around eating potato chips all day.
But we need to face that sometimes our desire for power is too strong. Sometimes we want power over other people. Sometimes we misuse our power. Sometimes we use our positions of authority or our words or our actions to hurt others. We need to face that. We need to face that the abuse of power lies within us, too, and we need to ask for healing. As God begins to heal us ...
Maybe instead of pushing hard for a little bit of a better deal, we'll make an offer that's just a little too generous.
Maybe we'll choose not to mock our boss when we get home.
Maybe we'll go out of our way to be friends to that guy who's a little socially awkward.
Maybe we'll be a little slower to fight for our rights and a little quicker to be unselfish.
Maybe we'll “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19).
Maybe we'll be very careful to explain exactly what our plans are instead of shading the truth to our own benefit.
Maybe we'll walk into a world of spears with nothing but a violin.
Video: “The Story Behind the Hymn: All Hail the Power of Jesus Name” - the E. P. Scott story.8
1http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=CWmSUNOKvrM. (2:10-3:02 and 5:09-9:32)
2“Abu Ghraib Prison,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_prison.
3George Gessert, “An Orgy of Power.” First published in Northwest Review, 43/2, 2006. Reprinted in The Best American Essays, 2007, David Foster Wallace, Ed, (New York, 2007), 73.
4Jean Avery, At the Mind's Limit, (Indianapolis, 1980), 25. Cited in Gessert, 77.
5Gessert, 77.
6Ibid, 77 and 83.
7David Brush, “What Tapes? Oh, Those Tapes?” Jan 2, 2008, http://davidbrush.com/?p=380.
8http://www.bluefishtv.com/Store/Downloadable_Video_Illustrations/2533/The_Story_Behind_the_Hymn_All_Hail_The_Power_Of_Jesus_Name
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