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“Three Words”

Sermon by Dr. Greg Knox Jones
on John 18:33-38
given November 25, 2007

Three words. On the lips of Pilate. In the form of a question. “What is truth?” For centuries, scholars have tried to discern the intent of Pilate’s question. They have argued with one another, trying to determine in what sense he spoke those words. Was it the question of a jaded politician who had become skeptical of anyone ever knowing and articulating the truth? [The disbelieving voice of a skeptic]: Ha! Truth? What is truth?

Is that how Pilate spoke these words? After all, he was a political appointee who was always glancing over his shoulder for those who might attempt to undermine his authority. At the same time, he had to support a cruel and vindictive emperor who claimed divine status.

Surely Pilate had seen his share of internal graft and dishonesty. Surely he had seen others,
and most likely indulged himself, in the twisting of truth beyond all recognition.

Pilate had to keep a close eye on competitors for his position and root out any surreptitious plans for his demise. He had to squelch rumors that were meant to sabotage him and defeat revolutionaries who attempted to overthrow him. His experiences were more than enough to squash any idealism that he might have once held as a young man.1 The notion that an itinerant preacher from the countryside, the son of poor Jewish parents, would stand before him and claim to know the truth could have easily made him dubious.

However, we cannot say with certainty that the question - What is truth? - was prompted solely by skepticism. Perhaps his question emerged from desperation. “Perhaps the weight of all the scheming and corruption had finally gotten to Pilate. Perhaps his soul was starved and when Jesus said, ‘Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice,’ it was as if someone opened a window in a room where he had been suffocating for lack of air. Maybe for an instant Pilate felt the freshness, and he pleaded for an answer: “What is truth?” And he meant it with every fiber of his being.2

We cannot know for certain whether Pilate was the jaded politician who thought it foolish for anyone to claim to understand the truth, or if he was the distressed and desperate man who glimpsed something authentic in Jesus and genuinely hoped to hear the truth. Perhaps he was a mixture of the two, at the same time both skeptical and yearning. However, his anxiety prompted by the restless crowd standing nearby and screaming, “Crucify him!” and the fear of his superiors who could eliminate him in a flash, prevented him from pursuing it further.

But, what about us? We face no such dilemma. We neither fear hostile crowds nor harsh superiors. And yet, have we genuinely committed ourselves to the truth? The truth that Christ is the only authentic King worthy of our allegiance. Pilate asked Jesus, “So you are a king?” And Jesus responded, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37)

Today is the final Sunday of the Christian year. Next Sunday we begin the journey through Advent, and on this final Sunday, each of us is confronted by the question: Is Christ my King? Do I heed his voice above all others?

Before pursuing this question further, I want to acknowledge that some may be put off by the use of the word, “King.” This title is distinctly un-American and has an ancient ring to it. When I think of kings, I think of medieval Europe – William the Conqueror or Richard the Lionheart. Or, I think of ancient Israel – King Solomon or King David. Some may picture the kings we read about in children’s books; kings who rule over make-believe kingdoms.

In our postmodern world, the “king” metaphor is far from a perfect fit, and so some struggle to substitute contemporary images of CEOs or presidents or prime ministers. However, these can never adequately substitute for a king. Presidents and prime ministers are elected and can be removed from power. CEOs are selected for their achievements and can be fired as soon as the company’s earnings head south.

The king metaphor clearly has drawbacks, but calling Christ “King” reminds us that we are his subjects and he does not rule because we have chosen him for the position. Opinion polls carry no weight and elections are never held. Christ is King because he is the chosen one of God. Do you believe that with your heart, mind and soul?

Not everyone recognizes Christ as King. Some consciously oppose him, others ignore him.
Then, there are those who say that Christ is their King, but their actions betray their words. They substitute other kings in his place. I wonder how many Westminster members fall into this category?

Who is truly the king of your life? To whom or what do you pay your ultimate allegiance?
Perhaps we need to ask ourselves: for whom or for what are we willing to make sacrifices?

In the best-selling book, Seabiscuit, the author tells about a determined jockey named Ralph Neves. “Back in the spring of 1936, with the country in the depths of depression, Bing Crosby offered a $500 watch to the jockey who won the most races at California’s Bay Meadows Racecourse. On the next to the last day of the meet, Ralph Neves was two wins in front of his nearest competitor and he was riding with a fury. That afternoon, rolling around the far turn aboard a horse named Flanakins, Neves was on the lead and looking like a cinch to win Crosby’s prize. Then, without warning, Flanakins stumbled and crashed, catapulting Neves into the rail. Flipping to the track, Neves was trampled by the trailing horses...The tiny jockey lay motionless. Two physicians in the crowd sprinted out to him, joining the track doctor. They declared Neves dead, right there on the track. The man calling the race made the somber announcement and asked the crowd to stand for prayer. As the sickened spectators bent their heads and reporters rushed to get word to their editors, Neves’s body was taken to a mortuary. His toe was tagged, and he was left on a table to await funeral arrangements.”

“Physician Horace Stevens, a friend of Neves, got word of his death and went to view his body. When he arrived, Dr. Stevens noticed something the track doctors had missed. He prepared a syringe and injected Neves with adrenaline and Neves woke up.”

“A few minutes later, he stumbled out of the mortuary and onto the street, where he caught a cab, sped back to Bay Meadows Racecourse, jumped out and began rushing toward the jockeys’ room. As the shirtless, blood-spattered corpse sprinted past the grandstand, astonished fans started running after him. By the time Neves hit the wire, most of the crowd was chasing him. He shook loose from the mob, dashed past the clubhouse, and burst into the jockeys’ room, a boot on one foot and, the toe tag on the other. He scared the wits out of everyone.”

“When the jockeys recovered from the shock, they took Neves, kicking and screaming, down to the first-aid room. He insisted that he was going to ride the remainder of the races that day, but the stewards refused. Finally, Neves went home, but he was still fixated on that watch. He came back the next day loaded for bear. While most San Franciscans were reading his obituary in the paper, the decidedly undead Neves rode like a man possessed and won the watch.”3 Can you imagine what our lives would be like, if we had that same kind of passion for God?

Many of us will say that Christ is our King, our number one priority, but if people listen carefully to our words and scrutinize our actions, is that what they would conclude? Or, would they say other things appear to be more important to us?

Many of us dedicate ourselves to worthy pursuits, but somewhere along the line we allow them to become our chief focus. It may not be intentional, but one day we look around and discover that Christ has been nudged off the throne and replaced by a pseudo king.

We betray our loyalty to Christ when on Sunday mornings we are somewhere else other than worship. You have likely heard people say that they can worship God on the golf course or on the beach or in the mountains. I hope that in such places people will enjoy God’s creation and experience it in unique and meaningful ways, but I also hope they are not deceived into thinking that such experiences substitute for worshiping God in the full sense. Worship occurs when we come together to praise God, to seek guidance and to discover the truth about our lives. Worship challenges us to be honest with ourselves, to face our dark sides and to be transformed. In worship, we join our voices together in song and our souls are touched by music in ways that words alone cannot. In worship, Scriptures are read and then connected to our daily lives in ways that challenge and comfort, in ways that push and inspire, all the while reminding us who we are and who the true King is.

When Christ is our King, worship becomes so integral to our lives, that if we miss a Sunday, we notice it all week. We feel an imbalance in our equilibrium because something vital is missing.
We detect a weakness in our ability to handle the temptations that attempt to lure us away from Christ. Our lives are out of sync because we have not begun the week with the proper focus.

If Christ is our King, life will never be dull or routine. We will never settle into boring patterns that drain the joy out of living, because life with Christ is an adventure. Christ challenges us to stretch and grow so that we can experience vibrant lives. Christ urges us to respond in ways that surprise and open up new possibilities. If someone is hostile, we respond with kindness. If someone is agitated, we respond with patience. If someone is miserly, we respond with generosity. When Christ is our King, we seek justice and peace, and we work in partnership with God in building a better world for everyone. We gain the ability to see Christ in the faces of the hungry we feed and the homeless we house. We see Christ in the frail and bent over elderly we serve. We see Christ in the distraught we comfort.

If Christ is our King, we sense a harmony and rhythm in our lives that makes us whole.
And we discover that the struggles of life are easier to bear, the temptations of life are easier to resist,
the anxieties of life are easier to overcome, the disappointments of life are easier to handle and the fears of life are easier to conquer. If Christ is our King we possess an undying sense of hope.

Who or what is King of your life? Is it the one who came into the world to testify to the truth?

Three words. On the lips of Pilate. In the form of a question. “What is truth?” Three words. On the lips of God’s people. In the form of a declaration. “Christ is King!”

NOTES

1. Thomas H. Troeger, “Preaching the Lesson,” in Lectionary Homiletics, October - November, 2003, p.61.
   
2. Ibid.
   
3. Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit, (Random House, 2001)

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