We tend to have certain images of kings, don’t we? Whether that is stories from books and movies, or perhaps a fascination with the British monarchy, we have a more specific understanding of what makes someone kingly. Just as the people of Israel would have had thoughts about what made someone a good, kingly ruler too. But, our lectionary goes ahead and flips that upside down this week when our readings for Christ the King Sunday focus not on this mighty ruler, but on the shepherd. The one who tends to and cares for the flock. This isn’t just a coincidence that we are given this imagery, but instead it is a new style of leadership, representative of the ways in which Christ’s rule is going to change everything. Christ is not going to be the type of king that people are expecting.
Even today’s Gospel is about how Christ shows up in the world in the ways that we least expect, especially because we tend to treat people in power vastly different than the way that we treat people who are ill, imprisoned, or considered to be among the least of these. Even in our own city, think about the differences in the way that we respond when we prepared for Vice President Kamala Harris to visit or the preparations that have already begun to host the World Cup versus how we treat the people who are sleeping in encampments along the side of the road or who might need to use our food pantry. When people have power in some way in society, whether that is through fame, money, or their positions of authority, there is little question that they will be respected and treated with dignity. Instead of waiting for 4 hours in a food bank line, they are ushered into the seat of higher honor wherever they would like to go. Just as I’m sure that people would have treated Christ differently if they felt that it was actually Jesus Christ in their presence and not just another person having a rough go at life. If Christ had come before them wearing royal robes and a crown, people would have dropped everything to give him what he wanted or what they thought they needed. And, in many ways, I think this is because we treat people differently when we think there is some benefit for us through the relationship, whether that is more proximity to power or a favor that they can do for us in return; the people who have an esteemed place in society have a lot more to offer us than the single mother focused on feeding and clothing her children.
We have been conditioned to be transactional beings, even if we don’t think about it, where relationships are based on how we can benefit one another or what we can receive from them, whether that is a skill, friendship, or a good, etc. What this kingly imagery of a shepherd does is shift the perspective. It isn’t about being in the good graces of the person in power necessarily to move up the ranks, but it is a very different way of existing in community. While I can’t know for sure, I don’t think the sheep are going around saying, “if I befriend that one, I can get the better grass,” or “I better stay away from that one because they smell worse than the others.” Sheep live communally, trusting that the shepherd is going to take care of their needs, and for the most part they listen to that shepherd, because the shepherds truly know them. This looks a lot different than how we have organized ourselves today.
Now, I’m not necessarily saying that we have to organize ourselves the way that sheep do, but that was once a part of our history. When we lived in smaller groups of people, trading items and caring for one another’s needs. It’s why Jesus’ stories focus so much on caring for the orphan and the widow, the people who have no one else to take care of them and advocate for them. What Christ is doing is showing up in the world and reminding us that we do not have to, nor should we live only for ourselves. That life becomes more abundant when the edges expand and we exist as a community, not just people who live next to each other but are so focused on the day-to-day activities of our own lives that we don’t even know each other’s names. Christ as shepherd is offering us a new way of existing together.
So, when we talk about Christ as King, it is so different from how we understand kings today, whether that be from movies or watching the monarchies around the world. And, it probably would be a fair guess that if Jesus were in the position of a king in one of the worldly governments today there would be a revolt because he isn’t militarily minded enough and he doesn’t care about increasing the land or wealth of the nation. Jesus would be focused on caring for the people there; it is at the heart of his messages, which is why even though this Gospel story is one of judgment today, it is a reminder that when we are sent out of church it isn’t to just care for the people that are convenient. The people that are already our friends and loved ones, but to care for the people who have been pushed to the margins; to see them as children of God too, especially when that usually isn’t our first reaction.
And, I also understand that as single humans we cannot do everything for everyone, which is why I also see this Gospel reading as being for the churches. I know churches didn’t exist in Jesus’ context, but today we have places of gathering that are going to be beautifully decorated for Advent and Christmas. Buildings that we spend a lot of money maintaining and keeping open. So, as we enter into this holiday season, it is reminding us of what is at the heart of Christ’s life, one of the reasons that we wait for this little baby to be born a few weeks from now. And, while we cannot remove the focus from Christ’s death and resurrection, it is brought back to our attention that in his lifetime he taught and lead, healed and preached, he cared for the people that were walked by without being acknowledged by those around them. And, this, dear church, becomes part of our call as the body of Christ too. A reminder that church doesn’t end at 11:30 A.M. or whenever we walk out the door, but that our call as church extends out so much further than that. It is a call back to the purpose of the church, to why we exist and gather together on Sundays when there are other things that the world tells us we can be doing (although it’s a good thing we have some time to recover from the Seahawks loss this week) because ultimately Christ came into the world to change it and we get to decide whether or not we get to accept his call to follow his leadership and be a part of that change too.