A Kingdom of Blessing

November 24, 2024

Among our blessings, we count material things. But sometimes you buy something, get what you want, but it isn’t what you want. Like we bought a bed recently. We spent a lot of money. On the first day with my new bed, I was feeling blessed. I tried to sleep on it. Then I wasn’t feeling so blessed! I couldn’t get a good night’s sleep on it. It was too hot. It was not forgiving of my aches and pains. I actually had to go physical therapy so I could sleep on it. Sometimes blessings aren’t what we think.

So much of our Christian faith, following Jesus, is different than you might think it would be, different from the ways the world thinks. Blessing is one of those things, not what you think.

Today is Sunday of Reign of Christ, celebrate that Jesus is king. What do you see when you think of king Jesus? I have this picture in my head, if Jesus came to earth today, he might have Instagram/Facebook photos that say, I’m Blessed with friends. Blessed with crowds. Blessed to heal. Blessed to teach. Blessed with the ability to feed 5000!  But that doesn’t sound like Jesus! He wasn’t someone to boast about blessings.

The story from the gospel on this reign of Christ Sunday, has Jesus in front of Pilate the Governor. Jesus is about to be crucified. It seems like that would be a very unblessed moment for Jesus. But first Pilate has a question for him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate is looking at Jesus and thinking, he doesn’t have nice clothes like a king, he doesn’t have soldiers, there’s no palace. He doesn’t look like a king! Pilate asks, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus says to Pilate, ““Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” He wants to know is Pilate curious, and wants to know more about Jesus, or is he asking because someone said Jesus claims he’s a king so now he’s investigating.

Pilate says, your people handed you over to me. What have you done?

Jesus replies, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Jesus is telling Pilate, if I’m a king, I’m a very different kind of king. I have a very different kind of kingdom. It is not a kingdom according to the way of the world.

At that time Israel was an occupied country. It was ruled over by Rome. That was a time of might makes right. If you’ve got the power, you’re the person of the hour. Everyone else is less than.

But Jesus came and taught that God is good, and he cares about children, beggars, and outcasts. Jesus came saying the kingdom of God has come near! He said, Blessed are the poor, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek. If you’re a servant or a slave, a beggar or an outcast, you’re thinking: there’s no way I am blessed! But Jesus’ kingdom is where the last are first, and the lost are found!

Jesus is trying to paint a picture of what the world is like when heaven and earth come together, and God is king; when the world is like God would have it. God wants to comfort some of us, to confront others of us and to commission all of us.

God gives comfort to people who need it. Comfort to people who feel like they’ve been knocked down. When God sent Jesus, it was a blessing, God gave grace. We can’t earn God’s love and forgiveness. It’s a free gift. The Lord’s favor is a gift. Sometimes we need to be comforted by God, am I right? We are getting ready to give Christmas gifts to kids at Bethany children’s home and the Hope Center for Domestic Violence. We are God’s hands and feet to give comfort! Jesus’ kingdom is where the last are first, and the lost are found.

God also confronts some of us. Because God’s kingdom is so different from what the world values. Who does Jesus call blessed? Not the comfortable! He says blessed are the poor, the meek, the persecuted. When a rich young ruler comes and asks, how do I get to heaven? Jesus says sell everything you own and follow me. That’s hard for me to hear, I’ve got a comfortable life! And the man walks away sad. Jesus is important to him, but not THAT important. Jesus is trying to shock us into seeing, the more wealth and power you have, the less you want God’s kingdom. But there’s something that comfortable people can do about that.

Jesus comforts some of us, confront others, and commissions all of us. He invites us to be part of his mission to bring God’s blessings to all the world. In Jesus kingdom the last are first and the lost are found.

Tony Campolo passed away this week at 89 years old. He was a Baptist pastor, professor of sociology at Eastern College in PA, an author, and a speaker. Once he was asked to speak in Honolulu. Because of the time change, he woke up in Hawaii at 3am. Tony was hungry for breakfast. He went to a greasy diner, the only place open. The menu was so greasy that he didn’t touch it. Tony asked for coffee and a donut. The server poured him coffee, then wiped his hand on his greasy apron, and pulled out a donut for him. Tony was eating that donut, when 10 prostitutes came into the diner. They sat down on both sides of him at the counter. Tony wished he could disappear.

One prostitute says to her friend, “Tomorrow’s my birthday. I’m gonna be 39.” The woman beside her replies, “What, you want me to throw you a party, get you a cake, sing you happy birthday?!” The first woman says, “Look, I don’t want anything. I’m just telling you it’s my birthday. Why do you have to hurt my feelings?” Then she adds, “I’ve never had a birthday party in my whole life. I don’t expect to have one now.” After the women left, Tony asked the cook. “Do they come in here every night?” He said yes. Tony said, “And the one who sat next to me?” Harry said, “That’s Agnes.” Tony said, “It’s her birthday tomorrow. What do you say we decorate this place, and when she comes in tomorrow we have a party for her. She’s never had a party in her whole life.” Harry squeezed his hand and said, “That’s beautiful!” And he calls his wife, and she comes out and she says, “That great! Agnes is one of the good people. I know what she does for a living but she’s a good person.”

At 2:30 the next morning, Tony decorates the diner with crepe paper and a big “Happy Birthday” sign. Harry had gotten the word out about Agnes’ surprise party, and by 3:15 am every prostitute in Honolulu was squeezed into the diner. At 3:30, Agnes and her friends walk in and everybody in the restaurant shouts, “Happy Birthday Agnes!” She is shocked, she has to sit down. Then they bring out the cake with candles and she loses it and starts to cry. Harry tells her, “Agnes, just blow out the candles!” But she can’t do it. So, he does. Then Harry gives her the knife and says, “Cut the cake.” But she can’t. And she turns to Tony and said, “Mister, I really don’t want to cut the cake. Is it ok if I don’t?” Tony says, “It’s your cake, you do what you want with it.” She says, “I want to take it home. I want to show it to my mother.” Tony says, “Do you have to do it right now?” She says I’ll be right back, I live two minutes away.” And she takes the cake, holding it very carefully and walks out with it.

Everybody in the diner is silent. It is a very awkward feeling. So Tony says, “What do you say, we pray?” Which as he thought about it later, seemed like a weird thing to say. But it was the right thing. And he prays. He prays God would deliver her. Prayed that he’s sorry about things that have happened to her in her life. He thanks God that no matter who you are and what you’ve done, God can make you new. Tony prays, God, make her new.

When Tony finishes praying, Harry says, “Hey, I thought you were a professor. You didn’t tell me you were a preacher.  What kind of church do you preach in?

Tony says, “The kind of church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes!”

And Harry says, “NO you don’t. I would join a church like that!”

Tony would tell the story of that day and say, that’s the kind of church Jesus came to create!

Today, we give thanks that Tony is in heaven, enjoying a great party! We give thanks that Jesus came so that the last would be first, and the lost would be found.

My homework for you is to bless someone this week.

Jesus came to earth. He was a king, but a very different kind of king. His kingdom was a kingdom of blessing. He was a king who came to lift people up and give comfort to them. He was a king who came to confront the comfortable! And Jesus came to commission all of us to bless the least and the lost with the good news of God’s love and grace. Amen.