A Different Kind of King—Lectionary Reflection for Christ the King Sunday, Year C (Luke 23:33-43)

 

Luke 23:33-43 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

³³ When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. ³⁵ And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” ⁴³ He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

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                Recently, millions of Americans came out in small towns and major cities, and everything in between, to observe what was called “No Kings Day.” This effort came about as a protest against the anti-democratic actions and policies of the Trump administration. Many Americans, across the political spectrum, have become increasingly concerned about the way Donald Trump is acting, concerned that he is taking on monarchical airs (see the way he has decorated the Oval Office with what appears to be faux gold trim). The message of the protests is that the United States is not a monarchy, and the President is not a monarch. It is interesting that even as these protests take place, Ken Burns has released a six-part series on the American Revolution. It is in this context that churches that follow the liturgical year approach the final Sunday of the church year, Christ the King Sunday. While many progressive Christians struggle with this terminology, perhaps we’re living at a time when such language is warranted.

                When Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph on Palm Sunday, many in the crowd hailed him as the Son of David. What they envisioned by making that declaration was that Jesus would lead the revolt against the Romans. Many in what had been the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had been waiting for centuries for the restoration of the Davidic monarchy. But such a restoration had yet to take place. Jeremiah’s “righteous branch” had yet to appear to rule, while exercising justice and righteousness (Jer. 23:5-6). Instead, as we read in this passage from Luke 23, Jesus mounted a different kind of throne, that throne being a Roman cross. Earlier in the chapter, when Jesus appeared before Herod, the guards mocked him by placing on him an elegant robe (Luke 23:11). In Matthew, soldiers placed a scarlet robe on him, along with a crown of thorns on his head, placed a reed in his hand, and then mockingly kneeled before him, mockingly calling him king of the Jews (Matt. 27:27-31). So, when we “celebrate” Christ the King Sunday, our reading reminds us that Jesus’ ascent to this role involved suffering and death. This is not what we expect of a glorious king.

                In the reading from Luke 23, the story begins with Jesus, together with two “criminals,” being led to a place known as “The Skull,” where they were crucified. Crucifixion was the form of execution that the Romans saved for what they believed were the “worst of the worst.” That is, the rebels who opposed their rule. According to Luke, Jesus was crucified between the two “criminals” who accompanied him to the place of execution. One was placed to his right and the other to his left. Now, Luke doesn’t go into detail as to what this entailed, likely assuming that his readers would be all too familiar with the process. After all, it was a common sight in the Roman Empire.

                As they hang there on the cross, Jesus utters one of the seven last words from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” The problem for the reader and preacher is that this famous phrase is absent from some ancient manuscripts, which is why it is placed in brackets in most modern translations. Besides, it’s not clear who Jesus has in mind here, if it is original. Despite the debate, the message seems clear to most readers. Luke’s Jesus has in mind those who collaborated to put him to death in the most painful and humiliating way. Whoever is implicated in his death, whether Jewish or Roman leadership, soldiers, and the crowd, all are to be forgiven at the request of Jesus. So, if this is the story of Christ’s reign, he is a merciful ruler.

                Interestingly, Luke places Jesus’ word of forgiveness right before the soldiers attending to his execution (and the execution of the two men who flanked him) cast lots to see who would get his clothing. While the soldiers cast lots, the leaders (the important people in the community) got into the mix. They mocked him by yelling: “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”  If you’re so powerful, why not come down off the cross? This had to be tempting. I know that Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' The Last Temptation of Christ was controversial, but the movie and the book it was based on raised an important question. Was Jesus tempted to avoid the cross?

                While the crowd looked on as the leadership mocked Jesus, grateful to have him out of the way, the soldiers got into the act and started mocking him. They gave him sour wine and then joined in the catcalls, telling him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”  To make clear the “charges” leveled against him, not only did the soldiers mockingly call him “king of the Jews,” but they also hung a sign above his head with the inscription: “This is the King of the Jews.” Such was the result of the collusion of church and state.

                While Luke’s story of Jesus’ enthronement involves a cross, we should also take note of the other New Testament reading. That reading comes from Colossians 1:11-20. It offers a very different vision as it hails Jesus as the cosmic king:

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, ¹⁶ for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. (Col. 1:15-20)

 But even here the cross is part of the story, for it is through the blood of the cross that peace is achieved in heaven and on earth. But this isn’t penal substitution atonement. This is Christus Victor. In other words, death cannot hold him. We should keep this passage in mind as we ponder the reading from Luke, but for the moment, we need to keep our eyes on what is happening somewhere in Jerusalem, perhaps on a hill far, far away.

                As we move on with the story, our attention turns to Jesus’ interaction with the two men who flank him on their own crosses. We don’t know anything about them. Luke calls them criminals. One of the men joins in the chorus of attacks on Jesus. He mockingly yells at Jesus: “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” The other man responded to this attack, rebuking him, and saying: “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” (Lk 23:40-41). With the man’s response, Luke defends Jesus’ innocence in the face of the charges made against him. However, the issue of Jesus’ messianic status is still present. Is he the messiah or not? If he is the messiah, what kind of messiah is he? Obviously, he didn’t fit the image that some had of the messiah. He didn’t fit the image of a conquering king ready to push the Romans out of Judea. One wonders whether modern Christians, especially supporters of Christian nationalism, would have joined in the mockery, having misunderstood Jesus’ vision of God’s realm. Ron Allen and Clark Williamson offer a helpful take on what has been happening from the moment of Jesus’ arrest: “Luke’s leaders and soldiers misunderstand salvation, seeing it entirely in terms of the continuation of life or military ‘liberation’ and not the restoration of the people Israel through forgiving sins, including the marginalized, feeding the hungry, or dying the death of a martyr, a witness, to all of these” [Preaching the Gospels without Blaming the Jews, p. 249].

The second man offers a better assessment of Jesus’ calling than the others who mock Jesus. He concluded his defense with a request of Jesus: “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” With this request, Luke redefines what is meant by the kingdom of God. Whatever Jesus meant by the kingdom of God, it would not come into existence by way of military might. Jesus didn’t establish a Department of War. Rather, the kingdom is revealed by way of a cross. But Luke wants us to know that the cross will not have the final word. That is because Jesus responded to the man’s request with a promise: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” As for what Jesus means by Paradise, Luke doesn’t reveal an answer. Whatever he means by this statement, which has roots in apocryphal texts such as 1 Enoch, it would seem that Jesus is welcoming the man into God’s realm. This realm is defined very differently from what many of us imagine, because it doesn’t involve military might. Early Christian theologians, such as Cyril of Jerusalem, did imagine some kind of return to a heavenly Eden, where one would once again have access to the Tree of Life. Such a vision is found in the closing chapters of the Book of Revelation. Whatever Jesus (Luke) means here, we have a very different vision of God’s realm from what many imagine. There is no manifest destiny here!  

Now, as Colossians reveals, there will be a moment of exaltation of Jesus, but first the cross. Then, as we read in Revelation 5, the heavenly realm will sing praises to the slaughtered Lamb, who by his blood ransomed the saints and people from every nation, making them to be a kingdom of priests serving God (Rev. 5:9-10). Therefore, we can join together singing before the throne of God:

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12).

                With Jesus’ promise of paradise and the kingdom of God, we return to that declaration Jesus makes (even if it is omitted from ancient texts) that can put to an end the endless search for vengeance: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” That is the foundation of God’s realm! It is a message I believe Jesus would want us to embrace, especially in moments like this, when a different vision of God’s realm is being proposed, for Jesus is a different kind of King!