St. Paul's On-the-Hill Episcopal Church

The Rev. Stephen C. Holton, Rector

November 25; Christ the King

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Luke 23:35-43

OUR KING

(OUR King Is a Nearby God)

OF LOVE

The teacher Dairchellach once said to the maiden Samhann in 10^th Century Ireland:

“I wish to go across the sea in pilgrimage.” She replied: “If God could not be found on this side of the sea we would indeed journey across. Since, however, God is nigh unto all who call upon Him, we are under no obligation to cross the sea. The Kingdom of heaven can be reached from every land.”

(“Living between two worlds,” p 60)

Or as Moses said in Deuteronomy:

“For this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven, and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and do it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us, to bring it to us, so that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can see it and do it.”

(Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

And the Qur'an says that God is closer to us than our jugular vein, so we really don't have to go far to find him.

Our King is very near us.

We don't have to go to the top of the financial pile to find him and his protection. We don't have to get all kinds of security to make sure we will last forever.

We don't have to get to the top of the educational pile to make sure we can find our way through life.

We don't have to get to the top of the employment pile to make sure we are safe from disaster.

God is always with us.

“I will be with you to the close of the age” says Jesus. So why do we strive? “It is my father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom, says Jesus. “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30)

You do not need to travel to find God – only to see your families or other people or other lands, and oh how sweet that is. But God has already traveled to find you, and oh how sweet that is.

God has already traveled to become the feast at your table – more sustaining than the feast we just had – and oh how very sweet that is indeed. Yes indeed.

God has come from over the sea and across the heavens to find us. Indeed, he was never gone. He just materialized and was embodied and incarnate in the man Jesus so we would be able to find him where he always was and always will be – among us.

And now we can worship him forever, for our King Is very Nearby. Always Nearby.

He Is the Nearby God. Always near, always feeding, always loving, always helping, always comforting, always reassuring, always guiding.

He is our Shepherd.

He is not a far off God who rules, who orders, who expects obedience and sacrifice. He is a nearby God who serves, who gives, who feeds our needs and sacrifices himself.

And he has harsh words for those who do the opposite, and he says he pulls them down and comes in their place.

And in their place, he serves and feeds and sacrifices and loves . . . all the time . . . all the people.

So we need not seek him by thinking that if we make enough money we will find him or not need him. We've already found him and we will always need him.

We need not seek him by thinking that if we distract ourselves enough with bad behavior we will either stumble upon him or not need him.

He has stumbled upon us and we will always need him. He has come over the sea and across the heavens for us. He has embodied himself and incarnated himself where he already was and already existed – here in this world he made with his hands.

From here he can love and heal and hug and serve, forever and ever, Amen. Forever, Amen.

We do not need to go across the sea or to the top of the money tree. He will always be here – in our hearts and on our lips, where we can see his will and do it.

He is no great mystery. He is a friend, ever present in our lives and in our deaths.

And so, when we stare at the Cross and say with the leaders: “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one” (Luke 23:35), we show no clear understanding of what the Messiah of God would do – though he loves us no less for our misunderstanding.

For the Messiah of God would precisely save others, not himself, given the choice.

That is precisely the mark of the Messiah of God, that he would save others and not himself. That he would come across the heaven and across the sea to save us, and not demand that we cross both to save ourselves.

Any other Messiah would save himself first! Any other Great Person would save himself first, and use us to do it.

Not this man. And in so doing, he shows himself to be the Messiah of God. He comes, he teaches, he heals, he feeds, he stays. He does not go away.

He does not say: “Come up higher.” He comes down lower.

And so what should we do in our lives? Stay where we are. Use our lives for service as he did. Give of ourselves as he did and so partake of the same Spirit that was embodied in Him. Save and protect and nurture the people around us. They are a part of our lives. Do not try to escape them for greener pastures and warmer climes. These are our pastures. These are our climes. Our Shepherd is here, taking care of all of us.

It is not about us. It is about him – who cares for all of us.

So we can relax, because we are cared for.

We can consume less because we don't need much because we are cared for.

We can buy less in this season of buying because we are loved more in this true season of loving.

And we can love more and comfort more in this true season of loving and comforting, in the name and with the strength of the one who loves and comforts most of all.

Our King is here. We don't need to seek him, find him, impress him or insulate ourselves against his possible absence.

We need simply to open our eyes and see.

We need to slow down long enough to be aware of his continuing presence.

Our King loves us. He is here to show us continuing love.

Amen