The truth of the king

Sermon for the feast of Christ the King

Do you believe politicians tell the truth?

The image of the corrupt politician is quite a famous one that we see on television or in films. Many such characters are, unfortunately, based on real life politicians who have deceived us.

This leads us into some rather difficult problems. Look at recent events. It only takes the papers to report that a politician says not to panic about fuel shortages and we do the opposite. Why? We have it in our heads that if a politician says not to panic, then there is something to panic about. We simply do not trust our politicians.

Are kings any better? Should we trust a king?

[PAUSE]

History shows that kings are no more trustworthy than other political figures. Certainly, during the Wars of the Roses or the Civil War, you have to be very careful who you trust. Betrayal and intrigue make for a very unsettled peace. When there is no trust, there can only be a false peace while everyone waits to see who will make the next move. A kingdom based on a lack of trust is unstable and will fall.

But why don't we trust our leaders?

[PAUSE]

Ultimately, if politicians want to be trusted then they must demonstrate that they have the interests of all people at heart. These days, we suspect that many of our leaders have only the interests of bug business and not the people on the street. We expect our leaders to be in the pocket of the billionaires and controlled by those with economic power. If a politician were to demonstrate that he was not going to be controlled by money or power, then he might be seen to be someone you can trust.

[PAUSE]

That's not enough. In order to trust politicians, we would need to be persuaded that they are competent. They would need to show that they have authority and wisdom in order to face the uncertain challenges of the future. We need to believe that they can guide us through times of economic turmoil, threats from others, and through pandemics.

So, a trustworthy leader would have at heart the interests of the people he leads. He would reject the advances of the powerful. Yet he would possess authority and wisdom to give confidence to his people that things are under control.

Is there such a person? 

Well, look at the Man standing before Pontius Pilate. He stands before the rich and powerful and does not bend to their will. He has salvation for all people in His hands. He has authority to heal the sick and drive away demons. He has wisdom to teach His followers that love fulfills all of the law. Surely, this is a leader we can trust.

Surely Christ is truly King.