✠ Psalmody: Psalm 38:21–22; 1; Psalm 28:9a, 1; Psalm 103:10; 79:8–9; Psalm 25:1–3a; Psalm 11:7
✠ Lection: Greek Esther 13:8b–11, 15–17; Matthew 20:17-28
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Though we don’t live under a king, at least not since 1776, the concept of a kingdom still remains. There are kingdoms all over the face of the earth; dominions, regions organized by set borders with leaders over each that have either been elected, have inherited rule, or taken it by force. God uses all in such authority, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. He does not ordain evil, but is mighty enough to use it for His good purposes as only an all-knowing, good God does. Thus, such man-defined kingdoms upon the earth reflect the fact that a greater, model kingdom, the kingdom of God, exists.
Since the moment man invited sin into his heart by doing what God had told him not to do, his tendency with all things good is to abuse them in wicked ways. Give almost any man, or woman, power, either grand or small, and abuse can too often, too easily be seen. This is true among world leaders, even the good ones, and among us, even the good ones. The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them in taking advantage of opportunity for selfish gain or by striking out simply because they can and their passions tell them to do so. If this is true for all the instances that end up becoming public, there can only be much more abuse of power that goes on in private. Those who are great exercise authority over those under them, not in good ways, or else Jesus wouldn’t use the great as a bad illustration. The rulers, the great, the authorities are put in place by God, for he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. That is God’s design for the order of earthly authorities, yet many a corrupt man have filled those positions over the thousands of years of temporal kingdoms. Whenever the sinful heart of man seeks its own by placing self above other, the result is the inversion of God’s good design.
The same applies to both great and small, for we, too, have authority bestowed upon us by God in this world, along with His good design of how it is to be wielded. We should take heed and never underestimate how well even good, church-going Lutherans can abuse the small reins of authority given to us in relation to our spouses, our children, our parents, our siblings, our friends, our neighbors, our parishioners. The flesh enjoys the way of the world and drools at the thought of selfish gain, even more at its actualization. May God the Holy Spirit teach us, rebuke us, and lead us away from such abuses!
To give us daily victory in this struggle, the Lord Jesus went up to Jerusalem to tear down the wicked kingdoms that oppose His good and gracious will, but more so to tear them down by establishing His kingdom. The sons of Zebedee, and their mother, had some sort of a sense of this coming about, but kept their earthly eyes and desires about them, thinking, hoping in the flesh, that His going up to Jerusalem to come into His kingdom would afford them opportunity for self-gain. But the kingdom that He established there, the one that will stand, even against the gates of Hell, is not characterized by citizens whose chief aim and focus is self, either in how one may increase self-gain or punish those who interfere. The King Himself proved that mindset to be faulty and wicked, akin to how the rulers of the Gentiles carry on in kingdoms built on self. But the King showed how His kingdom would exist in this place. It is to reflect Him and not the world. The ultimate Authority, the eternal King, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. This is bad news for the inwardly-curved heart, but good news for the broken and contrite.
In His kingdom there is no room for selfish gain. He will not have it. All such acts are instead of the kingdom of darkness. Christ reigns over an existence that is immeasurably better. Those who belong to the kingdom of Light are to live as if in the Light; to reflect Him and His life, His way, His life of sacrifice and service that comes through suffering and self-control. All that is lost in us taking up our crosses is the pride of the flesh, a most beneficial offering. It is how we who live under Him in His kingdom live. The ways of the unbelieving world are not to be sought or accepted among us. Within Christ’s kingdom, service will require sacrifice; sacrifice of self for the sake of others, even for the great as well as the least. May God give us sacred thoughts toward one another, peaceful words to speak to one another, and blessed actions to help one another! Whoever desires to become great among us, let him be a servant. And whoever desires to be first among us, let him be a slave, just like our King, for the eternal kingdom He has established in going up to Jerusalem is one that is not only beneficial to self, but given to be salutary for one another.
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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