Sermon: Remember me, King of Kings!
This is the last Sunday of the Church Year 2019. Next Sunday we will begin the season of Advent with expectations, preparations, anticipation, and growing exasperations due to all the things we must do in Advent and December. But before we get there…. today it is the last Sunday of our Church Year 2019. Yet another year in church has come to an end and on this Sunday, we look back with gratitude over the past year of services and seasons, and we look forward with hope to a new year of services and seasons.
Throughout the past year, whenever you have come to the church, you have passed the massive and distinct Rune Stone at the entrance.
Our beloved copy of the original Jellingsten, even as a copy, is a monumental stone.
Jellingstenen is a stone so rich of history.
A stone that has been named the Baptismal Certificate of Denmark, as the old Runes tell us the story about the mighty and yet not very humble king Harald Bluetooth, who erected that stone to honor his father and mother, Gorm and Thyra, - but also more importantly as a proud king to brag of his own wonderful accomplishments and put a big mark in the story of Denmark. That he, Harald Bluetooth managed to win and unite Norway and Denmark and even succeeded making the Danes Christians.
Well, even if the mighty king Bluetooth was baptized, and did make this wonderful monumental Rune stone as a witness, it did take some time to baptize and convert the Danes to Christianity. They needed to be convinced that it would be wise to leave their ancestors faith in Thundering Strong Thor, in Wise Odin and in beautiful Freja – and believe in the Christian God embodied in the victorious and yet humble King of Kings: Jesus Christ.
When we walk past this Rune stone and the image of Christ, which is now being restored with fresh paint, - we recognize the image of the Crucified Christ. But this image from the 10th century of Scandinavian history, is not displaying the humble servant or the suffering savior on the Cross. Instead it is the victorious Christ on the Cross: The King of Kings.
“Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”
These words are at the center og todays Gospel from Luke. St. Luke is the same Gospel and only Gospel that gives us the wonderful story of the little baby boy Jesus in the manger – and then at the end of his gospel that begins in the humble stable, ends on the cross with the humble king making amazing proclamations to the two criminals, to the ones witnessing and to us who believes in him.
According to the Gospel of Luke, the story begins when Mary and Joseph are heading to Bethlehem under the decree of the might Caesar Augustus in Rome. The birth of Jesus is patterned after the hero birth stories of the Caesars of the history, only Luke turned everting inside and out and upside down. This King Jesus is a son of god and a son of man, but he is not born into wealth in a royal palace, but among peasants in a humble smelly stable. His birth is not hailed by trumpeters from palaces but announced to humble shepherds tending their flocks by night.
And so, the story goes with the Son of God and Son of man, - his teachings, his ways, his healing and his compassion brings the Kingdom of God to earth and threatens the Caesar of the world.
The Caesars of the world value power, control, taxes and military strength; its values monuments, and products and power; they devalue the poor, the marginalized, the strangers, the widows and the orphans.
But this King of Kings being born in a humble stable, is born among pheasants, shepherds and fishermen, is a teacher of the law, an amazing storyteller and a rabbi bringing the Kingdom of God to all people.
An anti-kind of hero og King who mocks the powers and reveals their fallacies.
In compelling stories like the Good Samaritan, Jesus announces the reign of God based on compassion, forgiveness, respect and unity. He heals and serves others rather than being served and taken care of. He rules among the people eating with the outcast, breaking boundaries. St. Luke paints an image of Christ as this antihero, ruling with compassion and humble love.
“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”
Jesus does not try to convert him to Christianity or ask anything from him, but out of grace he embraces him and welcomes him through his faith to Paradise with him.
“Remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”
When Jesus was on the cross, his first thought was for others, not himself. He forgave the ones who tortured him, and he accepted the criminal who hung beside him.
The image of Jesus Christ in the Gospel today and in the entire Gospel of Luke is a radical image of a humble hero, an antihero, a serving servant, a suffering human and a remembering Savior.
Todays Gospel is a gracious word to all of us whose lives are touched by grief or greed, injustice or injury, emptiness or loneliness, that we do trust in the goodness of that grace shown through the life and being of Jesus Christ. A grace that retrieved lost sheep and wayward sons; that consoled grieving mothers and weeping woman at a grave; that fed aching stomachs and eager souls, that soothed the wounds of the untouchables and gave a gracious healing, acceptance and sense of belonging.
“Remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”
One of my absolute favorite pieces of music is a haunting sole from the Opera “Dido and Aeneas.” It is an Opera written by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell in 1688. I have loved this opera and especially this haunting solo called “Dido’s Lament.” Ever since I sang in the choir of my Highschool and sang the choir of this said Opera and listened to one of my high school choir sopranos sing this beautiful piece of music with great pathos and talents, - I have loved this moving solo. This young singer from my Highschool since turned into on of the most talented and acclaimed Danish Sopranos and she still amazed with her voice and presence.
The lyrics to Dido’s Lament: When I am laid.” Are like this:
When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in, in thy breast
When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in, in thy breast
Remember me, remember me, but
Forget my fate
Remember me, but Forget my fate
That was the prayer of the man on the cross to the king on the cross: Remember me when I am laid in earth, and do not let my wrongs create any trouble – forgive me, remember me and tell me that I will be with you in Paradise.”
Suffering savior on the Cross, compassionate savior on the cross, King of Kings – please remember us.
And we remember you: not as a mighty ruler, a bragging king with a Bluetooth and a massive Runic stone, not as a tax loving and counting Caesar of position, power and prestige, – but as a gentle, forgiving, compassionate humble servant who remembers us.
Amen