“To Testify to the Truth”

(John 18:33-37) 

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”  Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I?  Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me.   “What have you done?”  Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.  If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.  But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”  Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”  Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.  For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 

            In my nearly 40 years of ministry I have mostly not paid attention to what we used to call “Christ the King Sunday.”  It is observed on the last Sunday before Advent begins, and it is often the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  So, I have had reason to ignore it over the years. 

This year I got some ideas for how to preach the John 18 text which is the lectionary reading for today.  We now call Christ the King Sunday the Reign of Christ Sunday.  The thoughts that inspired me are from this month’s Christian Century.

            There was a good history lesson in what I read.  It might be new to you or a reminder of what you already knew.  When I first looked at it I thought it was going to be boring.  But hang in there because it comes together.  Let me share a little of it. 

It was 1925 when Pope Pius XI put into place the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe observance as an official feast day.  Ho Hum.  But, wait, there’s a background story here that places it into the context of its time.

            So, what was happening in Europe in 1925?  Well, Adolph Hitler had just published the first volume of Mein Kampf.  As many of you know, that book shows Hitler’s fascination with antisemitism, and it illustrates the beginnings of his plot to take over the world.

            So, what was happening in our own country?  In 1926 40,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan marched on Washington to demand, among other things, immigration restrictions based on race and nationality.  In those days the Klan boasted over 5 million members.  Interestingly, they were not only targeting African American people.  Roman Catholics had also become victims of their rage.  This was true in Youngstown, Ohio and all across areas in which there were plenty of Catholics.  In the 1920’s Jews and immigrants were also targeted by the Klan.  The KKK was probably the first white supremacy organization in the U.S., formed after the Civil War. 

            But throughout the world there was a growing movement toward nationalism and the secularism that appeared after World War I.  All of this moved Pope Pius toward his declaration.  He saw that unhealthy nationalism and increased isolationism, and thought he would make a counter move.  So he called the church to declare that Christ was the King of all creation, that Christians’ loyalty needed to be first and foremost to Christ, regardless of their citizenship.  Christians were to be guided by their values as followers of Christ.  …Good move, Pius, right?

            And so, we come to this morning’s reading, this conversation between Pilate and Jesus about who Jesus was declaring himself to be.  Now, we Americans have assumptions about Kings and monarchies, but, blessedly, we don’t have experience with the concepts of Kingship and reigning.  It is really important to listen to what Jesus has to say about it in conversation with Pilate who was the Roman leader of this territory.  Now, clearly this was a conversation that would be a lead-in to Holy Week, but here it is on the Reign of Christ Sunday, plopped right in front of us.  In the Gospel of John prior to today’s reading, Jesus had been arrested and then appeared before Jewish leader after Jewish leader and finally they sent him to Pilate, the Roman ruler.     

            As Jesus moved the conversation to the fact that his kingdom, his reign, is not from here (that is, earth), but, rather, he said, “he was born to come into this world to testify  to the truth, and that everyone who belongs to the truth must listen to his voice.”

            In short, everyone who listens to and obeys Jesus’ voice belongs to the truth.  It matters not what nation, what political party, what color, what ethnicity, even what religion, if you listen to Jesus and his truth.  It doesn’t matter, you belong to him.

            Now, I have to bring this discussion up to our own time.  There has been, over the past few months and years, a lot of conversation about facts, truths and lies.  The lies, unfortunately, have been loud, intrusive, not to mention insistent.  There are so many examples of lies that have been hurting people, people whom Jesus had instructed us to help and to hold dear.

            Springfield, Ohio and its legal Haitian population is an example of how lies have turned the lives of those whom Jesus would have cherished, turned them upside down.  Springfield, for the most part, has appreciated their Haitian immigrants.  These folks have provided a needed work force for Springfield and have helped to help turn their economy around.  Somehow Senator JD Vance got hold of this and accused the Haitians of killing and eating domestic cats and dogs and implied that these folks were illegals and needed to be deported.  Then others, including the KKK, have picked up on Vance’s accusations and have run with them.  As you might imagine, these folks have been targeted and they no longer feel safe, all because of a strategically told lie.

            …When we love our neighbors as ourselves, when we do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God, when we stand up for the downtrodden, we abide in truth, we testify to Christ’s truth. 

Our text today tells us that Jesus counts us among his people, members of his unique kingdom.  There are no geographical lines that delineate the kingdom of Christ.  The Jesus House is defined by the truth and the rule of loving our neighbor.  It’s that simple. 

We must not join factions who make up stories about certain ethnic groups or any group that results in ramping up hatred.  We only need to meet our neighbors with an expectation of good will.  Sure, sometimes we’ll be disappointed, but Jesus did not hide behind fear-mongering and lies about issues such as how scarce resources are.  For heaven’s sake he made it possible for 5000 people to eat and to be satisfied. 

God intends that our needs will be met.  There is enough food and resources in our nation to care for each and every one of us, provided that we testify to the truth, that we live the truth. 

Jesus came to testify to the truth because the lies are wrong.  We belong to the truth.  We belong to the Jesus House.  God’s truth commands us to welcome the strangers among us.  The lies only tap into our fears.  Love is truth.

And so, as we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, as Jesus’ people, we have much for which to be grateful.  WE are people of the truth.  Christ is our King.  Don’t be fooled by those who would try to change his message, to dilute it, to make Christ into a mirror image of themselves.  Tell the truth about the Gospel of love; work everyday to be more like Jesus–and be thankful.  Amen.