Rev. Dr. Joel D. Biermann
Zechariah 9:9-12
July 9, 2017
On the 4th of July, in an effort to do something interesting and patriotic, National Public Radio, decided to tweet out the entire Declaration of Independence 140 characters at a time. It generated a fair amount of confusion and some negative reaction. Some of those reading the tweets considered the words to be incendiary and some even accused NPR of inciting violence. Actually, the reaction is not too surprising since that was more or less the purpose of the Declaration in the first place. It was an announcement that the colonies were done with the abuse of the crown and the inequities of taxation without representation, done with Britain, and most of all done with the king. That’s what we all celebrated this past Tuesday: the revolution against the king—no king in America. Yet, here, today in our worship, we fall in humility before a King, receive him with joy and worship him. That’s quite a contradiction, isn’t it?
So, what is it with kings? As Americans, we’re taught to reject the rule of a king, but as Christians we are taught to worship the King. The reality is that Christians do have a King. In fact, there is a King who rules over all creation including all people, and no human declaration or revolution can ever change the fact. God is the King. And, in the person of Jesus, God the King came to this world. Zechariah predicted it. The disciples of Jesus witnessed it. You and I continue to celebrate it. Jesus, God in the flesh, the King of creation, continues to come and continues to rule over his creation. He is your creator, your redeemer, your provider, your security and your comfort. He is the object of your love and your worship. He is the King. He is your King.
You might think that claiming a King in America could prompt some criticism and push back. But, that rarely happens, of course. In America, anyone can believe anything, and anyone who wants a King can have one—as long as that King doesn’t over-reach and try to rule everyone else who doesn’t want a King. God can be King, so long as he’s content to be King over only his own people. But, of course, God is not satisfied with such limits on his authority and reign. The one true King rules over everything. He’s not just the King of Christians. He’s the King of creation. He’s the Lord of all. Even if people ignore, resist, and reject the fact, it doesn’t change the fact: Jesus is King. And people do ignore, resist, and reject the fact. People like to be in charge. People like to think that there is no need for a King, and no need for a God who thinks he’s King and tries to rule everything and everyone. But what people think or want makes no difference. Jesus is God and King. He sets the agenda. He establishes the laws that govern the lives of all creatures; Jesus is Lord and King. God makes the law, not people. He decides what is right and what is wrong. Moral truth is decided not by elections, or opinion polls, not by common sense, or by what brings the most good to the most people, or by supreme courts. What is right and what is wrong is decided by God, the King; people who reject his law are rebelling against his rule and authority even if they do it in the name of the will of the people, the common good, the Constitution, or even love and tolerance.
There is only one king. Only God holds that title. But, of course, God has many human servants through whom he works to care for his dominion. Parents and pastors and teachers and doctors and shopkeepers and soldiers are all used by God to care for his creation. And so are farmers and factory-workers, and janitors, secretaries, attorneys, business-owners, and, yes, government officials. Whether it is a king a council or a congress, God uses government to do his work. The government is God’s chosen servant doing God’s work managing God’s creation and protecting people. That’s what governments are supposed to do. That means governments need to pay attention to the law that God has built into the universe and see that the people of the world are taught to do the same. Governments reward the obedient and punish the disobedient. They protect the law-abiding and upright and prosecute the degenerate and law-breaking. Governments and the countries they serve are gifts from God. They make life manageable. But they are only servants. They aren’t the king—there’s only one King.
People, though, often have a hard time remembering this. God provides servants, but people treat them like kings. Much too commonly, God’s servants are given the honor, reverence, and allegiance that is rightly due only to the king. But there is nothing in creation that ever deserves your worship. Nothing. To put anything in the place of the King is to reject the true king and choose another. It is idolatry. We expect this from unbelievers, but the problem is not limited to unbelievers. Even Christians who should know better make the mistake, and begin to treat God’s servants like kings. No, they don’t make little statues of their favorite politician or social icon, and they don’t offer prayers to them…not exactly, any way. But, what does happen is that people, even Christian people, begin to look to God’s created servants as if those servants were the source of their security, prosperity, and future well-being.
Like any good American, we make careful plans and arrangements, and when everything’s working, we have nothing to worry about: the insurance kicks in and takes care of things when you get sick, Medicare is there when the prescriptions get too expensive, social security steps in when you can’t work, and your pension sees you through retirement. It’s all nice and predictable and secure. And whenever some new economic, social, or health concern crops up, the cry ascends: “Somebody should do something! Somebody should fix this.” And we expect somebody to do just that. No problem is too great—simply look to the appropriate person or institution or government agency to come to the rescue. It is the accepted way of operating in America. As our standard of living has gone up, so have our expectations…and so has our reliance on those appointed as servants to provide what we need and to meet our expectations. You begin to look to the greatness of America and the American way of life to sustain, enrich, and give meaning to your life. You start to trust the servants and treat them like kings. But, they aren’t in control. The servants don’t set the agenda. They don’t create you or sustain you. They don’t give you life. They aren’t the king. The true king tolerates no competition. You are not to give your loyalty, trust, or worship to anyone or anything else. Who do you count on when things get tough? Where do you turn when you’re in a tight spot? What gives you comfort and security? No man, no woman, no institution, no nation should play that role for you. That’s the exclusive work of the king. That’s what God does.
There are so many things you get to choose living in this great land. You can choose where you live, what you eat, what you drive, what work you do, even who will govern you…well, at least you get a vote. But the choices and options stop at king. You don’t get to choose your king. God and only God is King, and Christians trust the King. And lest you think this is all a given, and more or less to be taken for granted among believers, think again. The reality is that too many Christian people live comfortable lives relying on the system to take care of them the way that it’s supposed to and looking to God only as the final fall back. When all else fails, when there’s no rational cause for hope, when nothing else offers any security… well, then it’s time to turn to God. For too many Christians, God is the King of last resort—only necessary in dire situations. And because most Americans live predictable and secure lives, God is not needed very often. Who needs a king when you are doing just fine by yourself, thank you!? Of course, this amounts to living without faith. It amounts to trusting in the things of this world, and putting your allegiance and confidence in the wrong place. And even when believers do finally turn to God, when all else fails—and it will—and all other means have been exhausted—and they will be—and it is time finally to turn to God, these people do it with something less than real trust or faith. “I guess I’ll just have to trust God…” they say about whatever crisis they must face. But, the words ring hollow and sound empty. There is no confidence, no assurance, no trust and no hope. It’s said out of desperation or out of duty, but not out of faith. Christians have not learned what it means to live trusting God. Instead, they trust themselves and the others around them. Trusting God is just a sentiment or wish—it’s not real. Actually to trust God would be much too hard and too risky.
When life gets tough, when plans unravel, when the system breaks down, when health collapses, where do you look for help? Where should you turn first? What’s a pastor supposed to say to the woman who in spite of all her dreams and all her prayers finds herself divorced and directionless? Trust God? What do I say to the teenager who’s just heard the doctor’s report, “There’s nothing else we can do, we’re sorry but the cancer is aggressive and has metastasized.” Trust God? What do I say to the grieving widower, the young mother praying for the conversion of her faithless husband, the parents agonizing over a rebellious daughter, the soldier shipping out for another tour? What do I say? Trust God? It’s so often said as if it were an idle dream or a Hallmark-card-notion with no real substance behind it. It’s said when there’s nothing else left to say and nowhere else to turn…when all real help and hope and have been exhausted. But, in truth, it is always the only thing to say. Trust God? Indeed. Exactly. Trust God. In every sorrow, and setback and tragedy and terror. Trust him in every circumstance. It is not an empty sentiment or idle wish. It is the only source of comfort and hope in the face of life’s inevitable sorrows and pain. Trust God. And don’t trust him only in the midst of the crisis—only when all other sources of hope have been tried and failed. Trust him from the beginning. Start now. This is the way that Christians live. You don’t look to the servants or the system to take care of you, you look to God. It is the highest form of worship. Counting on God is worshipping God. Trust him daily. In the routine and mundane grind of life, trust God. Look to him, first. Count on his provision. Rely on his protection. Know that he is the answer. It’s not up to the country or the union or the company or even the church to take care of you. It’s up to God…and he will, through all of his servants, he will. He’s your King. He comes to you with salvation. He comes to be your help and your hope. In Christ, you have right now all the grace you’ll ever need.
America may not be big on kings. And most Americans may have a hard time knowing where to turn when life gets tough. But, Christians know the truth. You can’t count on yourself. And you can’t count on the servants of this world. You’ve got to count on the King. You need a king. You need him every single day. Don’t be fooled by the ease and security of modern life, and don’t get tricked by the American way of life into trusting the wrong things. You need the King. You need God…and you’ve got him. The king is here. He comes again this morning in his Word and Sacrament. Trust God? Exactly. It’s the Christian way of life. It’s your way of life. Amen.