Kings and Truth

Text: John 18:33-38

Today is the last Sunday in the church year. It is called Christ the King Sunday. You may think it is an ancient feast day of the church, as most of our Sunday feast days are. But it is not. The name (and the topic) was an invention of Pope Pius the XI in 1925. That was a tough time for the Western world, and especially Europe, which had just recently fought the first World War and was on the verge of the Great Depression. Peace and justice did not reign. Pius felt that faithful people needed to be reminded that Jesus was their guide, not only on the heavenly trail but in people’s private and public lives in this world. In a time when earthly kings were falling, we needed a more trustworthy one.

We modern types do not have much respect for kings and kingship. So people have—and I have—sometimes called today the Realm of Christ Sunday, or the Reign of Christ Sunday. In one sense, this is more to the point. Jesus never liked or wanted the title of king, referring when necessary to the kingdom more than the king. He does it in today’s Gospel verses. But in another sense what people are looking for, talking about, and afraid of in the Gospels and especially in John, is King Jesus. A person with power who can command fealty, who is wise, and who leads us with goodness to mercy and justice.

The question of Jesus as king dominates this part of the Gospel of John. In a couple of dozen verses John presents seven scenes declaring or questioning Jesus’ identity or ambitions as king. In today’s verses, the issue puts Pilate on the spot.

Pilate is the emperor’s—Caesar’s—man in Palestine. Pilate seems confused. He walks back and forth. He cannot really imagine that this man Jesus pretends to be a king—or The King in John. Are you the king? You can see Pilate’s disbelief and disdain. How could this poor preacher and teacher be king? Yet Pilate cannot afford to ignore Jesus. What would happen to Pilate if the Jesus movement caught hold? Any threat to Rome is a threat to Pilate.

But when Pilate asks Jesus: are you the king? Jesus responds instead with talk about the kingdom and about truth.

Pilate did not take this answer to be about some future time or some heavenly place. Jesus speaks about the kingdom in the present tense and in the present place. Jesus says his kingdom is not from this world, but it is in this world. Caesar’s authority comes from this world; it is a mortal authority. Jesus’ authority does not come from this world. It is not founded on mortal authority. But it is a kingdom in this world in the sense that it applies to our mortal lives here and now. Pilate is right to be worried. Jesus represents and presents an alternative set of moral and political guides. Different from Caesar’s and his cronies throughout history. More truthful, as Jesus says. Pilate asks about kings. Jesus answers about truth.

To testify to the truth, he says. Jesus is not talking about a competition between ideologies. Not a debate about policies, doctrines, or beliefs. Not true facts. More like trustworthiness. Like being true blue. Or devoted. Like a true friend. To be true is to be in alignment with the world as God created it to be. To move smoothly and effortless with God. Like a wheel that is true.

But things rarely go as smoothly as we hope. At times—maybe most times—life is a little vague. A little foggy. Edges and boundaries are uncertain, and we cannot always tell one thing from another, the good from the evil, risk from foolishness, love for others from love of self. We need a way to see what is true. We need clear vision.

The kingdom of God and truth are related. Jesus relates them. Truth is a good answer to Pilate’s question: are you the king? The kingdom Jesus talks about is a world—this world—in which we see things clearly. The life and teachings of Jesus present to us a picture of the way things are and they way they might be. Rulers of this world present another. The question we have to ask ourselves is which picture seems to us to be a convincing reality? Truth should reveal what actually is, what is real. Which picture seems true?

We humans have had a lot of experience living according to the truths of the world—political, philosophical, cultural institutions. And now here we are. Does it seem to you that we see things clearly? This is a practical issue, not a metaphysical one. Which portrayal of the world is most useful to us and to the world?

We desire to belong to the truth, as Jesus puts it. We long for a kingdom of peace, well-being, and contentment for every person. We are drawn to Christ because he seems to us to be trustworthy, deserving of our loyalty, and a true guide.

The opposite of truth is not falsehood but fantasy. We often live in a way that is at least a little fantastic. We think a lot of ourselves, or too little. We deny the suffering of others. We imagine motives where none exist. We hide from ourselves our own sorrow. These kind of things are the fog machines of life. They blind and confuse us.

The opposite of truth is fantasy, but the enemy of truth is indifference. If it makes no difference, why bother? What good is truth in that case? If the truth does not change me, what good is it? If the truth does not lead me to action, what good is it? If the truth does not guide me, what good is it?

We are mere creatures. Truth guides our actions. We need to know what to do day to day. We need to know at each crossroad where to turn. Left, right, straight ahead, or turn back. We need to know when to speak up and when to shut up. We need to know when to take risks and when to play it safe.

Pope Pius was right in a way. Maybe not about kings, but about our need for something like a king. About our need to know how to live.

Peace and justice do not reign. Who comes to guide us? Who says the truth? Whom shall we follow?