“The Way of Peace: On Earth as it is in Heaven” Nov 20, 2022

REIGN OF CHRIST SUNDAY Nov 20, 2022

Based on Psalm 46, Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:58-79

The “Reign of Christ” can be puzzling – what does it mean? Is

Jesus going to rule on earth as in heaven? Will there be an epic battle, an

apocalypse first? Are we in the end times, and Jesus is going to come

down and reign as a King and make right what is wrong on earth?

Go back 2500 years or so and the Jewish people had never heard

the name Jesus. But they were expecting a Messiah and they wanted

God to answer their cries, to come and fix everything. They were taken

away to Babylon, from their homes, their children were scattered, and

many died. The rulers at the time didn’t care about them.

Through the prophets, they cried out, when is God going to come

and fix this mess?

Come down!

Bring Justice!

Bring peace!

You promised our ancestor Abraham that you would send a

righteous king to save us – you promised!

Some eventually did return home, but many did not. And although

they had some righteous kings, many were just as corrupt as their

oppressors were in Babylon. It was not peace on earth yet.

Then 2000 years ago Jesus came, and they were still expecting a

Messiah, and crying out for justice.

But Jesus wasn’t what they expected. They may have thought,

“When are you going to march into Jerusalem and take over the throne

of David? Fight those evil Roman oppressors and fulfill the promises of

God to our ancestors? That’s what we’re expecting!”

But Jesus said, “No, that’s not why I’ve come.”

Jesus guided them in the way of peace, but they would not listen.

They just wanted him to exercise his authority and make it happen the

way they saw it. To end Roman rule. To save them literally from their

oppressors.

Then his disciples asked him, “When will the kingdom of God

come?”

He said, “The Kingdom of God is all around you, but you refuse to

see it. And the kingdom of God is within you.” But they didn’t want to

hear that. They didn’t understand. They wanted him to destroy their

enemies and give them back what they asked for – their kingdom on

Earth.

But Jesus was saying, “I’m not going to help you fight your

enemies, I’m going to help you love them and forgive them. That’s the

kingdom of God. That’s the reign of Christ.”

In other words, God was not going to pick sides, God sent a Good

Shepherd to guide you into the way of peace.

That is a lot harder.

Jesus planted many seeds of peace in people so they would grow

and spread across the earth. It takes time.

As Zechariah’s song suggests in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus guides

our feet into the way of peace. Maybe Jesus’s reign could be renamed

“The Way of Peace” which points in a direction, not a destination or

time period.

Fast forward 2000 years. And we’re still fearful and crying out to

God for justice. We’re still seeing nation rise against nation and people

living in the streets, and children being destroyed in the name of a

political war that has nothing to do with their welfare.

It is disheartening.

It is tempting to think, when will Jesus come?

When will he come and fix everything?

When will God stop all war and make our rulers just?

Doesn’t this sound like the ancient Israelites who wanted God to fix

everything and do it their way? Haven’t we learned that God’s ways are

not our ways? That Jesus taught the way of peace, not to attack our

enemies?

The good news is, we can have faith in the promises of Scripture

which were fulfilled in Christ. His reign is forever.

He reigns in our hearts and lives if we let him.

He is our example; he is God’s answer to our prayers.

Jesus is still with us. He is still the Good Shepherd showing us the

way to a life without fear, a life of justice and peace for all.

Jeremiah’s prophecy says, “they shall not fear any longer or be

dismayed.” I hear Jesus often say, “Do not be afraid.” Or “There is

nothing to fear.” To be peaceful, despite the world’s ways. To

believe in him, who is with us, when the world frightens us. To

remember to walk in his ways, in his light. To take a deep breath and

keep going, despite the obstacles.

In our Gospel message today, Zechariah offers a song of praise to

God after his son, John the Baptist, is born. He celebrates that John will

be the forerunner of Jesus, the Messiah – who will “guide their feet into

the way of peace.” Such a beautiful image.

It tells us that Jesus came to guide us into the way of peace, not

overthrow our enemies, to teach us how to love, not to fix everything for

us.

Jesus walks with us and guides us, his sheep, it is our choice to

follow him. Jesus showed us the way, he didn’t force his way. He didn’t

make things the way we wanted them.

That doesn’t mean he is powerless, nor are we.

In the Gospel we often think of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, or the

gentle and loving lamb. But he is also strong and powerful, exercising

the ultimate authority of God. For example:

– He CALMED THE STORM, and it obeyed him

– he WALKED ON WATER

– TURNED WATER INTO WINE

– TURNED THE TABLES IN THE TEMPLE

– CORRECTED RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND REBUKED THEM

– CURSED THE FIG TREE AND IT DIED

– HEALED THE SICK, LAME, BLIND, LEPERS

– RAISED THE DEAD AND WAS RAISED

– REFERRED TO GOD AS HIS FATHER, AND THAT HE WAS

SENT BY GOD TO DO HIS FATHER’S WILL

– CALLED HIMSELF MESSIAH AND SON OF MAN WHO HAS

THE AUTHORITY TO HEAL ON THE SABBATH AND

FORGIVE SINS AND OVERCOME DEATH.

Surely if Jesus has the authority to do all this, he can help us with our

problems. He will not abandon us. That doesn’t mean he will make it all

go away, but he will help us when we call on him.

But never once, does he use his power to oppress anyone or

overpower us in any way. That’s a good thing.

Sometimes we may want him to overpower our enemies and make

our problems go away. But that’s not good leadership. He empowers us

to do our part. To have faith, and to follow in his way.

It might be hard for us to accept God’s authority, even if Jesus

seems fair and just, gentle, and strong.

It might be hard for us to let go of our own will and the way we

think things should be. To have things turn out differently than we

expect or think we want.

We all may want freedom and justice and peace on earth, as long

as our lives are never disturbed – but are we willing to follow the one

who taught us how to pray…

Our Father

Who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

On earth as it is in heaven?

Jesus had the authority to forgive us, but he also asks us to forgive.

He was the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep, and the Lamb of

God who sacrificed himself for us, but he is also asking us to follow

him, and to surrender our will to God’s.

The reign of Christ is a SHARED reality – on earth AND in

heaven. Through our baptism and as believers of Christ, we are all

anointed to follow in Jesus’s footsteps, to help bring about the kingdom

of heaven on earth.

How can we help bring about Christ’s reign of peace?

Krista’s 3 Things:

1. Forgive someone today, even if it’s been a long time, even if they

have passed away. The Good Shepherd forgives.

2. Ask Jesus to reign in your life. Do not fear anything and trust him,

follow in his way.

3. Show others mercy who have hurt you. Show them how to love by

being merciful and loving. Jesus showed mercy and love to all.

No one said it would be easy. It’s not a quick fix. It may take a long

time. Jesus may still come down and reign on earth – but he already DID

– we don’t need to keep waiting for him to come. He’s here! We don’t

need him to show us the way again. He IS THE WAY.

But he cannot do it alone. He planted seeds in you and me. It’s up to

us to help them grow. TO FOLLOW HIM. To notice the kingdom of

God is all around us, to share in Christ’s reign, to help create peace on

earth as it is in heaven, even if God’s version turns out differently than

we expected.

Amen.th.