A lot of folks watched the royal wedding recently. I missed it, but am still fascinated by the whole concept of kings and princesses, crowns and curtsy. Modern kings kept all the pomp that fascinates, but have largely been stripped of what really makes them kings. Essentially, we don't mind bowing to them because it doesn't really mean anything. Kings still drape themselves in ermine, but they never lock weary wives in towers or whack off the heads of dastardly traitors anymore. Popes and presidents wield more real power. Kings may hold court, but no judgments occur there.
All of us have been raised in a democracy; we have no frame of reference for real monarchy. We do not know how to think as subjects. A real king commands and expects obedience without question. His proclamations may be righteous or evil. He may make them to rule properly to simply to amuse himself. The whole concept of bowing down and meaning it because if we don't, we will die, brings kingship into new light. A king commands and we obey. We must not only kneel, we must work, we must hand over money and property, we must hand over children, we must take up arms and risk our own lives. We do not vote about this. We get no say at all. Real monarchy breeds squalor, scheming, and rebellion. Still.
And men still want to be kings. You have known someone who held the scepter in your own life. In all probability, you helped hand it to them. I know I have. Then I learned what it meant to be ruled.
No man on earth can be a good king. We don't have the proper equipment. The best kings have occasional glimpses of brilliance, moments of justice and seasons of righteous victory. Goliath is still occasionally killed by a young David and Solomon still sometimes sees clearly enough to figure out that the baby needs to be divided, but no man can rule successfully over others.
You, Lord, knew that when You let the Israelites have the kings they begged for, and those kings turned out the only way they could have--badly. You gave us one King, the God and Man, Jesus Christ. And, while nominal royalty revels to chants of "Long live the King", all those earthly kings will die. You do not.
God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. --Acts 2:36
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."--Mathew 28:18
No comments:
Post a Comment