Yet Jesus, our king, became vulnerable to the whole world.
Jesus became vulnerable to the soldiers, the very people who poked him, prodded him, and measured his body so he would be affixed to the cross properly. They did not really care whether Jesus was innocent or guilty at that point. After making sure he was on the cross, they made a game of dividing his possessions. The soldiers knew Jesus couldn’t be a king. Their king was Caesar, and they had only seen pictures of him. With Jesus, on the other hand, they saw every scar and every tear.
The religious leaders teased him relentlessly, confirming that they were indeed right all along, this guy was crazy. They wrote the sign “this is the King of the Jews” in order to make an example of him—like a political cartoon caption describing the party the cartoonist didn’t like . Jesus’ crucifixion had confirmed that they would still yield some power and maintain the status quo for a long time to come. In fact, the leaders had studied the scriptures, and they knew for sure what the Messiah would look like. He would be handsome, have charisma, and tell them exactly what they needed to do. He would have conquered Rome by now, and the kingdom would be peaceful and prosperous with the Jewish God as the one true God. This Jesus guy told weird stories, rode on a donkey, and had a ragtag team of followers of the most unsavory sort. His friends and followers included a tax collector for Rome, a woman living in sin, a former demonic, a few beggars, and some fishermen. A king would never hang out with anyone like that.
But yet our king, Jesus, befriended the people that no on liked, and became vulnerable to people he knew may damage his reputation.
I knew of a teenage girl who to the risk to befriend people who had been neglected by everyone else. She saw that some students with cognitive disabilities were never invited or included in the high school prom. So her senior year, she decided to personally invite the students to prom with her. She danced with them and took pictures with them, and smiled with them. She enjoyed herself and enjoyed their company. There was a risk involved in her decision. Her boyfriend broke up with her, and I’m not sure if many students talked wit her at the prom. However, she was open, was vulnerable to these students who were also created in the image of God.
I wonder where we would place ourselves if we were standing there at the crucifixion scene, looking up with Jesus. The rest of the people stood off to one side. Would we have laughed at the saying “King of the Jews” above his head? He was not powerful, he did not have any money, and what little he had was currently being divided by the powers that be. Would we have been one of Jesus’ followers, but were too afraid to claim him now, like Peter? His disciples appeared to be Jesus’ closest friends, yet they had probably ditched him when he was sentenced to death. Or would we be with the women, who were wringing their hands and dabbing their eyes? The women shuttered when the guards offered Jesus leftover wine. They closed their eyes and focused their face downward when Jesus cried out in pain. They felt totally helpless to comfort Jesus, and maybe avoiding Jesus’ face was the best way for them to cope. Or could we be the former demoniac standing in the back of the crowd, looking in disbelief at the scene? Is this how the life of Jesus would end? Is this what the reign of Jesus was supposed to be like?
Then, Jesus our king speaks, perhaps softly, struggling to get the words out between breaths. “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus opens himself up, and becomes vulnerable to the point here can offer others love even though they have harmed him. One of the thieves sneers at him, thinking that Jesus must be hallucinating. Jesus must have dishonored his father long before he was hanging on the cross.
I wonder for whom Jesus asks for forgiveness. Is it just the leaders and the soldiers, who actively participated in the execution? Is it the thief who mocks him? Or, could it be the crowd? Why would the crowd need forgiveness? They had not put to death an innocent man. It was not their fault that their government had chosen to make an example of Jesus. The crowd just hoped they would not end up with a similar fate. They knew a king wouldn’t dare ask for forgiveness of people who had harmed him. If he did, he would open himself up for ridicule and rejection.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes the power of forgiveness as a way to provide healing and reconciliation in his native South Africa. He celebrated the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s decision to forgive persons who perpetuated apartheid whether they expressed guilt or not. It was the Commission’s belief that only in forgiveness can people move forward in life. Tutu had forgiven the persons who had denied him jobs, paid him inadequate wages, ridiculed him, and treated him less than human . The commission’s forgiveness was universal, even though only a few people acknowledge they were guilty. Could a king ever do that?
I wonder if it was in this act of Jesus’ forgiveness that one criminal chose to believe. And really, all it took for the criminal to believe was to listen. In listening, we can allow others to be vulnerable to us. And maybe in their vulnerability, we experience love. JJ Heller, a Christian folk artist, recently came out with a song called “What Love Really Means.” In the last verse, she describes a prisoner sitting in his cold, dark cell, reflecting on his crime for probably the millionth time. Guilt surrounds him as he waits to die. He suddenly hears a voice, telling him “I know you’ve murdered, and I know you’ve lied. I’ve seen you suffer for all of your life. And now that you’re listening, I will tell you I love you for you. Not for what you have done or what you will become. I will love you for you.”
Listening. That’s the way we can be vulnerable, opening our arms in the world. And maybe being vulnerable is a part of what God’s love really means. Vulnerability that involves listening helps us understand how God views the world. Maybe when we listen, we see what it means for Jesus to be our king.
The great thing about Christ as our king is that he offers us love even though we don’t feel we need it or want it. He becomes vulnerable enough to risk hurt and rejection. Jesus is like the mother who kisses her child goodnight after he told her he hated her. The child may not even realize he needs forgiveness as he is tucked into bed. We become like Jesus when we welcome everyone to our church with a smile, despite any preconceived notions we may hold. I think our church is being like Jesus this Thanksgiving, opening our arms to our community with a free thanksgiving meal, and not knowing how they will respond or if we will ever see them again .
With Jesus as our king and guide, let us risk becoming vulnerable to the world, knowing the love of Christ can transform us and empower our ministry.
Paul D. Duke, “Calling Forth the Kingdom.” Christian Century, November 8, 1995, 1043.
JJ and Dave Heller, “What Love Really Means.” From the album When I’m with You. http://jjheller.com/article.asp?id=lovemelyrics. Accessed November 13 2010.
Christine Scheller, “How Far Should Forgiveness Go?” Christianity Today online magazine. Posted 22 October 2010.
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