“The Man Who Would Be King”
Many years ago, Rudyard Kipling wrote a short story called “The Man Who Would Be King.” It was the story of two British soldiers of fortune in India who set out to become the kings of Kafiristan. Some of us were introduced to the story through the movie that came out in 1975, starring Michael Caine and Sean Connery. In the story, these two men travel to the fictitious nation of Kafiristan. In one hilarious scene, through a fluke of fate, one of them, Daniel, is crowned king because the natives believe that he is immortal. As the story unfolds, Daniel begins to believe his own press and that leads him into a series of unpopular decisions where he uses his power inappropriately. At the height of his unpopularity, as luck would have it, a chance incident reveals that he is not immortal and, in the blink of an eye, the people turns on him, toppling his monarchy. The truth is that Daniel was not fit to be a king… not worthy of that title… even though he wanted to be one and chance made him one.
The story of “The Man Who Would Be King” is, on one level, a humorous tale, but, like all good stories, it reaches beyond that to cause us to think about more serious things. In this case, the author, Rudyard Kipling, prods us to ask the questions: What is a king? Who has the right to be a king? What makes a king a good king? In our text today, Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” In all four of the gospels, the wording of this question is the same, and the emphasis, in all four gospels, is on the word “you.” “Are you the king of the Jews?” Let’s pause for just a moment and think about that question, because if the answer was “no”… if Jesus was not the king of the Jews… who would be?
One logical candidate for that position was Caiaphas, the high priest. Certainly, as the highest-ranking member of the Jewish faith in Palestine at the time, he would be the natural choice to be called the king of the Jewish people. After all, the Jewish people were tied together by their religion… and, in their history, their kings were expected to be protectors of their faith. Caiaphas had a high position and great power as high priest. There were privileges that he had in that position that even the Romans deferred to. He was certainly “a man who would be king.”
But Palestine was part of the Roman Empire. And Caiaphas did not want to offend the Romans. He was aware of the privileges that he enjoyed. He knew that his privileges were being threatened by this upstart preacher, Jesus, and that this man needed to be silenced. But Caiaphas saw that this itinerant preacher was attracting large crowds of Jews who were being drawn to Jesus’ vision of the kingdom of God. His popularity was eroding the strength of the priesthood among the Jews. It was important that Caiaphas act, but he needed to do it in a way that would not offend the Romans nor anger the Jews who liked this scruffy preacher.
Then, too, this Jesus had magical powers. He was a miracle worker and stories of his healings had reached Caiaphas. He knew that many believed that Jesus could be the son of God, the Messiah. And Caiaphas was not willing to take the chance that perhaps God was behind this in some way. He needed to get rid of Jesus, yes, but not in a way that would taint him, or anger the crowd, or upset the Romans. What better way to get rid of a problem and get out of this mess than to turn the man over to the Romans and let them deal with it. Caiaphas was a man who wanted to be a king, but he abdicated his responsibility. He, like Daniel, was not worthy to be a king.
So, who else could there be? If Jesus was not the king of the Jews, and Caiaphas was not the king of the Jews, who would be the next logical choice? At the time of Jesus’ trial, Palestine and all the lands on eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea were occupied by the Romans. They were part of the far-flung Roman Empire… not an important part, but still subject to Roman rule. Because these lands were part of the Roman Empire, it would make sense to say that the emperor was the “official” king of the Jews at the time. By virtue of his appointment as procurator, Pontius Pilate was the emperor’s representative in that region. Therefore, Pontius Pilate was the de facto king of the Jews. For anyone else to claim that title would be tantamount to insurrection or, at the very least, sedition. While Pontius Pilate might not have wanted to be the king of the Jews… for the Jews were not known to be a quiet and obedient people… he wasn’t going to let anyone else claim that title. So, it was important for Pontius Pilate to learn whether Jesus was claiming to be the king of the Jews. “Are you the king of the Jews,” he asked.
Jesus answered him with a question, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” And Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” By denying that he was a Jew and placing the blame for Jesus’ arrest back on the Jewish leaders, Pilate unconsciously did three things. First, he clearly indicated that he was not responsible for what was happening to Jesus. He also implied that he was not subject to any of the laws that governed the Jews. He also admitted his ignorance of all that had been going on in the province to which he had been assigned and in the lives of the people he had been appointed to govern. Are these the actions of a king? He, like Caiaphas, abdicated his responsibility in this matter. He, too, was not worthy to be the king of the Jews.
Jesus responded to Pilate’s question by saying, “My kingdom is not from this world”… and “My kingdom is not from here.” In those two sentences, Jesus revealed two things: First of all, he admitted that he had a kingdom and, therefore, must be a king. Secondly, he indicated that his kingdom was not in Palestine and therefore, should not concern Pilate’s. Pilate must have been amazed. A poor carpenter from Nazareth…a king? So, Pilate asked again, “So you are a king?” Again, the emphasis was on the word “you.” This time, Jesus responded, “You have said that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
That last phrase sounds familiar, doesn’t it? “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Where have we heard that before? Actually, the writer of John has used this phrase before. It was when he talked about the “Good Shepherd” in chapter ten. He said that the good shepherd would enter the sheepfold by the gate and that the sheep would follow him because they recognized his voice. A thief would not enter by the gate and the sheep would not follow him because the sheep would not recognize his voice.
It’s appropriate for John to bring back the analogy of the shepherd into Jesus’ claim to be king. Ancient Israel often used the analogy of a shepherd for kingship… for the qualities of a good shepherd were also the qualities of a good king. Do you remember those qualities? A good shepherd cares for the sheep… brings them to fresh pastures and still waters … a good shepherd also searches for the lost sheep, leaving the ninety-nine to find the one that is missing… and, if necessary, a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
It is interesting that all the stories of good shepherd say nothing of what the shepherd looks like… speak nothing of the shepherd’s wealth, power or prestige… but focus entirely upon the shepherd’s actions toward those who are in his care. Contrast that with the picture of Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate. The stories of Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate focus upon their position… their power… their own desires… and their use of their office for personal gain. Just like the story of Daniel from the movie, “The Man Who Would Be King,” their focus is in the wrong place. They use their position for their own selfish ends. The good shepherd, on the other hand, seeks what is best for those in his care, taking whatever steps are necessary to insure their welfare, even if it becomes necessary for the shepherd to die so that the sheep might live.
Who is the greatest example of a shepherd king that we have in the Bible? Isn’t it David… the boy who was a shepherd when he was anointed king of Israel… who became the greatest king of Israel? John Kuhns read the last words of David from 2 Samuel today. In that passage, David talked about the qualities of a good king. He said that “the One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.” Can you hear the words of a shepherd in those words? David goes on to say, “Is not my house like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?”
Don’t we all long for leaders like that… ones who will rule justly… ones who have a covenant with God? Don’t we long for leaders who will take us to greener pastures and lead us beside still waters… in whose care we can live without fear? Aren’t these the leaders who are worthy of leadership… the ones who are worthy of being kings? Why are leaders like these in such short supply? Why, at every level of leadership, do we find those who, like Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate, are focused on their own power, their own prestige, and the privileges that they enjoy in those positions? Why, at every level of leadership do we find those who abdicate their responsibilities as leaders and dump their problems on others… who, like Daniel in Kipling’s story, use their power in inappropriate ways?
Jesus said to Pontius Pilate, “You have said that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Are you listening to the voice of Jesus? Truly listening? Remember that the sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd. They listen to that voice and follow him. They don’t listen to the voice of thief who comes in the night, because they know that the thief is not their leader. They know the shepherd and they know that the shepherd cares for them. They know that the shepherd has always provided fresh pastureland for them to graze and still, cool waters for them to drink. They know that the shepherd has always sought for them when they were lost and brought them back to the fold. They know that the shepherd would lay down his life for them, if danger threatened.
Of all of the people we have examined this morning… Daniel, the king of Kafiristan… Caiaphas… Pontius Pilate… King David… and Jesus Christ… there is only one who is worthy to be our king… and that is Jesus Christ. This is our good shepherd… this is Christ the King! This is the man we worship today… God Incarnate… the one who showed us by his life and by his death what it means to be a king. This is the child whose coming we will celebrate in the coming month… the one who gave up his kingly crown to come to earth to live among us as our brother. This is the God who loves you… the one who loves me. This is the one who seeks you… the one who seeks me. This is the one who stands at the door and knocks… hoping that that we will open the door. This is the man who laid down his life so that you and I might live forever. This is the man worthy to be our king!
And so, today, let us listen for his voice in our lives. Let us follow him, as the sheep follow the good shepherd. Let us be the leaders who are worthy of leadership… and follow the only one who is worthy to lead us. And, in the days, let us celebrate with joy the coming of his kingdom and his rule on this earth! For he, Christ the Lord, is our king! Amen.