READING: John Ch 18 v 33 – 37
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

SERMON:

I once watched a film that was about a group of lawyers. Part of the film revolved around a female defence lawyer who represented a man convicted of two brutal killings before a parole board. The man was seeking release from prison after serving 14 years and she succeeded in getting him released.

A police man who was present at the original crime scene gave the lawyer a rough time after the hearing, telling her that she should not be representing such people, that the man she was defending was nothing but bad.

Later that day the police officer discovers that the lawyer’s mother had died from cancer the night before and so, the next time he sees the lawyer he says, “I’m sorry, if only I had known your mother had died I would have been a lot easier on you.”

Another character in the story – the prosecutor, also gives the lady lawyer a hard time for representing the killer before the parole board – and she too, later hears about the mother’s death.

The next time the prosecutor sees the defence lawyer she also says to her -“Sorry, If only I had known I would have been a lot easier on you.”

Now this got me thinking just how often we in fact say and do such things. Sorry if only I had known?

It happens all the time in the bustle of daily living when we often fail to recognize what is happening around us, we forget what it is that we should be about.

Sometimes we burden other people with our complaints and troubles, only to discover later on that the other person is dealing with their own emotional burden, a burden that is often far heavier than our own.

Other times we may, in good humour, tease someone, thinking that we know them well enough to have a bit of fun with them, only to discover later on that they are very sensitive about the thing we thought was safe to tease them about.

And then we realize that we have blown it and we seek out the person concerned and in almost every case we say something like this: If I had known, I would not have said that, If only I had known.

I mention this today, because as we come to the end of the church year, we are asked to remember that Jesus, who when all is said and done, is our King. And I can’t help thinking that when it comes to our obedience to our king, when it comes to our willingness to show him our respect and honour, many of us end up making the same mistake with him that we make with other people and probably saying ‘Sorry if only I had known’.

So what is this – If only I had known excuse anyway?

I think it is a genuine kind of excuse, people are very sincere when they offer it, but does it really count for a lot in the long run?

For after all shouldn’t we be caring and loving and respectful all the time? Shouldn’t we always pay attention before we say or do something? Do we know what situation or problem the other person may be facing in their life life?

Shouldn’t we honour our Lord and our King all the time, and not just at special times like on a Sunday?

Think of the crucifixion of Christ for a moment.

Just about everyone there from the guards and the Pharisees, to the thief on the cross next to him, taunted Jesus, saying to him: “If you are the messiah, if your are the king, then save yourself – and save us.”

It is pretty obvious that none of these people recognized Jesus for who he was. I believe that if those who acted this way at the foot of the cross could come back and stand before Christ today – as we can stand before him – they would say to him: “Sorry Jesus, If I had known I would have gone easier on you, If I had known I would have taken your part, I would have wept for you instead of jeered at you.”

So what does it mean to claim that Jesus is our Messiah, our King, our Lord, if it does not mean that we are to act differently? To show him our respect? And to strive to honour him and obey him and serve him at all times? And never more so – so some would say – than when is he actually here with us?

What happens when we fail to recognize that our God and our King is actually here among us? I want to leave you with one final story …

A Guru was mediating in his Mountain cave. When he opened his eyes he discovered an unexpected visitor sitting before him, the abbot of a well known monastery. “What is it you seek”, asked the Guru

The abbot recounted a tale of woe. At one time his monastery had been famous throughout the western world. It’s cells were filled with young candidates and its church had resounded to the chant of its monks.

But hard times had fallen upon the monastery. People no longer flocked there to nourish their spirits, and the church was almost silent. There were only a handful of monks left and they went about their duties with heavy hearts.

The abbot asked the guru “Is it because of some sin of ours that the monastery has been reduced to this state?”

“Yes”, replied the Guru, “a sin of ignorance.” “What do you mean?” asked the abbot.

“One of your number is the Messiah in disguise and you are ignorant of this”, replied the Guru who then closed his eyes and returned to his meditation.

Throughout the journey back to his monastery the abbot’s heart beat fast as he thought that the Messiah himself – had returned to earth and was right there in his monastery. How was it that he had failed to recognize him?

Back in the monastery the abbot assembled all the monks and told them what he had discovered. They looked at one another in disbelief. The Messiah? Here? But he was supposed to be here in disguise. Who could it be? Brother Prior? Brother Cook? Brother Sacristan? Brother Treasurer? No, not he; he had too many defects, alas. But then, the Guru had said he was in disguise. Could those defects be part of his disguise? Come to think of it, everyone in the monastery had defects. And one of them had to be Messiah.

One thing was certain. If the Messiah was there in disguise, it was not likely that they would recognize him. So they took to treating everyone with special respect and consideration. “You never know”, they said to themselves when they dealt with one another, “maybe this is the Messiah.”

The result was that the atmosphere of the monastery became vibrant with joy. Soon there were those were seeking admission to the order once again and the church echoed with the holy and joyful chant of monks and visitors who were aglow with the spirit of love.

Jesus, our Messiah, our king, is here today somewhere in this church, somewhere in this community.

He has no form of majesty about him, there is probably nothing about his appearance that we desire but he is here.

And we owe him – for he is our King and our saviour, we owe him our praise, our obedience, our special honour and care, not just in our times of prayer – when we address him upon his throne, but in each minute of each day as we meet him as we go about our normal business.

None of us can really say to him – if only I had known, for we do know him, we are called to show our respect and our devotion to him and his teachings each and every day for he is Jesus our King. Amen

PRAYERS

Let us pray to God, King of Heaven and Lord of all the world.

Bless the Church, the Body of Christ, and make her worthy to claim him as her head. Guide your ministers and all who lead to be good shepherds of their flocks, faithful in word and praise to you.

Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer

Spread through the world the spirit of love and care. Bless those who work to relieve suffering. May all the nations acknowledge Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer

Inspire our community with concern for those in need. Help us to spread to our neighbours and those with whom we work the good news of Christ as Lord.

Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer

Have mercy on all who are in want of food or drink or clothing and the sick. Through human hands, bring them the relief that comes from your love and power.

Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer

We pray for those who have died and those whose funerals have taken place this week and for those who have been called from this world to be with Christ. By his kingship of the living and the dead, grant them rest.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

And so we bind our prayers together in the words that Jesus taught his disciples;

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen

Revd Kevin Charles
Priest at St Wilfrid’s and St Thomas’ Kirkby in Ashfield