More Than a King

Holy Week is one of the best times of the year, in my opinion. Not only does it fall right at the beginning of spring (or towards the end of winter, depending on your climate zone), but it also celebrates some of the greatest Christian mysteries: redemption, forgiveness, and life after death.

One of my favorite books of all time is The Robe by Lloyd Douglas. One part that particularly stands out to me is when Demetrius, a Corinthian slave to a Roman Tribune, just happens to be caught up in the crowd that greets Jesus on Palm Sunday. It's touching how Douglas describes Jesus as weary, saddened, and almost heartbroken by the cheering crowd - perhaps, from a Christian perspective, we can imagine him foreseeing a very different mob, one that screams "Crucify him!" instead of "Hosanna!"

Afterwards, Demetrius is questioned by a fellow slave. When asked to describe Jesus, he has no words. The other slave then asks if Jesus is the king the Jews claim He is, Demetrius replies "No...but - he is something more important than a king."

It's very telling, I think. So often we try to reduce Jesus to labels - "Messiah," "Prophet," "King" - all the while missing the point of His mission. He holds all those titles, but those titles do not define Him; nor is He limited by them. He is fully human, but He is also fully God - the infinite God of the universe who created all things and holds them in existence.

That same God consented to die the most terrible death invented to date, then let His body be thrown in an empty cave for three days. Then, He came back to life and began translocating all over the place in an awesome show of power...and, I personally believe, a bit of Divine Humor. After all, He's the God of All Creation...and He winds up on a seashore cooking fish? That's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong, but I think it shows that God has a sense of humor.

On that note: I wonder what kind of kid Jesus was. Something to ask Mary when we get to Heaven.


God bless,
PHC