When he was transfigured in front of Peter, James, and John, he did not agree to build tents and live there forever with Moses and Elijah. As 2 Peter 1:16-21 reminds us, we have “been eyewitnesses of his majesty,” and because we have seen Jesus, “we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed.” But this Jesus that we know did not come to build an earthly kingdom. Our work in the time of wicked kings is to be sure we are building God’s kin-dom, rather than clamoring around a king, lest the earthly kingdom crush us as it falls.Īs residents of earthly kingdoms, and members of a heavenly kingdom, we have been given the gift of glimpsing life on the holy mountain. Scripture reminds us time and again that wicked kingdoms cannot help but be toppled by God’s justice. And then there’s this business of God’s wrath. We should also not imagine that God’s control means we can ignore our own work to bring about God’s justice. When wicked kings rule, God is still in control, but we should not imagine that God’s control will keep us safe. READ: 5 Lessons for Effective Public Protest The words of the earthly rulers do not frighten God, but rather bring laughter from a God who knows all things. The reply from God comes also through speech – a speech that begins with laughter and ends with the earthly kings bowing down to kiss God’s feet. They’ve taken to the public square to wage a war of words against God. Through their speech, the earthly kings rebel against God. The earthly kings have set themselves against God, as if they might be able to plan a coup d'état to topple the heavenly king. In this psalm we find the nations conspiring, and the people plotting together in vain. Psalm 2 is a royal psalm that, in its original form, was likely read at a king’s coronation. When Scripture is read in the public square as kings are being crowned, even the words meant to authorize their reign are still subversive. Similar to our own presidential inauguration rituals in the United States of America, the public reading of Scripture has been used to both authorize and subvert earthly reigns. In ancient Israel, when kings were crowned, the Scriptures were read aloud. From the days of the first king, no earthly kingdom has ever lived up to the standards of God’s reign. ![]() ![]() In times of wicked kings, people of faith will often say that “God is in control.” But what does that really mean? The people of Israel abdicated God’s control by relying on an earthly kingdom, rather than building God’s kingdom on earth. The leaders we elect are often mirror images of our deepest held prejudices, particularly when we elect leaders who come into control by conjuring up our most terrible fears. ![]() Maybe God still gives us what we ask for. READ: Will You Be Chaplain to the Empire or Prophet of the Resistance?
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