Mortal Princes and Divine Sovereignty (Nov 3)

Readings, Psalm 146 and James 2:1-7
 Image, Ethiopian Double Tryptic, artist unknown (C19th)
 
Brutus (well, at least William Shakespeare’s Brutus) stands before a Roman crowd, seeking to assuage their concerns and make his case for why it was necessary to slay Caesar.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my
cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me
for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour
that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom,
and awake your senses that you may the better
judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear
friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love
to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend
demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my
answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and
die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all
freemen? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him. As he
was fortunate, I rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I
honour him. But, as he was ambitious, I slew him.
There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honour
for his valour, and death for his ambition.
 
Brutus had placed all his trust in Caesar, but Caesar could no longer be trusted, his ambition could no longer go unchecked. The great tragedy is that for all of Brutus’ nobility and reason, he too loses the trust of Rome, and his plans for the republic thwarted. Despite his rival Antony declaring him the noblest Roman of them all, Brutus (along with those who followed him) see the towering sprout of their vision shrivel into dust with his death.
 
The psalmist sings, Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. Scepticism and caution toward human authority is a theme which runs like a river through the Bible. It is not that there aren’t noble human leaders, or voices in scripture heralding the importance of obedience to human authority, but a strong voice remains which warns that any allegiance to a mortal ruler is bound to end in ruin. Whether that ruin comes through corruption, failure or betrayal, or whether, simply, with the natural end of life, no one is immune: Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.   
 
We’re coming toward the end of the liturgical year, which culminates with Christ the King Sunday. And as we approach, we’ll explore some psalms which draw us into the mystery, paradox, and hope of Christ’s sovereignty. Today’s psalm establishes perhaps the cornerstone of the confession of Christ’s kingship, that while earthly princes and power structures might be expedient and necessary, none can be trusted in the way Christ can. None warrant our allegiance in the way God does. All are relative and contingent, compared to the eternal and universal sovereignty of our God.
 
Now this distinction is important for a few reasons. First, as already hinted at, it recognises that human leaders have all-too-human limitations. To uncritically and unreservedly pitch our tent in their camp will not only lead to disappointment but can all too easily lead to ruin.
 
James warns his congregation against the favouritism they are showing to the prosperous and the powerful, the kind of blind allegiance they give over to the ruling classes (who James reminds them are their oppressors!). To go all in on the princes of this earth (whether they are adorned with crowns and followed by soldiers, or adorned with honour and followed by sycophants) and give to them the best of this and the first of that, not only places them on the thrones belonging only to God, but leads us to dismiss and denigrate those whom God is known to be for.
 
[The Lord] executes justice for the oppressed;
   [The Lord] gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
   the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
   God upholds the orphan and the widow…
 
As a direct counter to human princes, the psalmist details this as the character of our God. This is who we are commended to trust and praise. For unlike mortal princes and power structures (which the long sweep of human history alerts us are quick to kowtow to the preferences of those with money), God is not swayed by human riches, but takes the side of the downtrodden and forgotten.
 
Christ is our king, God is our sovereign, because – in having no need of human offerings or help – God cannot be swayed by the corrupting influences of power and prestige. Instead, God is free to take up the causes of the lowly without having to watch poll numbers and election cycles. But our allegiance to this God is earnt by more than a kind of affection for the poor; as if it were enough that God paid heed to the kingdom’s margins from an insulated throne room. No, we praise and trust our God because Christ gave up divine glory to take the form of a servant; lowly born among the oppressed and bowed down. We praise and trust because Christ demonstrated true greatness comes through service and true love is shown in laying down one’s life for one’s friends. It is not only God’s preference for but presence with the poor and oppressed that frees us to trust fully in Christ the King.
 
But this freedom to trust comes from something else as well. For unlike Brutus, we do not need to worry over what Christ would do with too much power. We know already that he has already been given all authority over heaven and earth and this he uses to intercede for us in mercy until the day he comes to turn the swords into ploughshares and wipe all tears from our eyes. Because we can trust Christ to be uncorruptible, trust God to always be the One who watches over the stranger, orphan, and widow, we do not have to spend our days with one suspicious eye trained upon our king. Unlike Brutus we do not have to fret and sweat through the night wondering whether we must take up the sword for the sake of the republic. Nor do we need to spend our days fundraising for the next election or worrying over whether this whole “feed the hungry and free the prisoners” thing will win votes. Instead, we are freed to be simple, grateful, and passionate subjects of God, devoting our days to seeking God’s kingdom.
 
Now such a pursuit may (indeed likely should) lead us into the all-too-human political arena. The confession of Divine sovereignty does not equate to quietism in human politics. For following Christ and seeking God’s Kingdom will lead us into relationships, alliances, and coalitions. Our work in domestic violence, or recent forays into addressing gambling harm, is motivated and spurred on by God's love of justice, by the gospel proclamation of the inherent dignity and of all God's creation, by the confession that Christ has come that we might have life in abundance, and from that place we forger partnerships and work alongside any number of community orgs and council initiatives.  It is in the act of seeking first the Kingdom of God that we  take up pen and write our elected reps, campaign for causes of justice, support movements for dignity, and critique war-mongering and global hypocrisy. The work may look the same as many others in our community,  but  when we do so as a response to our gleeful and grateful trust in God’s sovereignty, we do this work in a different posture. We do so, that is, viewing these mortal princes and power structures as expedient tools, and temporary, imperfect resources. None demand or deserve our ultimate trust or allegiance, none require our uncritical defence or deference, none hold our ultimate hope or promise. Instead, we find our happiness and trust in God and provisional usefulness in whatever the world might offer us as we seek to live in a way that reflects God’s political vision.  
[The Lord] executes justice for the oppressed;
   [The Lord] gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
   the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
   the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
   he upholds the orphan and the widow…

May we, who are subject's of this Living Lord, seek to do likewise.