Which King?

Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15)

Throughout this season of Lent, I have found myself asking the question, “What does it mean to follow Jesus in this moment in history when a President of the US has orchestrated the end of democracy as we have known it and replaced the three equal branches of government with a single authority–in practice, making himself King? Navigating this new reality has included fear, anxiety, fear, concern, and.more fear. But it also has led me to ask another question: To which king will I pledge loyalty in the end?

At Jesus’s trial, Pilate presented a choice to those calling for Jesus’s crucifixion. Where was their allegiance? King Jesus or King Caesar? The Chief Priests (who were appointed by Rome) made their choice clear: “We have no king but Caesar!” Their allegiance was ultimately to Rome and the policies of the Empire. To choose Jesus as their King would have put their positions at risk. For them, affirming their loyalty to Rome was a no-brainer.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were faced with a choice when King Nebuchadnezzar set up the golden statue and demanded that everyone bow down and worship it. (See Daniel 3) This was a classic loyalty test. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down, and they faced the consequences with great courage. And there are always consequences. For them, rejecting loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar was a no-brainer. Their loyalty was to God and God alone.

In these times, we are faced with a choice. Loyalty to the governing ruler (the ‘Caesar’) promises job security, funding, protection and perks. Show any disloyalty, speak against the ruler, or protest unjust policies and you may end up in a foreign prison. More loyalty tests are sure to come, and NOW it is time to stretch and strengthen our resistance muscles.

On Holy Saturday, I plan to attend a protest rally downtown. The most recent threats to migrants (ie deportations without due process and the required Migrant Registry that will result in deportations without due process) and ongoing threats to Medicaid demand a response. I’m going to take a sign with me. It will read, “I have no king but Jesus.”

You’re welcome to stand with me.