A Different Kind of King

 The word "King" stirs up various thoughts in our minds as Americans. While much of human history and culture has been shaped and ordered by some kind of Monarchy, the concept is less intuitive for us today. However, if even from a historical perspective, we still have ideas about "Kingship" and "Monarchy" both positive and negative.

In the giving or the "law" to Israel, The Lord told the people that they were not to have a king, for kings would levy taxes (in abusive ways), make citizens their slaves, and make war for their own political aspirations. However, God would be a just and righteous ruler for them, if they would but bow to his reign. That said, as the book of I Samuel records, it did not take the Israelites long before they wanted a king "like the other nations" around them. They were interested in a more tangible form of power and protection than being reliant in faith on their Lord God. Like us at times, they thought they knew better than God. They were wrong and learned this lesson (time and time again) the hard way. We also find disappointment and the need for God's redirection, when we take a similar approach to what matters in life.

The coming of Jesus, however, broke the mold of expectations for kingship. He neither used his Kingship for narcissistic glory, nor did he try to amass a huge military force to ensure his reign. He did not exclusively spend time with the self-important and wealthy for the building of a political agenda, but instead congregated with the humble, the suffering, and the poor. Jesus was a different kind of king, and we will revisit his royal entrance into the land of Israel this Sunday.

Like the power-brokers and the "impressive people" of the day, the approach of the ministry and teaching of Jesus seemed silly and ineffective. We as the church today, often succumb to the same foolishness. The Kingdom teaching and life of the Gospel seems too slow, too vague, and too difficult to evaluate when it comes to goal accomplishment (I mean, "if you don’t have a goal, you are sure to hit it!!!"). Power, programming, and wealth seem much more reasonable and tangible ways to build the church. We often prefer leaders "like the nations/corporations/successful leaders around us" than to rely on God's slower, less-impressive ways. But it is only in God's ways that we have God's influence and enduring power.

Let us not be deceived, for God is not mocked. Let us model ourselves and our ministry planning and living to follow our Lord God’s gradual, patient, faithful work of salvation and eternal life - no matter how slow or unimpressive His ways may seem at times.

The way the Christ-child entered the world is a central part of his message. Can we receive it?


See the Video Sermon, "A Different Kind of King" - Matthew 2:1-12, The Second Sunday of Christmas, January 2026.