Prophets and Kings
A TALE OF TWO KINGS
Last year, two important events converged: We celebrated the prophetic witness and legacy of Martin Luther King, and observed the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States, who wants, more than anything, to be king. The contrast between these two men could not be greater.
On the one hand: Our president wants to rule with absolute and unquestioned power. He wants to build walls around his kingdom and expel, or lock up, or censure anyone who is perceived to be disloyal, disrespectful or disagreeable.
On the other hand: Martin Luther King was a leader who, like Jesus, came to serve, not to be served and to free people because no one is free until we’re all free. Because we’re all victims of oppression, including--and maybe especially--the oppressors.
Unlike the president, MLK wasn’t a man of power, he was a man of authority. Power travels from the top down. Authority travels from the bottom up.
The instruments of power are fear and coercion; the instruments of authority are trust and relationship. Power is taken; authority is given and earned. Caesar had power. But Jesus had authority. Martin Luther King was not a king, but a prophet.
And what made the convergence of these two events such a biblical day is that prophets and kings are always paired together: you don’t get a king in the Bible without a prophet—Moses and Pharaoh, Samuel and King Saul, Samuel and King David, Nathan and David, Nathan and Solomon, Elijah and Ahab, Elisha and Jehu, Isaiah and Hezekiah.
ISRAEL WANTS A KING
But before Israel had a king and became a nation, it was a covenant community led by God through Judges and Prophets. But at some point the people grew dissatisfied. They wanted more. They wanted to become a nation. They wanted what the surrounding nations had: they wanted a king who would reign over them; they wanted a leader who would take them to war and go out in battle with them; they wanted their leader to rule with power.
They wanted a strongman, someone who would tell them that, If I'm king, I will have that war with the Philistines settled in one day, 24 hours.….even if it wasn’t true.
The Prophet Samuel is incensed by the people’s demand for a king and he relays this conversation to God. God and Samuel organized the very first “No Kings” Rally. God tells him, “Samuel, they haven’t rejected you, they’ve rejected me.” God says, if that’s what they want, then I’ll let them have it. I’ll let them have a king like other nations.
In 1 Samuel 8 God says, just tell them that:
“These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots, and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. He will take the best of your cattle and donkeys and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And on that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves….but the Lord will not answer you on that day.”
You see, that’s what kings do: they take, and take, and take, and take from the people: they take sons, and daughters, and fields, and vineyards, and orchards.
And Israel often fell into the trap of believing that if they could just crown the right king…then everything would be alright…but we know that even the best kings abused their power; even the best kings were at odds with the people because power is seductive; it’s addictive. It must have a counter balance.
TAKING UP THE MANTLE
And sometimes it’s easy for us to fall into the trap of believing that if we can just get the right leader elected--then all of our troubles will be over; then we can hang up our mantles and rest.
But scripture tells us that every king needs a prophet, a counter balance--even the best ones. Even the ones we voted for. This isn’t a red or blue thing, or a left or right thing. Every leader needs a person--a people--to speak truth to power; to be the moral conscience of the nation, to call the people and leaders to repentance.
Last year’s convergence of historical events, in some ways, felt blasphemous. But in other ways it couldn't feel more appropriate, because it reminds us that every king needs a prophet; every leader needs a public voice of conscience to disturb them.
God, let the voice of the church be the conscience of our nation’s leaders; let the voice of the church be a prophetic witness; let the voice of the church speak truth to power for the sake of the powerless. So often it’s propped up the powerful and enforced the status quo, God forgive us.
May we take back up the mantle that Samuel has left us; that Moses, Elijah, and Elisha have left us. The mantle that Martin Luther King has left us; the mantle that John Lewis, Jim Lawson, Diane Nash and Bill Barnes have left us.
In the waters of baptism we’re called and we take vows to “resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” May we live into our baptismal covenant. May we drink plenty of water, get good sleep, pace ourselves, put our work boots on, and take up our mantles. Because we have work to do.