Bending the Knee

Philippians 2:1-11

        For the past couple of years I have become intoxicated by a TV show called Game of Thrones. Maybe you have heard of it. For those of you who have a life not controlled by HBO let me give you a brief summary of what transpired this season. Game of Thrones is a mythical country which sort of resembles England. King’s Landing houses the Iron Throne and the head of each tribe desires to occupy it.  This season the person on the throne is a particularly nasty woman who will do anything, include killing her kin to keep the throne. Her chief rival is a woman known as the Queen of the Dragons. The name is not allegorical. She actually has dragons at her disposal. The Kingdom of the North is ruled by Jon Snow, who is quite the heart throb. He died last season but was resurrected, probably due to the outcry of young women who watch the show. Then there is the Army of the Dead, a mass of Zombies who exist in the region beyond the kingdom of the North.

        This season the Zombies are marching south. The Queen of King’s Landing wants to destroy the Dragon Queen. Jon Snow faces the threat of the zombies and knows his only chance for survival is to join forces with the Dragon Queen. But in order for this to happen Jon Snow must “bend the knee” to the Dragon Queen.

        Bending the knee has certainly taken on a life of its own this year. From professional sports to the hottest show on TV, a lot of knees are being bent. So imagine my surprise on discovering in one of the most poetic texts in the New Testament, Paul reminds us when we hear the name of Jesus we all should bend the knee. My response has always been, “Well of course we should. He is Lord of Lords. Jesus doesn’t need a dragon to get my loyalty.”

        But have you ever given a moment’s consideration to why God exalts Jesus and gives him a name that is above every other name? The answer may not be what you want to hear.  In verse eight Paul declares, “Jesus humbled himself.” Do you have any idea how difficult it was for Paul to utter that phrase? When I think of the Apostle Paul a lot of words come to mind. He was brave, persuasive, brilliant, and opinionated to the point of being pig-headed. But I have a hard time thinking of Paul as humble.  Imagine how difficult it must have been for Paul to admit that Jesus, the son of God was not only human but humble. Name one example of any god in Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian or Roman mythology that counted humility as a virtue.

        Yet Paul writes to his dear friend in Philippi. “Make my joy complete. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. And how do you do this? Be like Jesus who humbled himself.”

        There is not a lot of bending the knee these days. We have pretty much divided ourselves into conflicting tribes. Internationally there is the US, Russia, China, North Korea etc. In America we have red, blue and purple states. Locally we have folks for the pipe line and those against it.  Maybe Game of Thrones is so popular because it is such an accurate portrayal of the 21^st Century.  Any sign of humility, any indication of humbleness is perceived as a weakness which will be quickly exploited.

When we find our way to church we claim we are here to bend our knee to Jesus. But do we really believe Jesus wants us to be humble? Our actions show otherwise. I speak as one more guilty than most. My rage can be fueled by a limited vision. I’m not quick to understand the reasoning of someone who disagrees with me. I am informed by a world-view of my own making. Seldom does that include taking the time to consider that someone else’s view might be as provocative as my own. I rush to my office, look up at my wall of institutional degrees, and conclude that certainly Jesus must think like me.

        This morning’s text reminds us that conceit and ego were not invented in the 21^st century. The church at Philippi had hit a bump in the road. Two folks stood diametrically opposed to each other and demanded the church take sides. Paul was asked to step in and solve the schism. In a moment of brilliance the apostle whispered, “Humble yourselves and God will lift both of you up. We are empowered not through rage or anger or might.  We are empowered when we take a knee, not only to Christ, but with those Christ calls his children.”

        I can’t think of a better day to remember this than on World Communion Sunday. This is one of those celebrations Presbyterians got right. It was begun by a Presbyterian minister in New York City in 1933. Our country was a mess. The Great Depression was creating food lines that wrapped around buildings. Roosevelt introduced his New Deal Policy which initially was not fully embraced by members of his own party. An American Nazi party was organized and supported by some prominent New Yorkers. Christians became suspicious of other Christians. Hugh Thompson Kerr went to ministers throughout the city and asked, “If we can’t do anything else together, let’s at least come to the Lord’s Table as one people.” Initially only a few folks outside the Presbyterian tradition joined Kerr.  But by 1940 the first Sunday of October was celebrated as the day Presbyterians, Methodist, United Church of Christ, Lutherans, Brethren, and Disciples of Christ gathered at the table of Christ. Today, denominations all over the world celebrate today as a day of communion and a day to pray for peace.

        I had the honor of eating lunch with Tom Long on Thursday. Tom is a noted theologian who has taught at Union, Princeton, and Emery. Since retirement Tom gives lectures and workshops around the country. I am lucky enough to have known him for some time. I asked Tom why he thought folks are drawn to the idea of World Communion. I love his answer.  He said, “When Jesus was teaching and preaching Augustus Caesar was the most powerful man in the Roman world. In the eyes of most, Augustus Caesar was a god. But Jesus never mentions him.”

        Well sometimes I am not the brightest knife in the drawer so I looked at Tom and said, “What’s your point?”

        “Today the most powerful folks in the world are Merkel, Macron, Trump, Kim and a slew of others. They consume our conversations. But if Jesus were around today, he would respond the same way he responded 2,000 years ago. Jesus would say, “I am about my Father’s business.” Then Tom smiled, “Louie, you know what that business is!”

Indeed I do. It is lifting up the broken and empowering those who are enslaved. It is recognizing those who are never seen and releasing those who have never felt free. It is speaking a word of peace to those at war and word of hope to those who are victims of war. In bending the knee, we are saying to any institution that worships power or any nation that specializes in terror that we are Christians. We need to be about our father’s business.

That is why today Christian’s worldwide come to the table. Then, for the sake of others, together, we take a knee.