The Rebel King

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a blog that talked about Bartimaeus and his famous encounter with Jesus.  He was the blind man who Jesus met along the road and Jesus called him over and asked him one of the most poignant questions of all time, "What do you want me to do for you?"  I was thinking about that passage while I was in one of my classes the other day when it occurred to me what those around him must have actually thought concerning him.  They watched him as he performed miracles.  They saw his generosity to beggars and how he radically changed the lives of those he came into contact with.  They witnessed the moments in which he silenced the Pharisees and exposed their false teachings.  They were amazed at his teachings and the authority that he seemed to have as he drove out demons.  I can imagine that rumors would have started to spread throughout the crowds.  Whispers could have been heard all around asking the same question, "Is this the Messiah?  Is this the King we have waited for?"

You see people had an idea of what the Messiah would be like.  They felt that he would be a new king, one that would restore the Jewish nation and establish an actual kingdom.  Their idea of king would have been based off of the kings of Israel and how they led.  The idea that the Messiah would serve wouldn't even enter their mind.  For Jesus to ask a blind beggar the question, "What do you want me to do for you?" would have been hard to understand by his followers.  To go one step further and actually do what the beggar asked would have been Earth-shattering to them.  It would have destroyed all of their preconceived ideas concerning the Messiah and in most cases, they probably would have simply assumed that Jesus couldn't possibly be the coming king.

As I thought about this, I realized that my concept of a king did not match up at all to Jesus.  If I'm honest, I don't think I really grasped the idea that Jesus was king, only that He is my friend and Savior.  King seemed like such a distant concept, but it was simply because Jesus was not a normal King.  He is a Rebel King.  He rebels against the social ideas about kingship and declares a totally different idea.  He is not constrained by our notions of king, but instead conforms our ideas to his.  We are in the midst of Holy Week.  It begins with Palm Sunday and the triumphal entry.  Looking at it in scripture, you can just sense the excitement.  Here is the new King riding into Jerusalem to ascend the throne.  Yet Jesus's throne is not the same as his followers thought it would be.  Rather he scandalously chooses the cross.  He trades in his throne for the cross and asserts his kingdom by making the ultimate sacrifice.  He is the Rebel King and offers us the opportunity to share in his kingdom, by picking up our cross and following him.  May we follow the King wherever he calls.  To him alone who gave up everything may we swear our allegiance.  May we take up our cross and follow the Rebel King.