You might consider this whole sermon today to be my "closing
remarks." Today is the last Sunday of the Christian year. Today we wrap up
our whole year in worship by celebrating the eternal cosmic reign of Christ. So
these will be my last words on the revised common lectionary cycle Year B for
2008/2009. Almost every week I get the
last word in worship, the benediction! I know for some of you, it's your
favorite part of the service! But having the last word can be a heavy
responsibility. People put a lot of weight on last words.
The law recognizes the validity and veracity of deathbed confessions and dying
wishes that are well-attested, can trump earlier written versions of a will.
Famous last words are recorded for posterity and assumed to be the summary
statement of a person's whole life.
I found a website this week with a whole list of famous last words. There were
words of the well known, of course. Caesar said, "Et tu, Brute!" Nathan Hale said, "I only
regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." John Adams
said, "Thomas Jefferson still survives," not knowing his old
friend had died earlier on the same day, July 4th, 1826, fifty years
to the day after they had both signed the Declaration of Independence.
There were several other ironic last words like the Greek mathematician
Archimedes "Wait `till I've finished my problem!" Some people
were consistent to the end, like impresario P.T. Barnum who asked, "How
were the circus receipts in
Some people were unprepared to die. Philosopher Auguste
Compte sounded rather arrogant in declaring "What
an irreparable loss!" Of course, he might have been referring to what
he was losing.
Think about it. What would you want your last words to be? If you knew your
moment had come and you wanted to make a statement by which you might be most
remembered, what words would you choose? Would you want them to be pithy words
of analysis, summarizing the message of your life? Would you want them to be
bold words of certitude, demonstrating that you are true to the end? Would you
want them to be kind words of comfort, to free your friends from anxiety about
you? Would you want them to be encouraging words of benediction, blessing those
who follow after you? What would you leave as your last word to the world?
Our Old Testament scripture today contains King David's last words. The Bible
is surprisingly honest about what a pathetic figure David had become in his old
age: his family torn apart by rebellion … his kingdom threatened …
his virility failing. It was a sad end to a great King, and he brought much of
it on himself with his arrogance of power. But the great King and writer of
psalms did rise to the occasion of his death with one more psalm about those
who govern:
One who rules over people justly, ruling in
the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a
cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land. Is not my house
like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in
all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they
cannot be picked up with the hand; to touch them one uses an iron bar or the
shaft of a spear. And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.
We should mail these words to every public official. Leading is supposed to be
about justice, not about power. It sounds to me like David had learned his
lesson.
Then we have Jesus being tried before Pilate, and while these may not be his
last words, they could be called his "next to last words." Pilate asks
Jesus if he is a King, and Jesus resists the term. I think he does so because
he knows what the word means by association with those who have claimed it
through the centuries. Finally, Jesus tells him, "My kingdom is not of
this world." What does that mean? That his authority does not come
from human political or military power? That his rule is in heaven and not on
earth? Or does he mean the dominion of God is simply of a different character
and quality from earthly kingdoms because its borders are the human heart?
"So you are a King!" Pilate asserts, and Jesus answers, "You
say I am a King. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to
testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my
voice." Jesus is all about the rule of truth … the truth that
will finally win out. This is the truth that he has been teaching about the
love of God for all persons and God's concern for the poor, the same message of
justice and righteousness, of accountability and mercy that God had sent
through the prophets centuries before. And, of course,
we know Jesus' seven last words, crowned finally with another version of the
prayer he had prayed in the garden of Gethsemane the night before: "Father,
into your hands I commit my spirit."
Both King David and his descendant, the Christ, faced death by placing
their trust in the eternal God to finish their work … to accomplish their
project of extending God's dominion of justice and mercy over all humankind.
Both of them spoke in trust that their words were not the
last word on the subject … nor even the last words of their own
lives because they were placing themselves into God's hands. They trusted that
God's truth would emerge … that God's way would win out … that God
would have the last word after all.
I think that is what the dominion of God is all about. Our spiritual work is to
extend the dominion of God to all people. But it has nothing to do us with
having power and control over others. The dominion of God is not like any other
principality or power on this earth. They are about power. The dominion of God
is about service. They are about greed. The
We must work to spread this dominion of God in concrete, visible ways in our
own place and time. But we see through a glass darkly. Our ways are not always
God's ways, no matter how sincere we may be. So we work humbly … trusting
the outcome to God. And we work on ourselves more than anything else, because we know we need God's help. And in any work
beyond ourselves, we work with gentleness and grace, because we are serving in
God's name. We know we are mortal. The day will come when our work is ended and
we must trust its completion to God, after all…God has the last word. It is not our kingdom we strive to build
… nor finally even our image of what God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven ought to be … but God's kingdom
as God will build it - for us, through us, and finally beyond us. Not to us, but to God is the kingdom, the
power, and the glory forever. We must never forget that.
Most of us cannot control what our last words will be, nor even that we will have the thoughtful moment to deliver them. But if I
could choose - not that I am planning this very soon, mind you! - I think I
would want my last words simply to be a classic Sunday benediction: "The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all."
"Go in peace. The Lord be with you." " May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love
of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." Or my
favorite, "The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord be kind and gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace." Jesus'
famous last words on earth were not from the cross. According to Luke, Jesus
led the disciples "out as far as
According to James Forbes, more than anything else Jesus was about benediction,
about blessing people. His last words summed up his whole work. That is what he
came to do. Blessing was his life's project. Blessing was what he taught.
Blessing was how he lived. And blessing is the project he bequeathed to us to
complete in his name. Blessing is how we imitate the Christ. Blessing is how we
submit to God's rule. Blessing is how we extend the dominion of God in the
world. If you want to talk about Christian citizenship, then you need to ask
what is our nation doing in this world to bless and not curse people? That is the question we need to be asking of every
action that's taken and every law that's passed. That is the question we need
to press upon the electorate and raise with our
leaders. Because benediction is not our famous last word but our way of life as
ambassadors of the
Well, I've said enough last words on this year of worship together. And they
aren't really my last words, because, God willing, we'll all be together again
next week for the first Sunday of Advent. In truth, we probably shouldn't put
too much stock in last words anyway. I seldom agree with what Karl Marx said,
but I have to agree with his "famous last words." When a servant
asked him if he had any final comment he wanted to record for posterity, he
said, "Go on, get out! Last words are for
fools who haven't said enough!" Surely, in the end, it's not our last
words but our journey of a lifetime that speaks the most. And by faith in God's
promise of resurrection, our last words here won't actually be our last words
after all. And by faith in God's sovereignty and goodness - thank God! - we won't have the last word on anything anyway. God always
has the last word. Because to God alone we admit the final
and glorious "Amen!" Amen to God's rule. Amen to our lives.
Amen to our worship. Amen to the word of God. To the glory of
God, Amen.
May we pray?
Come, Lord Jesus, and claim your crown rights over us. As you bless and
bless and bless us, make us a blessing to those around us today, make us a
blessing in what we say and do this week, make our whole lives a benediction in
the name of the living Christ. Amen.
Rev. Mary Anne Biggs, Pastor
Nekoosa United
Nekoosa