TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA . . . - A the time of writing were there only seven established communities of faith? Paul’s writings and also Ignatius seem to posit many more Christian enclaves of varying sizes and practice and belief. Seven looms significant in this book; thus, seven churches could suggest "the wholeness of the church." [1]

FAITHFUL WITNESS - Compare the opening of one of Paul’s letters (1 Corinthians 1:1, for instance), with this greeting, noting similarities and differences. The Trinitarian formulation which appears here is similar to 2 Cor. 13:12 and Mark 1:10. Notice also the way Jesus is described-as the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the Dead, and Ruler of the Kings of the Earth. As the faithful witness, Christ gives followers a protocol for witnessing even through death. Such is John-a faithful witness exiled on Patmos, who now witnesses to the Apocalypse.

NEW KING & KINGDOM - We may consider the claim in 1:7 that all peoples of the world will lament, to be outrageous when viewed from the perspective of isolated weak communities . . . but such words remind such people of the significance of their position. The poor, the weak, the marginalized are the ones who, despite their lowliness, may be destined to share in the messianic governance . . . whenever Christians meet, they remind each other in their liturgy that the story of Jesus shakes the world. To worship is to have the opportunity to have one’s eyes opened, to have a fresh apocalyptic dimension to life. [2]

Consider verse 7: Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him-even those who pierced him. And all the nations will weep because of him. Yes! Amen! (NLT). How would people in different contexts hear this?

Prisoner? Former Enron Employee? Former Enron CEO? Church?

 

With Christ the King Sunday before us, this passage would be well to move listeners in the direction of the exaltation of Christ as "Ruler of the kings of the earth."

You might review our own understanding of power-impact: how power impacts us depends on where and who we are. I would try to help the listener look at powerful leaders-dictators, Ayatollahs, ceo’s, prison wardens-all from the perspective of a variety of types of people-the jobless, the unionized, the corporation directors and the lowest employees; how does leadership and power impact us?

Shift to Jesus as a potential Ruler. Note his claims, promises, track records, and treatment of enemies, etc. Describe this lesson as visionary-language that suggests how life could be different under Christ’s rule. What would Jesus do maybe needs to be adjusted to "How would Jesus rule?" use vision-language to suggest possibilities.

Thomas Long has a great story that would close this homily in a way that would empower people to act or at least think differently. In a plane flight a man tells about his near comatose son-no response to his parents, nor anyone else’s words or touch. The father explains that one day he enters his son’s hospital room to find a stranger there-apparently a chaplain. What was intriguing was that the chaplain spoke, read Scripture, conversed, and prayed with this man’s son as if he were completely whole and normal. Long suggests that we do the same with the gospel of Christ-we live as though Jesus were already returned on the clouds of heaven.

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[1] New Interpreter’s Bible XII (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998), page 562.
[2] Ibid, page 569.