Fighting the Powers

Luke 23:33-43; Colossians 1:11-20

One of Paul’s chief messages to the Colossians is that Christ the King has achieved victory over the “power of darkness.”   Jesus came to take on the principalities and powers of this world.  He lived and taught in a way that challenged the powers.  The powers said: “Live and die for the almighty dollar!  Accumulate as much wealth as you can and actively engage in rampant consumerism.”  Jesus said you can’t serve both God and mammon (Matt. 6:24).  The powers said might makes right; Jesus said that those who live by the sword die by the sword (Matt.26:52).  The powers said that Caesar was the most powerful ruler in the world.  Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God is at hand.

Now, what happens to people like Jesus who stand up to the powers?  William Willimon says, “It looks fine for a while; and then the powers get organized.  The tanks roll in.  The powerful, invisible forces get going.  That’s what happened to Jesus.  The powers can’t stand people who challenge them.  The powers rule by the illusion that they have everything under control.  So if someone breaks loose, speaks of a different world, an alternative rule, they get nervous.

The powers nailed up above his head the charge of which he is guilty; he acted like he was in charge when they [felt they] were in charge.  They stripped him naked and publicly humiliated him in his trial and crucifixion.  They celebrated their victory over the would-be king.  And then Jesus hung there, proof that nobody can beat the system.”[1]

Now listen to Colossians 2:15 and see how Paul stands all this on its head: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Surprise.  The cross was not the defeat of Christ by the powers; it was the defeat of the powers by the cross of Christ.  What a great message for Christ the King Sunday.  Rev. Sheldon Sorge states, “Christ the King is the last Sunday of the church year, signifying that the final reality to which the gospel gives witness is that Jesus Christ shall reign forever.”[2]  Christ has the final victory.

However, the powers – like hate, greed, and fear – still call out to us, whispering in our ears that we can’t resist them.  You’ve heard the words:  Put your trust in a big fat bank account rather than in God; hate those who are different than you, rather than seeing the image of God in every person; revenge is a dish best served cold, rather than remembering that God says, “Vengeance is mine.”  But Paul says we can indeed resist the powers, because they were defeated on the cross.  The battle has been won.  Christ has done something about the powers.

Willimon says, “Paul’s vision of the Christian life is thus of a life lived between D-Day and VE-Day (landing in Normandy vs. final victory in Europe).  The decisive battle has been won; the battles we face today are part of the mopping-up operation to implement that victory (in other words, evil can still cause great harm, but not ultimate harm anymore).  In the meantime, we are to live as those who know that the decisive battle has been fought, the war has been won, and we have been liberated to live as those who know for sure who sits on the throne.  There is now only one power we are to obey, in life and death, in life beyond death.  That power has a human face, a face once crowned with thorns.”[3]

What does it look like to fight the powers, to actually live in the light of the victory won on the cross?  Let me give you one example of someone who fought the power of racism by telling you one of my favorite Tony Campolo stories.

Campolo has a minister friend who lives in New York City.  About 15 years ago, he used to eat every day at a greasy spoon.  Every morning, he would go there to order a donut and a cup of coffee.

Then, one day, he stood up and said, “Can I have your attention, I’ve been coming here every day for 3 months, and it’s the same crowd every day, and I don’t know anybody’s name.  So, here’s my name, and I want everybody here to introduce themselves, give me your name and tell me what you do for a living.”  So they went around and introduced themselves.  After that, the place was somewhat friendlier.

Every morning after that, when he walked in, he would greet the people by name: “Hi, Tom, Nancy, Joan, etc.”  It became a warm congenial community of friends.  They found out about everybody’s background, except for the guy who ran the place.  And one day Campolo’s friend pressured him and said, “Come on, we don’t know your name.  What’s your name, your real name.” 

“My real name is not Harry, my real name is Hassim, and I come from Baghdad, Iraq.”  Campolo’s friend said it was like death fell on that diner.  About ¾ of the customers were Jewish, and at that time, Saddam Hussein was rattling his sabers.  The Jews were feeling threatened by the Iraqi people, and here Harry turned out to be an Iraqui.  Dead silence.

The next morning, as Campolo’s friend was shaving, he had the radio on, and the announcer said, “The bombing of Baghdad has begun.”  He wiped the foam from his face, ran to the subway, and got over to Manhattan as quickly as he could, because he wanted to be there before 6:00 a.m., before Harry showed up to open the place.  He wanted to be there to hug him and pray with him and express his concern for him.  Lo and behold, he arrived at the restaurant, only to find that every other person who had coffee in that place was also there, waiting. 

When Harry showed up, they threw their arms around him and hugged him.  They hugged and cried and shared their compassion and their love.  Finally, someone said, “You’re a minister, you pray.”  So Campolo’s friend prayed – he prayed for the people of Baghdad and for the people of America and for the end of the war and for peace. 

And when he finished the prayer, Harry said, “Alright, you still have to pay for the donuts!”  Then he added, “But from now on, the coffee will always be free.” 

Campolo’s friend said that as he ate the donut and drank the coffee, he wondered whether he had ever taken holy communion in a church and found it as sacred and blessed as that moment.  And he wondered as he ate that donut and drank that coffee, whether he was enjoying the body and the blood of Christ, for he remembered him, and his love, and how his love had taken a greasy spoon and transformed it into a community of passionate lovers. (Campolo, Carpe Diem)

Fight the power of racism by showing compassion to everyone.  Fight the power of greed by refusing to get sucked into a lifestyle of conspicuous consumption and living a simpler life.  Fight the power of poverty by joining together with others in supporting organizations like Heifer Project and Habitat for Humanity.  Fight the powers, because Jesus is Lord, and the powers are not.  The battle has already been fought and won.  Victory is assured.  Now, let’s go and live like we believe it.  Amen.