The King of Hearts

The Rev. Joseph Winston

February 18, 2007

Sermon

Grace and peace are gifts for you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.1
From the dawn of recorded time until today, history has been full of kings and
queens. Some of these leaders were loved by their contemporaries. In general,
these monarchs had fair laws, they kept the peace, and they promoted a prosper-
ous economy. For the most part, King Arthur and King David fit this pattern. Even
today, both Arthur and David are fondly remembered in song and story. On the
other hand, some leaders were absolutely hated by their subjects since these lead-
ers stood as complete opposites to the beloved sovereigns. These monarchs had re-
pressive laws, unmanageable taxation, and a love for war. Roman emperors often
fit this description. We still have the image of Nero fiddling while Rome burned.
The eastern world also had its share of tyrants. Even now, the name Genghis Khan
1
Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians
1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:3

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evokes the picture of one man leading a ruthless war machine.
One strategy that has been effectively used against these poor leaders is satire.
This form of literature uses some combination of humor, exaggeration, ridicule,
and irony to expose problems in politics and other contemporary issues. One of
the most famous examples of satire happens to be the children’s book Alice in
Wonderland.
On the surface, Alice in Wonderland appears to be nothing more than a nonsen-
sical story about a young girl who follows a White Rabbit down a tunnel, through
a door, and into a world where animals speak and everything is rather strange. But
if you look deeper, this tale tells us of the absurdity that was the Victorian era.
One of the most famous sketches that pokes fun at the monarchy occurs when
Alice is invited to play croquet with the Queen of Hearts. This scene opens with
the gardeners, who are cards, painting the white roses red. As Alice makes her
way to the yard, she runs into several other cards that are shuffling for the queen’s
attention. Then the Five calls out,

“The Queen! The Queen!” and the three gardeners instantly threw
themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps,
and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.

First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; these were all shaped like the
three gardeners, oblong and flat, with their hands and feet at the cor-
ners: next the ten courtiers; these were ornamented all over with dia-
monds, and walked two and two, as the soldiers did. After these came
the royal children; there were ten of them, and the little dears came

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jumping merrily along hand in hand, in couples: they were all orna-
mented with hearts. Next came the guests, mostly Kings and Queens,
and among them Alice recognised the White Rabbit: it was talking
in a hurried nervous manner, smiling at everything that was said, and
went by without noticing her. Then followed the Knave of Hearts,
carrying the King’s crown on a crimson velvet cushion; and, last
of all this grand procession, came THE KING AND QUEEN OF
HEARTS.

Alice was rather doubtful whether she ought not to lie down on her
face like the three gardeners, but she could not remember ever having
heard of such a rule at processions; “and besides, what would be the
use of a procession,” thought she, “if people had all to lie down upon
their faces, so that they couldn’t see it?” So she stood still where she
was, and waited.

When the procession came opposite to Alice, they all stopped and
looked at her, and the Queen said severely “Who is this?” She said it
to the Knave of Hearts, who only bowed and smiled in reply.

“Idiot!” said the Queen, tossing her head impatiently; and, turning to
Alice, she went on, “What’s your name, child?”

“My name is Alice, so please your Majesty,” said Alice very politely;
but she added, to herself, “Why, they’re only a pack of cards, after all.
I needn’t be afraid of them!”

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“And who are THESE?” said the Queen, pointing to the three gar-
deners who were lying round the rosetree; for, you see, as they were
lying on their faces, and the pattern on their backs was the same as
the rest of the pack, she could not tell whether they were gardeners,
or soldiers, or courtiers, or three of her own children.

“How should I know?” said Alice, surprised at her own courage. “It’s
no business of MINE.”

The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a
moment like a wild beast, screamed “Off with her head! Off–”

“Nonsense!” said Alice, very loudly and decidedly, and the Queen
was silent.

The King laid his hand upon her arm, and timidly said “Consider, my
dear: she is only a child!”

The Queen turned angrily away from him, and said to the Knave
“Turn them over!”

The Knave did so, very carefully, with one foot.

“Get up!” said the Queen, in a shrill, loud voice, and the three garden-
ers instantly jumped up, and began bowing to the King, the Queen, the
royal children, and everybody else.

“Leave off that!” screamed the Queen. “You make me giddy.” And
then, turning to the rose-tree, she went on, “What HAVE you been
doing here?”

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 “May it please your Majesty,” said Two, in a very humble tone, going
down on one knee as he spoke, “we were trying–”

“I see!” said the Queen, who had meanwhile been examining the
roses. “Off with their heads!” and the procession moved on, three of
the soldiers remaining behind to execute the unfortunate gardeners,
who ran to Alice for protection.

“You shan’t be beheaded!” said Alice, and she put them into a large
flower-pot that stood near. The three soldiers wandered about for a
minute or two, looking for them, and then quietly marched off after
the others.

“Are their heads off?” shouted the Queen.

“Their heads are gone, if it please your Majesty!” the soldiers shouted
in reply.

“That’s right!” shouted the Queen. “Can you play croquet?”

The soldiers were silent, and looked at Alice, as the question was
evidently meant for her.

“Yes!” shouted Alice.

“Come on, then!” roared the Queen, and Alice joined the procession,
wondering very much what would happen next.

Can you ever imagine the Queen of Hearts caring for her subjects? How about
giving up her kingdom for the benefit of her subjects or even for her children?

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 In western monarchies, the idea of abdication was completely outside the
range of experience because everyone “knew” that the king and queen had been
given their power by God. Relinquishing the throne for any reason other than
death was seen as spitting in God’s face. As a result, almost no queen or king ever
voluntarily gave up their throne. Any abdication that might have occurred only
happened during severe political unrest.
Even today in the United States, with more than two centuries after the last
sovereign ruler of the colonies, we still find it hard to imagine any leader, much
less a king or a queen, giving up their kingdom for the good of their subjects.
When was the last time you heard of a dogcatcher resigning for the good of the
community? What about a mayor turning over authority so that people would be
saved? How about a President stepping aside for the country’s good? If we cannot
even envision a human giving the whole lot up for other humans, how can we be
expected to believe in a God that gives it up all for you and I?
But that is the story that we have before us. Jesus has given up everything for
you.
The exact nature of “everything” is very hard to pin down because we confess
that Jesus is both true God and true man. Probably, the best way of thinking about
the concept of Jesus giving it all up for us is to look at the early hymn of the
Church quoted in the letter to the Philippians. Paul quotes this hymn which tells
us Jesus gave up equality with God and He poured Himself out for us.
In an world where your worth is measured by rank and wealth, giving up status
and money shows us how much Jesus loves us. The idea of a lover giving His

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beloved everything continues in the next part of the hymn. Jesus emptied Himself
out for us. This is the literal meaning of the text in Philippians. But since hymns
are poetry and this poem expresses Christ’s love for us, we should read this line
like a Valentine’s Day card. Christ’s Heart melts when He sees you.
With this background on the word “everything,” we can return to Today’s text.
Until now, Jesus has been performing miracles. The broken are made whole. The
outcast are accepted. The sinners are forgiven. Every one of these wonders is
possible only because Jesus is God.
Fast forward to the Transfiguration text that we read today. While Jesus is
praying on the mountaintop, His appearance dramatically changes. Immediately,
Moses and Elijah appear on the scene. Next, these three speak about the upcoming
trip to Jerusalem and Jesus’ plan.
Everything that the narrator has told us up to this point in the text clearly shows
that Jesus is God. Only God would be brilliantly white. Only God would be with
the two great men who had died years before. Only God knows what will happen
in the future.
The story is almost over as quickly as it started. Peter wakes up from his nap
and wants to make time stand still by making three houses: one for Jesus, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah. The Father speaks from the cloud and reminds us that
Jesus is His chosen Son.
Pay careful attention to what happens next. The two visitors then leave Jesus
standing alone on the mountain with Peter, James, and John.
The departure by Moses and Elijah is proof positive that Jesus no longer asks

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for equality with God.
Jesus could have told Peter and the other disciples to build the three houses
so that He could remain on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. Imagine the
possibilities. Go to the mountain and see not only God the Son but, today only,
you can also visit with the man who lead Israel out of slavery and the great prophet
Elijah. Instead, Christ chose to go to the cross alone.
Jesus could have ordered Moses and Elijah to come along with Him to Jerusalem.
Think of how forceful His message would have been if He brought along two of
the most famous Jews of all time. But Jesus did not go to the cross with the resur-
rected representatives of the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus could have called for four squadrons of angels: one to go ahead of Him,
one to protect His left side, another to cover His right, and one to defend His rear.
With that kind of force, He could have conquered Jerusalem and the rest of the
world. Jesus did not do this. No angel serves Jesus until after His resurrection.
Unfortunately, most of the world cannot picture a God that loves us so much
that He gives up everything for us and then does everything needed for our salva-
tion. Because we do not believe this true story, we make up ones of our own. Some
of our favorites fairy tales include, “Do not worry about your future because ev-
ery one has a bit of good in them.” If you believe this, I have some property that I
would like to sell you in the crime-ridden part of town. Another popular but wrong
idea is, “Just do your best and God will like you.” If God knows every single item
about you, do you really think that God will like what He finds?
The Good News in today’s Gospel Lesson is that Jesus gave up everything for

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you and in doing so, He because the King of our Hearts.
Jesus did not stay in His brilliant white clothes on the mountaintop and demand
that you come crawling up to Him. Instead, Jesus took on our dirty rags, came to
us, and died for us. Because of His actions, you are saved.
Jesus did not bring a sideshow to attract followers and charge you a fortune to
get in and see the show. All by Himself, Jesus faced the charges that were thrown
at Him. Free of charge, Jesus gives you forgiveness.
Jesus did not protect Himself with armies of His angels and force you to battle
your way in to see Him. Jesus became vulnerable, suffered, and died. His sacrifice
has given you eternal life.
Throughout the ages, kings and queens have ruled over countries. No matter
if these leaders were either loved our hated by their subjects, the fact is that these
countless monarchs enjoyed the prestige brought on by their power. We can clearly
see this infatuation in the Queen of Hearts’ behavior. Because of this love affair
with control, practically no leader freely gave up their throne.
Contrast this way of life with Jesus. He had everything and gave it all up for
you.
What are you willing to give up so that your children and grandchildren might
hear the Word of God? Are you ready to give up the finer things in life so that your
family can learn of God’s love? Are you eager to spend time here helping your
children and their children rather than doing something else? Are you prepared
to talk to your sons and daughters and tell them the difference that God makes
in your life? Are you willing to have a conversation with God where you ask for

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God’s guidance in our church?
Most of the items that we need to survive, as a congregation here in Liberty, are
notoriously difficult to measure. How does one calculate the capital that a specific
individual needs to invest in Trinity’s future? How do you compute the amount of
time that you must spend at the church? How do you measure the impact of our
members telling their children about Jesus? How can you quantify the importance
of your prayers?
Because we walk by faith and not by sight, no one can ever give you any
specific answers on how much you should support the church. If anyone tells you
that you must tithe to the church, they are wrong. In general, giving one-tenth
of what you have back to God is only a very rough and often inaccurate guide
of how much we need to help others. Individuals with more assets have always
been expected to give much more than ten percent while those people with at the
bottom of the economic ladder have been completely supported by the church.
The same argument holds for giving of talents, speaking to others about Jesus,
and praying for the Lord’s help. If you are ever told that you cannot use your
expertise outside of the church, they are wrong. Every ability that you have been
given by God is for the benefit of others. The work that you perform might happen
inside the church and it could occur elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with being
paid for your work.
The act of witnessing to others is not limited to saying a specific Word. Any-
thing that you hear otherwise is incorrect. God loved us so much that He did not
send us a Word or even a book. God sent His only Son who taught us of God’s

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love in Word and deed. You are God’s children. Because you are God’s sons and
daughters, your actions in the world mirror Christ’s work. You tell others about
God with your words and your actions.
Prayer is not some “magical” way to get God to do your will. Prayer instead is
a conversation where you talk to God and God talks to you. Therefore, if any per-
son tells you that a certain prayer or an established routine will guarantee success
for either you or the church, they are wrong.
The underlying reason why we Lutherans completely reject the idea that any-
one knows how much they need “to do” or even what “to do” is that this con-
versation is really about how much we must “do” to live forever. We teach and
believe that we are completely saved by Christ’s actions. There is nothing that we
can “do” to earn salvation.
Our work for others is done out of our love for them. We feed the poor because
they are hungry. We help our neighbor since they need our assistance. We keep
the church open because people need to hear what God has done for them.
However, we do know that to exist as a church we need these things. We must
have assets: capital, gifts of talents, witness to others, and prayers. If we can use
our recent financial statements as a general indication of our commitment to this
institution known as Trinity Lutheran Church, then we are in trouble.
Our annual budget here at Trinity is slightly under 36,000 dollars. In order to
operate as a church we need three thousand dollars per month or if we assume
four weeks per month, we must have seven hundred and fifty dollars per week.
Our financial gifts have not matched our budget. We did not take enough income

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in January and the same trend is happening this month.
Despite our shortfall, we were able to completely cover January’s deficit and
every bill was paid on time. If we wish to fund the programs at the levels that we
approved at our last annual meeting, we cannot continue our deficit spending.
As a church, we do not know if this decrease in funds is nothing more than
a one-time occurrence that will never happen again or if it is a foreshadowing of
what is to come. Last Sunday at the regular council meeting, the called leaders
of Trinity started talking about our finances and this topic was carried over to our
long range planning session that we held yesterday. It was the desire of the council
that I inform the congregation of our situation in today’s sermon. We will continue
to have this difficult and often distressing discussion during our Wednesday night
Lenten classes that start on Wednesday, February 28. If you have any questions or
concerns about our financial future, please contact any council member or me.
All of us will react differently to this news. Some of us will become concerned
about Trinity’s future. Others of us will not want us to have this conversation. And
yet still others of us will wonder what we can do. All of these feelings are valid
and are to be expected in situations like this.
No matter what happens to this church, remember that God is with us in our
joys and our sorrows and that we will continue to speak the truth in love to one
another (Ephesians 4:15).
One of the constant messages in Luke and Acts is that Jesus, the disciples, and
the early church prays before making any decisions. This is exactly what Jesus did
in today’s Gospel Lesson. He prayed on the mountaintop. This is what we need to

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do: pray. We all need to ask God for God’s help.
“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.”2

2
Philippians 4:7.

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