"A Certain King"

Our parable this morning must have captured the attention of all who were present at its telling .... and instantly. For they heard the strange and commanding words: "The Kingdom of Heaven."

What?! The Kingdom of Heaven?! Remember, this phrase was unknown to the world before Jesus utters it. What an intriguing phrase: the Kingdom of Heaven. Since we were children we have heard it many times. Our ears have grown accustomed to it, we might say dulled to it. But for those listening, hearing it for the first time, it provokes wonder. After all, it appears nowhere in the Hebrew Scriptures (I might add, nor in the targums or the mishnahs .... nowhere in the Jewish tradition). In the New Testament, it occurs only in the Gospel of St. Matthew.

The phrase does not point to a vast abstraction like "King of the universe," so often heard in Jewish prayers. No. It is a kingdom, not even an empire — a term every Judean would have known only too well. For example, St. Paul asserts that he is a "citizen of Rome" (Acts 16:37 et al.). But kingdom ... now, that is something you might walk across in a day's time. And it is ruled by a "certain king," a personality, someone who can be known, even spoken to.

Next, Jesus promises to describe life in Heaven: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto ...." Who would not listen in rapt attention? — what Heaven is like.

As the story begins, we quickly perceive that a high drama is unfolding, for this "certain king" is "settling accounts." What could it mean? Certainly, it is ominous. Then, instantly the action rises to an impossibly high climax:

The ancient Greek word ταλαντον / talanton means "scale or sum." The term in Antiquity was used to denote weight (some scholars say the weight of a person) and to denote volume (equal to an amphora of water in gold). In any case, all agree that one talent of gold signifies a vast fortune. If a talent weight in ancient Rome was measured at 71 lbs, 3 oz., as many historians aver, then ten thousand talents was equal to 711,875 lbs. of gold, or $22,051,040,000 this week on the New York spot market.

What a roller coaster ride! We hear the strange words, "Kingdom of Heaven." Then, we are promised that life in Heaven is to be revealed. Next, we encounter the riches of Croesus, and far beyond Croesus. Even more incredibly, that this sum is owed as a debt to a king. Captivating! But what happens next is even more spell-binding. This hugely encumbered man, who bears this crushing weight, falls to his knees and begs compassion of this certain king. Incredibly, his stupendous debt is forgiven! What sort of king is this who is willing to loan many billions of dollars .... and then forgive the debt?

What happens after this, though, beggars belief. After freshly being delivered from his inescapable doom, and, no doubt, still walking on air, this most blessed man curls his lip and bares his teeth at the approach of a man to whom he has made a small loan. "He took him by the throat," we read, demanding repayment of one hundred denarii.

Now, the denarius, a coin made from a constantly dwindling measure of silver, was the object of derision, for it was constantly being devalued by the Roman authority .... perhaps explaining the urgency for repayment before its value fell any further. One denarius was said to be a laborer's wages for one day. One hundred denarii was not nothing. On the other hand, what is patience and liberality concerning one hundred denarii to a man who has just received twenty-two billion dollars in forgiven debt?

This parable is about surprise having many twists. First, no sooner than we are to learn about life in Heaven (a life of hammocks and lemonade in the imagination of many), we discover that Heaven is about obligation, not carefreeness. What we owe in our daily conduct somehow lies near the heart of Heaven. Things are expected of us — different levels of expectation for different persons. In another parable concerning the obligations of servants, Jesus says, "to whom much is given, from him much will be required" (Lu 12:48) Our own experience teaches us that the saints of Heaven bear many and great responsibilities. Do we not constantly petition them for prayers and advocacy? And do they not respond? That's many billions of people praying to them, petitioning them .... over time. Those who have experienced visitations from the greater life report that it is always on the occasion of some urgency or crisis in our lives, not theirs.

The theme is sounded over and over concerning Heaven and its marvelous Kingdom: Heaven is about being obliged, and every obligation, by its nature, features two aspects of burden: the one who must bear it and the one who benefits by it. In other words, obligation is relationship revealed in its starkest and most urgent terms. Obligation — it lies at the heart of relationship. It is not blithe or casual, much less careless, but vital and compelling. Indeed, compulsion lies at the heart of obligation. Prison and torturers are mentioned in the present parable. And these are important clues unlocking the the story's meaning. For in this we see a universe of two worlds: mercy and compassion on the one hand; prison and torture on the other. And, of course, the story begins with the mention of Heaven. Need we name the other world, where many will be imprisoned and tortured?

Those who were present would have heard irony in Jesus mention of "a certain king." The title for Jesus echoing throughout the New Testament (which of course is written in Greek) is Κυριος (Kyrios) meaning King (often translated as Lord). It occurs more than seven hundred times in the New Testament. Perhaps of greater surprise to modern readers, the title Kyrios is also used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which Jesus and His Disciples used) to refer to YHWH, God the Father. God the Father — His title is Kyrios; God the Son — His title is Kyrios.

The Person of King Jesus is Himself the ultimate twist in this story. He is the Omega, the final Word in all things. And the subject matter, of course, concerns the Last Four Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell. "There was a certain king," He says. The particularity gives the irony away .... to those with ears to hear it.

A certain King stands before us .... or rather we stand before Him. He is the Final Word in all things. He reminds us that the obligations we accept in this life will bear importantly on the life to come. Are we amazed at a twenty-two billion dollar debt? Then, we do not understand the scale and dimension of our own accounts, which will be settled when we die. For the human souls all around us are valued at much more than billions in the estimate of God. Each is potentially a gift to us, precious and needing care, eventually enriching us .... depending on our (and their) conduct. On the other hand, if we should handle the souls around us poorly or with cruelty, then the tally of all those lives becomes a stupendous sum, an unpayable debt. Yet, God's property is always to have mercy .... to a sincere and contrite heart, begging forgiveness.

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like" ..... we listen in rapt attention. .... is like our own world, for we are already in it. It is ruled by a certain King. As the icon of the Pantocrator (meaning the Ruler of All) reminds us, our great King holds blessing in His right hand proceeding from a compassionate gaze. On His left hand, He holds the Book of All Accounts, and His gaze is one of unerring scrutiny.

Our Gospel lesson this morning is simple and plain. Seek His blessing. Receive His forgiveness. And bestow His compassion and care upon all whom you meet. For a certain King will settle accounts. And this is the Kingdom of Heaven: undeserved mercy, for we are all deeply in His debt, and perfect justice, for He sees all and everything, and no detail is missed or forgotten.

Both mercy and justice, both complete and perfect? But how is this possible? We cannot say. Words fail us, and our puny reason shrinks. For the intersection of justice and mercy is a Divine mystery, as mysterious as the Holy Cross.

When the Ruler of All begins a brief parable introducing "a certain king," we hear irony. When He promises to describe the "Kingdom of Heaven," a phrase that has never been heard before, we listen in rapt silence. And when this marvelous Kingdom turns out to be invisibly present where we already are, we realize that we cannot be sure of anything and that our measures and weights and boundaries have failed. But this certain King will take care of that, for he "wishes to settle accounts."

May we open our hearts to His forgiveness and with those same grateful hearts forgive those who seek our blessing.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.