Kingdom Living - A Battle of Swords & Towels (Revd David Kleinhans)
What does it really mean to confess that Jesus is Lord? In Matthew 16, Peter identifies Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, but reveals that he has misunderstood what kind of Messiah Jesus is. Peter expects a Messiah who conquers with power and the sword. Jesus reveals a different way: the way of the cross, self-giving love, forgiveness and service. In this sermon, David explores the contrast between the sword and the towel. The sword represents the world's pursuit of power, status, control, recognition and domination, while the towel points to the way of Jesus — the King who bends down to serve. Drawing on the work of theologians Jürgen Moltmann, Dallas Willard and Henri Nouwen, the sermon asks whether Christians are merely people who confess the right things about Jesus, or whether we are becoming disciples who actually learn and embody his way of life. The invitation is simple but challenging: Take up the towel, not the sword. Where are we seeking control when Jesus is inviting us into service? Where are we choosing judgement over grace? And where might Jesus be inviting us to become a little more like him? The hope is that the Christ we proclaim at All Saints would become the Christ we embody in the world. Not through power and domination, but through the self-giving love and service of Jesus.
