Who is Your King?

Proud Americans declare to the world, “We have no king!” The idea of king in America is the idea of oppression and fear, opulent wealth and greed. Throughout history kings were known by their loyalties, not their love. Americans have a king. We just don’t like to admit it.

Our king is personal. Our king doesn’t sit in a castle watching us from his tower. Our king controls everything we do, from our work life to our recreation. Our king rules with an iron fist, pounding anyone who would dare to betray the king. Sound familiar?

I’m not talking about politics today. Our king isn’t a political one. Our king is our ego. As Americans we proudly declare our freedom, but as humans we bow to our ego as a servant bows to the king. It doesn’t have to be that way.

IN THOSE DAYS, King Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: “I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles-to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ “Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.”

Acts 26:1,12-20

Saint Paul was dragged in front of the king to defend his actions ‘against’ the Jews. King Agrippa was supposed to rule as a Godly king as his ancestors before him, Saul and David. Instead, Agrippa was aligned with Rome. The Jews followed a king who abandoned them.

Kings (and queens) come and go throughout history. Some are ‘better’ than others. Some are loyal to God. Some are not. Some love peace. Some love war. Our ego is not much different. Our ego sometimes leads us to Christ, and sometimes not. But we all serve our ego.

This is why Christ’s first invitation to us was, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself.” (Mark 8.34) It isn’t that we can’t follow Christ if we want. We won’t, so long as we are loyal to our ego. Our ego demands loyalty and rules with an iron fist. We fear our ego.

Today is the commemoration of Saints Constantine and Helen, Equal to the Apostles. It was Constantine who granted freedom to Christians, but not until he chose to serve God. It was his mother, Helen, who found the Cross of Christ and built Churches honoring God.

Christ sent a message to Constantine that he would be victorious through the Cross. The Cross has been a symbol of victory for every Christians since the ‘first’ Holy Week. The Cross is where we crucify our ego. The Cross is where our ego learns to serve Christ.

There is victory only in the Cross of Christ, THE KING. If our king refuses to serve Christ, then we must defeat it and redirect our ego to Christ. You can begin today with prayer and fasting according to the teachings of the Church and with the guidance of your spiritual father.

The Orthodox Way is the way of the Cross. It is a life serving God rather than our ego but be warned. Our ego will not go willingly to the Cross. We must defeat the king, but the king is strong. Thankfully Christ has already promised victory in the Cross. The rest is up to us.