What do you think of when you hear the words King or Kingdom?

People regularly come and knock on my door at home. There are all sorts of reasons they come; a bereavement, wanting money, to tell me some good news or some bad news, because they like the garden or don’t like the Christmas sign, to repair the computer [bless you Dennis] or borrow the mower, to get a key or borrow a book – all manner of reasons. People mostly do things for reasons!We have been considering why Jesus came to visit this planet.  We have been considering some reasons, like to reveal God’s glory – the weight of his worth! To defeat his enemy the devil – that malevolent preacher who we listen to about our own shortcomings and are too ready to believe about the shortcomings of others but, in Christ, is a ruined, emasculated foe. To witness to the truth – that in a person the truth about God and the truth about us and the true reconciling act has been completed.This week, the fourth week of Jesus’ advent [coming], we are looking at kingdom or kingship.  Jesus came to bring in his kingdom.  This is a tricky one because our society is so far away from kings and kingly rule as the biblical authors would have seen it.What do you think of when you hear the words king or kingdom?I go immediately to movies [books] like Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings or Lewis’ Narnia.Aragorn is the Ranger king, enigmatic, reticent hidden but full of knowledge and courage whose role emerges and character blossoms.  The king represents the highest ideals of the world of men.  They are marked by discipline, sacrifice and restraint.The High King Peter is reticent once again; young and uncertain, who develops into his role as benevolent dictator born to rule - a rule marked by his role as protector and servant.So what sort of king is Jesus?Last week we learned that he is NOT the sort of king who would threaten Pilate.  His kingdom was not of this world.  This is reiterated when Matthew tells the story about the Pharisees challenging Jesus about authority.  “Bring me a coin”, Jesus says. “Whose face is on it?”“Caesar’s”, they reply.“”Well, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar BUT give to God what belongs to God.If Jesus is king and God in the flesh, what of yours belongs to Him?Blessings as you reflect. Malcolm