The Royals

 

	“ Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world … my kingdom is from another place.’”
	—John 18:36

It doesn’t take much time searching on the internet to find all kinds of details about the new Prince George and his royal family. The tabloids and British magazines have written about every detail they can of this new future king of England. Here are a few I spotted in a quick look:

• “Who does little George resemble?”
  
  
• “Prince George’s playmates…”

About the christening you can find:

• An interview with the royal cakebaker…
  
  
• The gift of a rugby shirt for the little tyke…
  
  
• George’s christening dress: a replica of an 1841 outfit worn by Queen Victoria’s oldest daughter…

…and much more. Attention has been on the parents, too:

• “Kate spotted shopping at…”
  
  
• “See pictures of Prince William and Kate as kids.”
  
  
• “Kate accessorized with her citrine drop Kiki earrings.”

But what of a Baby born so many years ago as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? The parents, Joseph and Mary, blended in with the other peasants in the town of Bethlehem to register for the census. Their poverty showed in Mary’s homespun gown and in Joseph’s road-weary donkey. Can you imagine a royal couple in these 21st century days having to beg for a place to hide out of the weather so that their baby could be born?

What a stark difference between the values of a modern kingdom gone mad for glitz and glamour and a kingdom which—as Scripture states in John 18:36—is “not of this world.” Yet, we as citizens of this Kingdom should remember our King and pay Him allegiance as our Sovereign. We should remember that God’s ways are not man’s ways.

The appearance of angels, the message to poor shepherds, the Magi’s long trip to see the One foretold by their study of the stars, and the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus certainly were “not of this world” either. And, as a King, Jesus requires our loyalty and our homage. Not only should we bow before Him, we should give our lives in obedience to Him.

Consider the text of an old liturgy from the 5th century:

“Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
for with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of Lords, in human vesture,
in the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
his own self for heav’nly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
from the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
as the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six-winged seraph,
cherubim, with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
as with ceaseless voice they cry,
‘Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Lord Most High!’”