In 2008 a movie by the name of Vantage Point premiered.  It was a political action thriller that focused on the attempted assassination of the President of the United States during a visit to Salamanca, Spain.  It recounts a series of events which are re-enacted from several different perspectives and viewpoints to reveal a truthful account of what happened.  One of the effects of the movie was to remind people that we do not all see the world and events in the exact same way – we each come from a unique vantage point.  We are shaped by our gender, our ethnicity, our economic status, political affiliation, education, work experience, place in time and history, religious affiliation, and family of origin.  And this is just a fraction of the list of influences that shape our unique vantage point.  In other parlances, this is our hermeneutic or lens through which we view the world.

For the Roman soldier of Jesus’ day, the vantage point was one of service to the empire and emperor.  They had a duty to perform and for that, they were given food, shelter, clothing, a sword, and a purpose.  In first-century Palestine, that would have been more than plenty for many a person.  Part of their duty was to carry out punishment on those who committed crimes against the Roman state.  They did the dirty work for the elites – flogging, beating, imprisonment, and execution by crucifixion.  In Jesus’ last hours, the Roman soldiers did their duty – they stripped him, whipped him, slapped him, spat upon him, made a crown of thorns and put it on his head, led him out to be crucified, nailed him to a cross, gave him sour wine to quench his thirst, and pierced his side to ensure he was dead.  Their reward was his clothing and the right to gamble for part of it.  It was nothing to them to mock him, to give Jesus fake homage.  To them he was another pretender but in reality, they did not realize that they were worshipping the true “King of Kings; Lord of All.”  Their story might be boiled down to these six words, “led, stripped, nailed, divided, quenched, pierced.”  From their vantage point they were doing what they thought was right, just, and their duty.

From a different vantage point, you can see God at work.  In the piercing of Jesus’ side, the water that cleanses flowed freely(think baptism) along with the blood that redeems (think communion.)  In gambling for his clothes, we see the stripping away of our separation from God.  Through the crown of thorns, we recognize a savior rejected by his own but revered by the margins.  In his beating we find God who takes away the punishment that each of us rightly deserves for our sins.  In the soldier’s false homage, we see the true King of Kings; Lord of all.  The irony of this is that in doing their duty the Roman soldiers hailed the true King of the Jews but did not know it.  Hopefully in our worship, we are more aware and intentional about worshipping, in Spirit and in truth, our King of Kings; Lord of All!

I invite you to take time and read each of the scriptures above followed by reflection on the questions below.  Assess the worship that you give to the “King of Kings; Lord of All.”  Lastly, I pray that God bless the reading of God’s Word and the meditations of your heart.

Questions to Consider this week:

• Monday:  From your vantage point, what does worship of God mean to you?
• Tuesday:  How do you falsely worship Jesus?
• Wednesday:  How true and honest is your worship of God in Jesus?
• Thursday:  When has your worship been less than true, authentic and full?
• Friday:  What does it look like to give your total worship and praise to God?
• Saturday:  Where are you able to give such worship and praise to God?

Actions for the Week:

• Head:  Define your vantage point on worship and praise of the King of Kings; Lord of All.
• Heart:  Assess the depth of your fealty to Jesus who is our savior and redeemer.
• Hand:  Commit to being open to the world about your faith in God who creates, redeems, and sustains.