He looks like a mess, not like a Messiah.

Imagine long, greasy hair and an unshaved face.  Skin covered with dirt and grime, streaked with sweat from the exertion of a long journey.  He seems to belong in a homeless shelter, not on a royal throne.
And yet, the man is a king.

If you’re picturing Jesus, you’re not far from the truth.  After all, we can imagine a long-haired Jesus walking the long and dusty road to Jerusalem, and then making a triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” shouts the whole multitude when he enters (Luke 19:38).  But just a few days later, he is being isolated and abused, mocked and treated with contempt.  Finally, he is nailed to a cross and crucified, under the sarcastic, hastily-scribbled sign, “This is the King of the Jews” (23:38). 

Christ is certainly an uncommon king, no doubt about it.  But so is a guy named Aragorn. This man is the son of Arathorn, Captain of the Host of the West, bearer of the Star of the North, and wielder of the Sword Reforged.

I’m talking about Lord of the Rings.  Within this fantasy world, Aragorn rules … and millions of loyal servants will be seeking him in just a few weeks, when they line up to buy tickets to the third and final Lord of the Rings movie, “The Return of the King.”  I know I’ll be there.  Aragorn is the greasy-haired, stubble-chinned hero who rides his mighty steed into battle, leading his army against the forces of evil.  He is strong and decent and loving and courageous.  In addition to being deadly with his sword, he is said to have healing in his hands.

So get ready for the blockbuster finale to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  The battle scenes promise to be mind-boggling, as the forces of good and evil fight for control of Middle Earth.  War will be waged with an evil wizard, a fierce battle will be fought with a giant spider, Frodo the hobbit will be captured by the Orcs, and waves of righteous warriors will throw themselves into combat with the armies of the Dark Lord.

At the center of the action will be Aragorn, a hero who always looks beyond his own personal desires to a grander and more godly calling: To reclaim the Crown of Gondor.  It is not too much of a stretch to think of Aragorn as a Christ-figure -- one who has to survive the Paths of the Dead in order to take his rightful place as king.  (Greg Wright, “The Return of the King,” Hollywood Jesus, April 17, 2002,
www.hollywoodjesus.com/lord_of_the_rings_return_05.htm)

He may look like a mess, but he’s a Messiah.

King Aragorn is a good image to keep in mind as we ponder today’s passage from Luke, a section that could easily be titled “The Return of the King.”  Jesus is speaking these words during the fateful last week of his earthly ministry, on a day between his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his disgraceful betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion.  First, he foretells the destruction of Jerusalem in words that seem to be lifted straight from the Lord of the Rings trilogy:  People “will fall by the edge of the sword,” predicts Jesus, “and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).

That’s a blockbuster battle scene, full of death and destruction and despair.  But then Jesus turns his attention to the coming of the Son of Man, and he predicts signs in the heavens, and distress among the nations of earth.  People will faint from fear and foreboding, he says, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory, promises Jesus (vv. 25-27). People will witness the Return of the King, and see a vision of majesty more glorious than anything that could be generated through the magic of modern movie-making.

This is a stunning Second Coming for Jesus, the one who is the Son of God and Son of Man.  But what’s most impressive about this event is that it’s designed to be soothing, not shocking.  It’s supposed to be reassuring, not frightening.  “Now when these things begin to take place,” says Jesus to his disciples -- and to us -- “stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (v. 28).  When he returns, Jesus wants us to look up in faith, not in fear.  His Second Coming is designed to bring an end to our suffering, and relief from the physical and emotional pain that afflicts us when we are crushed by cancers and divorces, failures and betrayals, job losses and natural disasters.

The Second Coming is supposed to soothe us, not scare us.  Christ is coming to deliver us, like Aragorn on his mighty warhorse.

The challenge for us is to be prepared for the Return of the King, and to develop attitudes and actions that will prepare us for this meeting.  The first step is to cultivate an attitude of faith and hope and expectation.  In today’s passage from Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree, and encourages disciples to be watchful and trusting and confident that God is always at work in the world, bringing his kingdom into the heart of human life (vv. 29-31).  Such belief is essential, especially when the armies of the Dark Lord seem to be gaining the upper hand.

This kind of confidence is well illustrated near the end of the second Lord of the Rings movie, when a hobbit named Sam says to his fellow hobbit Frodo, "There are things that people hold onto to keep them going."
Frodo, who is feeling like giving up at that time, asks, “What are we holding onto?”
Sam replies, "That there is some good in this world, and that's worth fighting for."
Think about this.  It raises an important question for us:  What are WE holding onto?  Are we hanging on to belief that there is some good in the world worth fighting for?  That “the kingdom of God is near” (v. 31)?  That Christ’s words “will not pass away” (v. 33)?  You can take your pick.  All are true, and any one of them can keep you going.

From such faithful attitudes come courageous actions.  “Be alert at all times,” counsels Jesus, “praying that you might have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (v. 36).  We are to be alert and to pray, knowing full well that there are no easy paths in our individual lives, nor in the grand sweep of human history.  Be on guard and ready, says Jesus.  Instead of being dulled and distracted by drunkenness and inactivity and worry, sharpen your hearts and minds with Scripture and good works and the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

The challenge is to set our sights high, and conform our hearts and minds to Christ.  The author Leon Podles invites us to be as heroic as the characters in The Lord of the Rings, characters that are positively Christ-like in their “bravery, pity, mercy, love, self-sacrifice and suffering."  These are the attitudes and actions that can draw us closer to Christ, so that we will be ready to meet him when either life -- or human history -- comes to an end.

We are living a great adventure, you see – one that is no less thrilling than the story of Aragorn and his faithful followers.  There is going to be chaos and confusion, threats and terrors, but through it all we have the assurance that there is a holy power available to help us.   

When life feels like a mess, we can return to our king.  Amen.

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