Summary: The king of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never, I nothing lack if I am his And he is mine forever. Jesus of Nazareth has been arrested. He stands before the governor of the empire of Rome, the occupying and ruling power. The governor asks him, "Are you king of the Jews?" That very question suggests that the charge against Jesus is that he is leading a movement to set up a new alternative kingdom to the kingdom, the Empire of Rome. And that charge, if true, would constitute treason against the empire, warranting the sentence of death. "So, are you a king?" Pilate asks. Then Jesus answers, "My kingdom is not from this world." This statement of Jesus has often been interpreted, or misinterpreted rather, to suggest an individualized otherworldly piety, divorced from real life--personal, social, interpersonal, political, public. But that's not what is going on here. The way of Jesus of Nazareth is about how we live our lives individually and collectively, personally and publicly. Listen to what Jesus goes on to say in response to Pilate's question. "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."
