Image via Wikipedia“And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:9-11, NRSV)
Our text from the book of Revelation shares an image of heaven. In that image we see Jesus Christ surrounded by twenty-four elders. To understand the significance of this you need to consider that the book of Revelation relies heavily on imagery taken from the temple worship of Ancient Judaism. When we speak of the temple we are referring to a structure dedicated to the worship of God. At its center was the temple proper, or, the Holy of Holies. It was within this structure the living presence of God was understood to dwell.
The temple was serviced by the descendants of Aaron, God’s original High Priest. These descendants formed the tribe of Levi and they were organized into 24 ranks. Among all of Israel these were truly elders of great authority to whom others looked for leadership and guidance. They were at the highest level of society and demanded the respect of that position. In return they stood before God offering perpetual sacrifices on behalf of the people of Israel.
The imagery of Revelation’s heavenly temple places the glorified and resurrected Christ at the center of the Elder’s worship. The difference being, of course, that the Elders no longer offer sacrifices of grain, wine, incense, flesh and blood. Instead, they offer their devotion. It is their response to the work of Christ, causing them to throw their crowns – the symbols of their honor and prestige – at the feet of one to whom belong all honor and glory.
The crown as a symbol of honor and prestige is ancient. In the time of St. John of Patmos, the most significant crow of all belonged to Caesar, the Emperor of the Roman Empire. His was a crown of golden laurel leaves. It pointed to his superiority over all other people. It was a superiority that demanded others worship him as a god.
Revelation’s vision directly challenges that notion. In Revelation the very Elders to whom Christ has given authority humble themselves before him. Their act of casting crowns is an outward statement that they value him over any other prize. In their world, it is Christ alone and no earthly power who is worthy of such honor and glory.
Thus, they sing to him, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” To cast our crowns before Jesus is to confess our role and testify to his authority. By doing so, we and the Elders in heaven are orienting our lives in a way which defines us.
The act of casting our crowns should not only define who we are in relationship to God. It must also define who we are in relationship to another. Returning to the heavenly assembly for a moment, let us consider what the act of casting crowns did to those Elders. At the moment in which they cast down their crowns and take to their knees before Jesus, the Elders place themselves in a position of equality to each other. They are manifesting in their posture the reality of who they are in Christ. None could claim any authority or honor another for all of that belongs to him.
My question is this: if this casting of crowns dictates how the elders around the thrown relate to one another, what should it do to us? It could be really easy for us to get a swelled head because of what Christ has done for us. After all, he moved heaven and earth (and a very big stone) so that you and I could have a relationship with his father. That must make us pretty special.
Yes and no. During his brief earthly ministry, Jesus dealt with this type of thing fairly frequently. Most notably, he dealt with it among his closest disciples. These were the ones who should have known better but they did not.
We read of the Sons of Thunder. Apparently, they were full of noise. These were the ones who asked Jesus to save them a special place of honor among his followers. Hearing this, the other disciples were livid. Not because they understood the arrogance of the request, but because they had been beaten to the punch.
In response to this Jesus returned the cryptic answer, “…but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”(Mark 10:43-44 NRSV) His desire was to redefine for them what honor and prestige look like in the Kingdom. Honor is not defined by what someone gives to you so much as it is defined by what you give to others simply because they are valued by God. It is the response dictated by the gift and mercy of Christ in your life. Casting our crowns means we no longer lord it over each other like a bunch of little Caesars.
In the service of Word and Table of the United Methodist Church we echo the words of the Elders gathered around the throne. Actually, we do not just echo it. We join with them in their unending hymn,
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest.
It is the way we respond to the Christ as he stands before us in the bread and cup; broken and poured out for all. The table is open to all who repent of their sins and seek to live in love and charity with their neighbor. Come as ye may and cast down your crowns.
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