The Greathearted Monkey King
Stories
Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit
Series V, Cycle C
Object:
And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" (vv. 35-39)
Folklore from the Jataka tells of a monkey kingdom ruled by a very large and very wise monkey king. The monkeys lived near a grove of mango trees, which ran alongside the Ganges River and allowed for a constant supply of these delicious fruits. One day, the king noticed a castle being built downstream from the mango trees. He ordered the monkeys to gather all the mangoes from the trees. They dutifully responded, and collected all the mangoes except one which was hidden behind a bird's nest.
One day, this mango fell from the tree into the river. King Brahmadutta, the human king who inhabited the recently built castle, was taking a swim when the mango floated by. He picked it up. After learning from his prime minister that it was a delicious fruit, he ate it. King Brahmadutta was so impressed that he ordered his guards to search the jungle for more mango trees.
When King Brahmadutta found the mangoes, he also discovered the monkeys. Though the monkeys were willing to share the mangoes with him, King Brahmadutta wasn't as generous. He wanted all the mangoes for himself, so he ordered his soldiers to pursue and slay the monkeys.
When news of this reached the wise monkey king, he sadly knew the day of his feared nightmare had arrived. The soldiers chased the monkeys through the jungle until they came to the edge of a tall cliff. The monkey king knew that if he could get his subjects across the other side they would be safe. But how could he do it?
The monkey king took his huge body and used it to form a bridge between the cliffs. One by one his subjects climbed over him to safety. As the monkeys scrambled across their king, he grew increasingly wearied and bruised, but knew he must hold on. Finally, when the last monkey had crossed the bridge, the monkey king collapsed.
The human king had witnessed the whole scene from high on the hill. He was so moved by the monkey king's sacrifice that he ordered his guards to find a way down the rocky cliff and rescue the monkey king. The guards found him, barely alive, and brought him back to the king. The human king ordered his best doctors to care for the monkey king and waited from him to regain consciousness. When he did so, the human king asked, "You are their king, why did you bother to die for them?"
The monkey king replied, "Because I am their king. These are my children, and it is my sacred duty to protect them." And with that, he died.
Today we celebrate Christ as our King. And like the human king in the story and the leaders, soldiers, and one of the criminals in the scripture, we may wonder what kind of king does not use his power, his divine connections, to save himself from peril.
These people in the scripture taunted Jesus with variations of the same question. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ, the Son of God, the King of the Jews." "If you are the king of the Jews, why don't you save yourself? If you are really King of the Jews, why don't you save yourself from the cross?"
What kind of king is Jesus? The kind, who like the monkey king, freely gave his life for us so that we might live. Jesus did so not in spite of the fact that he is our King, but because he is.
Jesus showed the true nature of leadership. He didn't seek his own good but to serve the needs of his followers. The cross became a bridge to eternal life.
Folklore from the Jataka tells of a monkey kingdom ruled by a very large and very wise monkey king. The monkeys lived near a grove of mango trees, which ran alongside the Ganges River and allowed for a constant supply of these delicious fruits. One day, the king noticed a castle being built downstream from the mango trees. He ordered the monkeys to gather all the mangoes from the trees. They dutifully responded, and collected all the mangoes except one which was hidden behind a bird's nest.
One day, this mango fell from the tree into the river. King Brahmadutta, the human king who inhabited the recently built castle, was taking a swim when the mango floated by. He picked it up. After learning from his prime minister that it was a delicious fruit, he ate it. King Brahmadutta was so impressed that he ordered his guards to search the jungle for more mango trees.
When King Brahmadutta found the mangoes, he also discovered the monkeys. Though the monkeys were willing to share the mangoes with him, King Brahmadutta wasn't as generous. He wanted all the mangoes for himself, so he ordered his soldiers to pursue and slay the monkeys.
When news of this reached the wise monkey king, he sadly knew the day of his feared nightmare had arrived. The soldiers chased the monkeys through the jungle until they came to the edge of a tall cliff. The monkey king knew that if he could get his subjects across the other side they would be safe. But how could he do it?
The monkey king took his huge body and used it to form a bridge between the cliffs. One by one his subjects climbed over him to safety. As the monkeys scrambled across their king, he grew increasingly wearied and bruised, but knew he must hold on. Finally, when the last monkey had crossed the bridge, the monkey king collapsed.
The human king had witnessed the whole scene from high on the hill. He was so moved by the monkey king's sacrifice that he ordered his guards to find a way down the rocky cliff and rescue the monkey king. The guards found him, barely alive, and brought him back to the king. The human king ordered his best doctors to care for the monkey king and waited from him to regain consciousness. When he did so, the human king asked, "You are their king, why did you bother to die for them?"
The monkey king replied, "Because I am their king. These are my children, and it is my sacred duty to protect them." And with that, he died.
Today we celebrate Christ as our King. And like the human king in the story and the leaders, soldiers, and one of the criminals in the scripture, we may wonder what kind of king does not use his power, his divine connections, to save himself from peril.
These people in the scripture taunted Jesus with variations of the same question. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ, the Son of God, the King of the Jews." "If you are the king of the Jews, why don't you save yourself? If you are really King of the Jews, why don't you save yourself from the cross?"
What kind of king is Jesus? The kind, who like the monkey king, freely gave his life for us so that we might live. Jesus did so not in spite of the fact that he is our King, but because he is.
Jesus showed the true nature of leadership. He didn't seek his own good but to serve the needs of his followers. The cross became a bridge to eternal life.
