Have you ever looked into the face of a real king? You may have seen phony kings, such as the king of the homecoming parade or the king of the Mardi Gras. Doubtless these make-believe kings were dressed in elaborate, elegant robes and wore gilded crowns on their heads. If we ever think of kings we picture them sitting on golden thrones, dressed in ermine and velvet and jewel-encrusted crowns. They are surrounded by high-ranking courtiers and cheered by an adoring people.

Therefore, it can come as something of a shock to look into the face of a king on a cross. But that is exactly what the Gospel of Luke invites us to do.

This king has no gorgeous robes. He has been stripped of his meager clothes, and soldiers gamble for them at the foot of the cross. He is not surrounded by subservient court…