WHO IS THE KING OF THE
CASTLE?
The Rev. Harold Shepherd, CD, M.A., S.T.M., LL.B., LL.M.,
Ph.D.
Sermon from September 21, 2003
Then they came to Capernaum; and when
he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing
about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way
they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He
sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever
wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all."
Then he took a little child and put it among them; and
taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes
one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes
me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." Mark
9:33-37
Who is greatest in the Kingdom of God? Human nature being
what it is, this was a burning question for Jesus’
disciples. Within the social structure of the day, the
hierarchy of power, influence and prestige was in the form
of a pyramid with the Emperor at the top and various forms
of outcasts at the bottom. It was important to know
one’s place in society and to respect one’s
betters. Based on social conventions relating to ancestry,
employment, rank and class background, one could establish
who was greater than whom. The disciples tried to do the
same thing. Jesus would have none of it.
As human beings, our motives are often mixed. By way of
example, I picked up a copy of the Spanish language daily
El Popular at the subway of September 16 and came across an
article about Mexican independence celebrated on that day.
As is well-known, the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes,
arrived in Mexico in 1521 with 500 Spanish soldiers. With
the help of first nations who had been conquered by the
Aztecs and looked to the Spanish for liberation, he
succeeded in defeating the Aztecs and incorporating Mexico
into the Spanish Empire. Like Roman society of Jesus’
day, Spanish Colonial society was also highly stratified.
The King was, of course, at the top, followed by Spaniards
born in Spain (Peninsulares), then by people of Spanish
ancestry born in the colonies (Criollos), then those of
mixed Spanish/ native birth (Mestizos), followed by first
nations (Indios). The Church was politically conservative,
siding with Spanish-born Peninsulares and land-owners to
resist change to this hierarchical structure. After all, it
worked well if you were rich, was not so endearing for the
landless peasants. In 1808, Napoleon conquered Spain and
appointed his brother Jose Bonaparte as King of Spain(1808-
1810). Sensing weakness on the part of the Spanish Crown,
the Creoles found that circumstances were right to try to
obtain independence. These were the people who felt that
they were being treated as second-class citizens in the
country of their birth by foreigners who looked down their
nose on them as being mere colonials. They had enough of
this and decided to do something about it. Influenced by
the ideas of liberty, equality and democracy by such people
as Rousseau, Voltaire, and John Locke that had inspired the
French and American Revolutions, they plotted one of their
own. A group comprising one priest, one lawyer, four army
officers, two land-owners and some others met under the
name of the “Literary Society” to discuss more
than books. The secretary of the group and one of the army
officers reported their plan to Spanish authorities. The
wife of a Spanish official found out about the betrayal and
promptly sent word to the conspirators who were in the town
of Dolores at the time. One of the conspirators was Father
Hidalgo, the parish priest of Dolores. He rang the Church
bell at 5:00 a.m. on September 16 to invite the town to a
mass. He and Captain Allende used the occasion to call the
people to arms against the Spanish government and the
Peninsulares. On that morning, he made a famous Cry of
Independence. Different versions of it are circulated, all
beginning with “Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe!
Death to bad government!” Every year at 11:00 p.m. on
September 15, a public official goes to the town square to
repeat the Cry of Independence, but with Viva Mexico! The
tradition in Mexico City is for the President of the
Republic to do this in the Zolcolo, or central square. This
kicks of the celebration of the Mexican declaration and war
of independence. However, independence was not achieved
until September 27, 1821 when the Treaty of Cordoba was
signed, recognizing Mexico as an independent state.
Many countries in the world owe their independence as a
state to armed conflict. We celebrate July 1, the day an
Imperial Parliament proclaimed a law passed in Westminster.
We cherish freedom, and many have died trying to achieve it
or protect it. But, how much of this is designed to
establish true equality, liberty and social justice through
serving others, and how much is motivated by fighting to
either preserve social structures that favour the rich and
powerful or to take them over? What were the motives of the
Mexican revolutionaries? This is not always easy to
discern. As we approach two elections between now and
November, we have the opportunity to listen to promises,
ask hard questions, and use our vote to promote justice,
respect for human dignity and advancement of society as a
caring and compassionate community. Our bishops have done
so in a letter addressed to Anglicans in Ontario, and speak
to issues of housing and homelessness, faith education in
the public school system, and government-sponsored
gambling. You can find the document on the Diocese of
Toronto web site at (third item under News/ Announcements).
I commend this document to you as you reflect on the issues
facing us as both Christians and citizens as we seek to
build an inclusive community that leaves no one behind
through a quest to be the greatest in the
Province.