King, Moses, and the Mules - Matthew 26:47-52
- Loretha Cleveland
- Mar 27, 2022
- 10 min read
Jesus’ “hour” had come, and the soldiers came to arrest Him. Peter as impetuous as ever, took a sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. Jesus rebuked Peter, “Put up your sword, if you live by the sword, you will die by the sword.” God’s kingdom will come, but it will not be a violent take over; it will come in love and love takes a little while. Peter was loyal – but his loyalty was misguided.
Jesus was preaching non-violence; a lesson He taught Peter and a lesson He taught Martin Luther King, Jr. (King). The choices cannot be violence and non-violence. It is between non-violence and non-existence.
M. L. King, Jr., was born January 15, 1929. King was a special baby; he came into the world so quietly that the doctor thought he was a stillborn and had to spank him several times to make him take his first breath.
King was born to a middle-class Christian family. His father was the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and young King greatly admired his father, and he had lots of affection for his mother Bertha; but it was his grandmother who he loved best, he called her Mother Dear.
King joined the church as a boy, not because of any dynamic conviction or spiritual conversion; he just had a childhood desire to keep up with his older sister.
Growing up, adults remarked about how intelligent he was; how he could see and feel things beyond the understanding of most children. One of the things that he quickly saw and felt was how it was to be black in the south.
He saw “Whites Only” signs in all the best hotels and restaurants, YMCA, city parks, swimming pools, and golf courses. He noticed that there were even white and black neighborhoods of Atlanta.
Simply put, King lived in the days of segregation, humiliation, degradation, discrimination, exasperation, frustration. In those days black folk called out to God. God heard our cries and He saw little King in Atlanta.
One day when he was supposed to be home studying, King slipped out and went to a parade. His grandma suffered a heart attack and died. King thought God was punishing the family because he had sinned – why did he leave home and go to that parade?
Stricken with grief, he ran upstairs and leaped out of the bedroom window – trying to kill himself so to follow his grandma out of this world. But God protected him. He was bruised and shaken, but still alive.
But one day at the age of 13 King shocked the Sunday school class by denying the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. He told the class my grandmother isn’t coming back, and Jesus isn’t either. We’re preaching love and heavenly bliss while living in earthly hell. All this stomping and shouting I don’t understand; it embarrasses me, and he doubted that religion could ever be emotionally satisfying or intellectually respectable.
He was too young to understand that unlike any other cultural institution, the church was an oasis of comfort, security, and relaxation for the black community. It is set in an atmosphere of grave racial injustice and the great tradition of the congregation was founded in the daily struggle of being black in American society. We lived in a straitjacket existence where there was no room to move, no margin for error, and no freedom. One suspect glance, one false move, one harsh word, one shout, one laugh, one tear, could bring white notice, white alarm, white wrath upon us.
So, out in the world we stayed cool, we held it all in, but not at church. At church it would all hang out – the laughter, the sorrow, the joy; all our pent-up emotions were released on Sunday. We were free to praise God and to proclaim our worth, dignity, and freedom.
But King would soon understand that same God who he cursed and the same God who he denied had a plan for him to lead an army. A non-violent army. This army would storm the fort of hate, pull down the walls of segregation, surround the symbols of discrimination, and make Jim Crow laws surrender.
At age 15, King entered Morehouse College. He fell under the spell of Dr. Benjamin Mays, President of Morehouse, and a theologian. Mays and King talked about academics, the plight of black Americans, and Jesus.
His favorite teacher was Dr. George Kelsey, head of the Department of Religion. They talked about academics, social issues, and Jesus Christ.
At age 17, King preached his trial sermon and became an ordained minister and named assistant pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church. God had used these two men, the Gospel of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to draft this peace warrior into God’s army. The Gospel should humble sinners and exalt Jesus. God doesn’t just call you, He sends you to basic training, to boot camp. God had to train King.
Being a pastor’s son, King could have gotten a respectable summer job at a black owned business. But he wanted to work alongside low-income black people to “learn their plight and to feel their feelings”. He unloaded trucks in the hot sun – realizing that black laborers were paid less than white co-workers. His concern for the needy recalls that the Son of God was born not into an aristocratic family, but into a poor one. The Lord of the universe identified with the least and most excluded of humans.
One Sunday, King attended a lecture by Dr. Mordecai Johnson, President of Howard University, who had spent 50 days in India observing the life and teachings of Gandhi. Johnson explained how Gandhi used the power of love, of truth, as a vehicle for social change. Gandhi had overcome British rule and British injustice through non-violent protest. King realized that the chain of hatred must be cut, and only when it is broken, brotherhood can begin. Overcome injustice with love, only love can conquer hate.
King wondered how he could ask black people to love white people. How could King ask black folk to turn the other cheek, to love thy enemies as Jesus taught us to do. He thought of the terms of biblical love:
Eros – love between man and a woman – no.
Philos – human love, I like you – you like me – no.
Agape – God’s love is it – all human life is interrelated. Selfless love (love without feelings, emotions). The kind of love that put Jesus Christ on the cross. Unconditional love.
God used seminary, Dr. Johnson’s speech, and the Greek language to train King. God emptied King of King. He used unconditional love, Agape love.
King was installed as the pastor of Dexter Avenue Church, Montgomery, Alabama in October 1954.
Rosa Parks lived in Montgomery. God knew she would get tired of her fight one day.
King was just doing what preachers do – preaching, marrying folk, conducting Bible study, burying deceased, living a non-confrontational life.
Then, one day Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus. She was in the colored section but was ordered to give up her seat to a white man. Parks said no, she was tired. Not physically tired, but tired of being mistreated. She was taken off the bus to jail
God picked Parks like He picked the prophets. King went to city hall, simile – “Let my people go”. The mayor was reluctant like Pharaoh – “I am Pharaoh here – stay in your place, don’t talk to me about your God.”
Parks was a Christian woman and had the support of the black community.
Rev. Vernon Johns, the pastor that preceded King at the church, was terminated because he was deemed as too militant. He tried to get the church to participate in social issues. He paved the way for King as John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus.
The Montgomery Improvement Association was organized, and elected King to be president. The buses were boycotted. Parks case went to the Supreme Court.
King won his case and buses were desegregated on the premise that if segregated schools were unconstitutional, so were segregated buses. The Civil rights movement was underway – there would be no turning back. God made a way out of no way. King’s popularity grew, but so did the hatred for him.
One night King got a disturbing phone call screaming obscenities. King went downstairs to get a cup of coffee, full of fear. Satan will attack you after some of your greatest victories.
Recall - Elijah was attacked after victory on Mount Carmel.
Recall – Jesus was attacked in the wilderness after baptism.
King was looking horizontal now. His parents were 170 miles away. King bowed his head, his hand began to shake, tears began to flow – he was alone – he started to pray, “Lord, I’m down here trying to do what is right, but Lord I must confess that I’m weak now. I’m afraid the people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage they too will falter. I’m at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’m at my Red Sea.”
With tears still falling he felt a stirring in his soul; heard a quiet voice say, “King, stand up for righteousness, stand up for justice, stand up for truth. And lo, I’ll be with you even until the end of the world. God transformed his fatigue of despair into a fountain of hope. King stood up and Jesus dressed him:
Belt of Truth – truth to stabilize you, Roman soldiers kept their clothes together with the belt. Evil winds are blowing out there, they blew no good.
Breastplate of Righteousness – protect your heart. Satan will try to take your heart from God. Standard of right and wrong.
Peace shoes – marching to do – take peace wherever you go, bring light, but no heat.
Helmet of Salvation – think like a saved man – be strong and courageous (Joshua).
Shield of Faith – Don’t lose your faith; shield is mobile – if you lose shoes, breastplate, belt; use your shield – extinguish all Satan’s flaming arrows. (Flaming arrows to distract you.) Be careful with fame and fortune.
Sword of the Spirit, Word of God – offensive weapon to cut through evil. Preach the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Moses was a special baby, too. Anytime you can get paid to keep your own child you have a special baby. “Beautiful baby, God has called for him.”
Pharaoh – killed Hebrew boys – Moses’ mother put him in a basket.
--By chance, Pharaoh’s daughter saw him.
--By chance, mother was hired to keep baby.
--By chance, Moses’ sister standing by.
--By chance, Pharaoh’s daughter saw Moses’ sister.
Like King, times were hard for black people; Moses, Hebrews were slaves in Egypt.
King grew up in middle class Christian home. Moses grew up in upper class home – Pharaoh’s home. Best of care, service, and education that the world had to offer. Moses was the Pharaoh-Elect. But his mother taught him about the Lord Almighty – God of the Hebrews. (Behind Pharaoh’s walls.)
Moses had a burning desire to free his people too; but he acted in the flesh. The Hebrews were slaves in Egypt – wake up, rest, eat, and go to bed at someone else’s command. Moses killed an Egyptian that was fighting a Hebrew – no one was freed, and he was put on backside of desert for 40 years – his boot camp.
God emptied Moses of Moses. The Jews cried out to God – God saw Moses in the desert, like King was in Atlanta.
God spoke to Moses, “Tell Pharaoh, let my people go!” Moses at the Red Sea – stands still and watches salvation of the Lord.
Jesus went through boot camp – learned obedience through suffering, not disobedience; but as His trials became more severe, the more resolve He became to do His Father’s will. In the gardens, “Not My will, but Your will."
God loved Moses – spoke to him face to face. “My servant Moses is dead” – God eulogized and buried him. To the mountaintop – you can see it, but not go over. No prophet like Moses.
King was like a prophet, too. King gave America its prophecy on August 18, 1963, east of Lincoln Monument with the “I Have a Dream” speech.
America would one day become a nation where people are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. It stirred the nation’s conscience.
President Johnson signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act after Kings speech.
King, the “Dreamer” went to Memphis to assist garbage men in their struggle for dignity. Someone said, “Here comes the Dreamer, let us slay him!”
Why kill a peacemaker – In Matthew 10:34 Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace; but a sword.” He does not mean that He comes to incite violence. He means rather that His call to allegiance to Him brings conflict – conflict among people and within people.
Just like any peacemaker who has ever lived, Jesus made people mad. And they crucified Him. If you identify with Jesus, and you don’t hide your connection, some people will get mad at you, too. King didn’t hide his connection, so they wanted to kill him and his dream.
On April 3, 1968, King told the church God had taken him to the mountain top and had shown him the Promised Land – he wanted to go but knew he wouldn’t get to go. But he saw God’s glory.
April 4, standing on a balcony King was shot. Medics tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead at 7:05 P.M. central time.
Mules are symbols of humility – Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a mule. God had King enter His kingdom rest driven by mules so that people would know he was a humble man, one of God’s sons. God brings down the proud but exalts the humble.
King was buried next to his grandmother, whom he loved so as a boy. His tombstone reads, “Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, free at last."
Jesus made a way to free us from our sins through Communion. Moses freed the Jews from political bondage with Passover. King paved the way to free blacks from Jim Crow laws. His birthday is an annual national holiday, celebrated the 3rd Monday in January.
On January 20, 2008, standing on Kings shoulder, the 44th and first African American President was installed. A change has come. Amen.
This sermon was provided by Rev. Robert Perry, Sr., pastor, Greater Grand Central Missionary Baptist Church, as part of his 2022 Black History program. The historic African American church is located at 3901 19th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711. Sunday worship service is 11 a.m. in the main sanctuary.
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