The Reign of God and the Refusal of Thrones
Empires demand a king. People, when afraid, long for a strong hand. But Scripture’s story begins and ends with something far more radical: a God who reigns without monarchs.
The Irony of Christian Nationalism
Christian nationalism insists that sovereignty belongs to “Christian” rulers as if God deputized the ambitious to wield divine authority. But the Bible’s entire arc undermines that logic. Moses, Samuel, and Christ all resist monopolizing monarchy. They each dismantle the idea that any mortal can claim divine right.
Moses steps aside, Samuel was "displeased," and "Jesus" simply wept.
The Reign of God Is Popular Sovereignty
In a democracy, power is vested in the people. In God's reign, power returns to them. That’s the scandal of grace: the divine right of kings is abolished because divine sovereignty dwells among us—Emmanuel—not above us. “No Kings Day” celebrates this truth: that popular sovereignty, rightly understood, is the reign of God on earth. It's what our earthly founders intended.
When the people rule themselves in justice, mercy, and humility, they participate in divinely inspired kinship. This is the meaning of the basileia tou theou—not a palace, but a polis. Not a throne, but a table.
The Daughter of Aaron, Not the Son of David
"Jesus" is not a descendant of Israel’s kings by blood because hoarding power through heredity is profane to God. Jesus' mother and her blood relative Elizabeth were daughters of Aaron—a priestly line, not a royal one. The “Son of David” title was never meant genealogically, but rather theologically: a reclaiming of the promise that divine rule would come through bodies in covenant, not blood and conquest.
His life was not about inheriting a golden crown but embodying a divine vow. His authority came not from bloodline or battlefield, but from obedience to the one universal Truth, the only god willing to subject themself to the will of the People.
Abimelech, George Washington, and the Temptation of Thrones
When Gideon delivered Israel, the people begged him to be their king. He refused, saying, “The LORD will rule over you.” But his son Abimelech seized the crown anyway—Israel’s first self-anointed king. The story ends in fratricide and ruin, a warning to all generations that any crown fashioned by ambition will inevitably end in blood.
Even our own revolution echoes that temptation. After victory, George Washington was urged to rule as king. He refused, choosing instead to trust the people—to let ethnos rule ethnos. That was a holy act, even if we’ve since forgotten why.
Anointment vs. Appointment
The difference between divine anointment and human appointment is obedience. Kings appoint themselves and expect obedience; servants are anointed to offer it. Christ was not enthroned by decree but anointed by Spirit. His coronation was a cross. His crown, thorns.
No Kings Day Is for the People
So perhaps “No Kings Day” deserves a place in our sacred calendar—a holy day reminding us that God’s reign cannot be monopolized by monarchs or claimed by theocrats. It lives wherever people choose service over status, humility over hubris, community over control.
Every time we say no to domination and yes to dignity, we proclaim the same gospel that Mary sang and Jesus lived:
“He has brought down rulers from their thrones and lifted up the humble.”
