Accept The Challenge
The challenge scene in Black Panther 1 is one of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies. If you have never seen it, you can watch it here. In the scene, the soon to be inaugurated King T’Challa is confronted by his cousin Killmonger, who insists that he is the rightful heir to the throne. Killmonger accuses T’Challa’s father of murder, and then challenges him to combat to determine who is best suited to lead the nation of Wakanda. While everyone else casts aspersions on Killmonger’s accusations and seem irritated or worried (or both) T’Challa remains calmly seated on his throne and quietly, but firmly replies “I accept your challenge.”
That scene has always struck a deep chord in me. Consider that on the day of his pending coronation, T’Challa is challenged. But the implication of the scene is clear: an unchallenged King is no king at all. If I can't meet a challenge before I am the King, it is highly unlikely that I will meet challenges effectively when I am the King. An unchallenged King is not worth following. An unchallenged King can provide no leadership, conduct no warfare, or sustain no Kingdom. The quality of a kingdom is determined by how many challenges the King can effectively meet, endure, and overcome.
This truth applies not only to kingdoms and to kings. It also applies to each of us. The quality of our lives is determined by how many challenges we can effectively meet, endure, and overcome. To challenge means to dispute the legitimacy, validity, or relevance of something or someone. It means to confront or defy boldly; to call out to duel or combat; or to invite into competition. And each of us, at some point in our lives, will be challenged. If you are in a position of authority, your authority will be challenged. Why? Because people are skeptical of authority. If you are a knowledge worker, your ideas will be challenged. Why? Because ideas have consequences. If you achieve success, you will be challenged. Why? Because people love success but hate the successful.
But challenges do not just arrive on the doorstep of people in authority, who create ideas or have achieved success. To be alive is to be confronted with challenges. Victor Frankl said that a “man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked.” Life is always challenging us! When relationships disintegrate, unemployment hits, cancer strikes, and death invades, how will you respond to the challenge? You can't ignore the challenge. You can't avoid the challenge. You can’t resent the challenge. And you can't get upset when you are challenged You have to accept the challenge.
Jesus provides a remarkable example of how to do this in John 18:4-8. When the soldiers who had been sent by the Sanhedrin and were being led by Judas (one of his 12 disciples) arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest him, Jesus accepted the challenge. The narrator tells us that
Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. “Jesus the Nazarene,”they replied. “I AM he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said “I AM he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I AM he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.”
Jesus “stepped forward.” He knew they were coming. So he stepped forward. Jesus knew that the treachery of the Sanhedrin, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, the vacillations of Pilate, and his humiliating death on the cross were all part and parcel of his destiny. So he stepped forward. Jesus knew that his hour had finally come. So he stepped forward. Jesus knew everything that was about to happen was necessary for the world to be redeemed. So he stepped forward. He didn’t ignore the challenge. He didn’t avoid the challenge. He didn’t resent the challenge. And he didn’t get upset when the challenge arrived. He stepped forward, and said “I am he.” Jesus accepted the challenge.
That is why I am not ashamed to call Jesus Lord, and celebrate him as my King. An unchallenged King is not worth following. An unchallenged King can provide no leadership, conduct no warfare, or sustain no Kingdom. The quality of a kingdom is determined by how many challenges the King can effectively meet, endure, and overcome. This is why Hebrews 12:28 declares we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Jesus is the King of the universe and the King of our souls. He is the King of Kings!
Here’s today’s question: what challenge are you avoiding?
Here’s today’s action: Step Forward. Confront your challenge! Have the conversation, open the letter, call the creditor, make the appointment, go to the doctor, fire the employee, or end the relationship.
And here’s today’s prayer, extracted from T.S. Eliot’s haunting play, The Murder In The Cathedral:
“Forgive us Lord, “Forgive us, O Lord, we acknowledge ourselves as type of the common man, Of the men and women who shut the door and sit by the fire; Who fear the blessing of God, the loneliness of the night of God, the surrender required, the deprivation inflicted; Who fear the injustice of men less than the justice of God;
Forgive us for resenting the challenge.
Forgive us for avoiding the challenge.
Forgive us for ignoring the challenge.
And please Lord, help us accept the challenge.