…and round his piercèd feet

fair flowers of paradise extend…

The words are from the hymn Crown him with many crowns by Matthew Bridges.

Then there’s this from Psalm 110:1

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

The footstool is where the king puts his feet. Jesus footstool is where his enemies are, according to Psalm 110. But something different is afoot.

What kind of king enters the capital city not on a charger but on a donkey?
What kind of king has a coronation not with a crown of gold but with thorns?
What kind of king does not lead an army to victory but is passive and silent?
A king who does not call in the servants, but washes the disciples feet himself.

The Kingship of Jesus is all about service, because that is the kind of king God is, the kind of god that God is: A king who serves, a God who serves. The God who gives himself. Whose coronation was not with pomp and honour and gold, but with whips and thorns and nails.

The call of Jesus to us is to be a people who serve. To be like Jesus is to be someone who serves and welcomes all.

Because Jesus is the King who serves, still is even from heaven, is it any wonder that Matthew Bridges says that fair flowers of paradise extend their fragrance from Jesus’ piercèd feet?