Christ the King

In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus defines His kingship in terms of witnessing to the truth, saying that all who are on the side of truth listen to His voice. In the Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus’ words and actions require – demand – a response from those who claim to be His followers. He requires of His followers that they be merciful as His Father is merciful. If we need evidence as to what the mercy of God looks like, all we need do is look at action of Jesus, the King who embodies the mercy of God. As He told the lawyer who identified the Samaritan in the parable as a true neighbor, we can imagine Jesus saying to us that, if we would know what the mercy of God is like, we need only consider Jesus’ words and actions – and then “do the same yourself”!

The years following the Great War of 1914-18 were years of trouble and turmoil. Many nations struggled to come to terms with the horrors that had befallen the world. Before long and further war erupted, driven by the expansionist will of Adolf Hitler, and so the 1920s and 30s are known now as the “inter-war years”. The Bishop of Rome published a letter to the whole Church and the whole world, to put before everyone the vital importance of Jesus as the ruler over all. The year was 1925 and already dictators were flourishing in the shape of Benito Mussolini, and new forms of government in Soviet Russia, where first Lenin and then Stalin would rule with an iron fist. With the new nationalism there arose the new secularism, a world ruled without reference to God. In our world today, we are accustomed to secularism, and the Church has had to accommodate itself to an ever-changing world. In some places the Church has had too much influence in the political sphere. In other places the Church is still persecuted and required to submit to the will of the Government.

Today’s feast prompts us to think about the rule of the Lord in our personal life and in our public and social life. The kingdom that He proclaims is the kingdom of truth, and that claim puts all of us on the spot. “All who are on the side of truth listen to My voice,” says the Lord.

“Love one another, as I have loved you.” “Love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you.” The teaching of Jesus shows us that every human being is to be loved and honored and respected.

Today we celebrate Christ as our King. The readings invite us to reflect on the kind of king Christ is and what it means for us to say that we belong to His kingdom. The first reading from Ezekiel suggests that human leaders have proved utterly unwilling to govern by God’s principles, and so the Lord himself will come to lead us. This promise is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, who used His authority to serve and assist others. Specific actions mentioned in today’s Gospel are feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting prisoners and taking care of the sick. Jesus is a king who constantly ministers to those in most need. We may reflect upon who rules in our world, and in our lives and hearts. All of us can do something in the service of our true king, and of each other.

In the time of Jesus, the people wanted to unite around a king, a new David, who would deliver them from their enemies and oppressors. At first, they thought that Jesus was such a Messiah. But in today’s Gospel, we see that, in the end, they rejected Jesus as their king, they mocked Him and handed Him over to be crucified. It was one of the thieves crucified with Him who recognized something of the truth of Jesus’ claim to kingship. He prayed, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Christ breaks down the barriers and divisions that we set up between ourselves because of our selfishness and fear. Christ establishes a new way for us to relate to God and to each other: His love is the life force of the kingdom of God.

Jesus is the most unlikely figure of a king. He is rejected. He is crucified. His kingdom is not of this world. The Kingdom of God, where Christ the King rules over the minds and hearts of all those who believe, will finally be revealed in heaven. But already, in the life of the Church, His body, the men and women of our world can experience the peace and reconciliation for which Christ came. As we gather around the cross of Jesus, we learn that His death overcomes our selfishness and sin; His resurrection empowers us to live His new life and even now to experience the reconciliation and peace of His kingdom. On this feast of Christ the King, then, let us celebrate the fulfilment of God’s plan, but let us commit ourselves once again to the ongoing work of reconciliation and peace in our world.