A few thoughts for the Solemnity of Christ the King which the
Church celebrates this Sunday. “Yes, I am a king.” So said Jesus to
Pontius Pilate. “I was born for this,
I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on
the side of truth listen to my voice.”
Shortly before this He had told His apostles, “You call me Master and Lord,
and rightly; so I am. 14 If I, then, the Lord and Master, have
washed your feet, you must wash each other's feet.” Jesus also allowed Himself
to be called Rabbi – which means ‘teacher.’
Yes, Jesus allowed these and other leadership titles to be applied to
Him. There’s a verse in the Letter to the
Hebrews, (12.2), “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who
leads us in our faith and brings it to
perfection.” As I meditate on the
Solemnity of Christ the King it occurs to me that anyone who holds a position
of authority would do well to keep his or her eyes fixed on Jesus. Were they to do so it would be of great
benefit to all those over whom they preside. Those leaders who fix their eyes
on themselves in one big ‘ego-trip’ of self-admiration and self-inflation are
much to be regretted!
For Jesus the defining quality of any leader should
be that the greatest of all should be the servant of all - whether he or she be
king, queen, president, prime minister, manager, head or whatever. The greatest of all would be the servant of
all. Their ideal should be unity and collaboration rather than division and
confrontation, reconciliation rather than retaliation.
The Mission of Jesus Himself is
stated in the Preface of the Mass for the Solemnity of Christ the King,
“That He might accomplish
the mysteries of human redemption and, making all created things subject to His
rule, He might present to the immensity
of the majesty of His Heavenly Father an eternal and universal kingdom, a
kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of
justice, love and peace.”
Jesus was the valiant, conquering King who alone could
overcome the enemies of mankind - death and sin. And this He did through His Crucifixion and Resurrection.
We ourselves, as we follow the leadership of Jesus, are
called to allow Jesus to continue His great good work through us. This is to
live according to the values of His Kingship, to promote these values and
thereby have a godly influence on others.
Our Christian Faith should convince us that those who
are brash and self-centred, those who measure significance by wealth and
weaponry, power and persuasion, were never meant to control and demean the
quality of living of the human family.
As we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus we are to
realize that when the Son of God became man He affirmed and elevated
the humanity, the dignity, of every boy
and girl, every man and woman, that ever existed. Each and every one without
exception is made in the image and likeness of Almighty God, Heavenly Father of
them all – His beloved children.
Every day the Media make us aware that God’s
beloved sons and daughters are being made to suffer, allowed to suffer,
throughout the world. Pope Francis describes this as a culture of global
indifference. And yet people talk of human progress! God the Father realized
the Son He sent into the world had to be Savior as well as King.
Yes, as we celebrate Jesus as King we must rejoice over the blessings
Christianity has brought the world throughout the ages. Yes, we must look
forward to that day when Jesus will come in all His Kingly Glory to welcome us
in to His Father’s Heavenly Kingdom.
But, in the name and power of Christ the King, we must also do all that
is possible to save multitudes from having to endure man-made
hell on earth. Attempting to do this,
empowered the grace of God, is surely the most effective way of celebrating the
Christ as King!
GOD BLESS YOU
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