Sunday Reflections

Feast of Christ the King November 21, 2021

Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33-37

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For an Article on Christ the King Click here

It is noted that the Christians in Nigeria and some other West African countries celebrate Christ the King Sunday with a big, festive parade through the main streets of their cities. This may sound unfamiliar to Christians in other parts of the world, but a public manifestation of faith may not be far from what Pope Pius XI had in mind when, in 1925, he established the feast of Christ the King. The feast is a proclamation of the Christian belief that the reign of Christ should be felt not only in the private lives of Christians but also in the public domain.

The kingship of Christ is necessarily a threat to the kingdoms of the world. This was the thinking of Pontius Pilate when he was interrogating Jesus to ascertain whether Jesus was a king. Jesus’ answer was that, yes, he was indeed a king, but not the sort of king he had in mind. “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). Wherein lies the difference between the kingship of Christ and that of Pilate and other kings of this world? We can name three:

(1) Other kingdoms have territorial boundaries but the kingship of Christ is universal. Christ is king without borders.

(2) Other kingdoms come and go, but the kingship of Christ is eternal.

(3) Other kingdoms are sustained by military power, but the kingship of Christ is sustained by the power of truth. Citizens of Christ’s kingdom must, therefore, stand by the truth even when it is hurting and embarrassing to do so.

When we speak about the kingdom of God in this way, some people ask: what then becomes of patriotism and national loyalty? Patriotism and national loyalty certainly have their place in the Christian life, but loyalty to God comes first. In the name of patriotism and national loyalty some Christians have surrendered their consciences to the state. If the state says it is lawful, then it is all right to do it. A good example is abortion. Or, if the state says it is illegal, then it is wrong to do it. An example is helping an “illegal” immigrant. Today’s celebration challenges us to do better than that: to look more critically at the laws and policies governing public life and examine them against the light of the law of Christ. As Christians we should be loyal citizens of our countries, but loyal citizens of God’s kingdom first.

We express our faith by calling Jesus our King who is the master of our human hearts.  The kingdom of God over which he presides consists of the presence of God manifested fully in the reality of Jesus. Whoever listens to the voice of Jesus and belief in him is a member of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is really our King when we consciously become his subjects, when we listen to him, love him, serve him, and follow him. We belong to his kingship when, like him, we have reached that level of freedom that can really let go of everything, even of life itself in the struggle to make our world a world of truth, justice, and love. That is the struggle to help make real the prayer we constantly say, "Your Kingdom come!" Paradoxically, one of the best ways to know Jesus is to go about helping others to know him. In order to share the knowledge, understanding, and love of Jesus with others, we have to discover that knowledge, understanding, and love for ourselves.

(You are most welcome to add your thoughts and views in the comment section below)

 

Happy Feast