SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING B

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DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHERS





Thinking about the kingship of Jesus yields contradictions. Some people say the Jesus was certainly not a king, and that he refused to acknowledge he was a king. They have a point – Jesus’ lifestyle was certainly the direct opposite of a monarch. Some however, insist that Jesus is a king and that he must be continually venerated under this title. In 2016 Poland’s bishops and government leaders proclaimed Christ anew as the King of the nation. So what is the truth?



Well the readings today proclaim the kingship of the Lord. Daniel 7 speaks of the Son of Man who will receive his “glory and kingship.” Revelations 1 proclaims the Lord as a mega-king, “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” The gospel (Jn 18) shows Jesus before Pilate refusing the title of king and yet admitting that he has a kingdom that “does not belong to this world.”



Jesus Christ is King, the Bible says; we have to accept that! But a sovereign wielding power to suppress and oppress, to demand and reprimand, to acquire and require homage and tribute from subjects, he certainly is not! Kingship, applied to Jesus, is a totally different and new concept. He is king, not in human structures and systems. His domain is not the world, as he explained. His territory is the human heart that acknowledges his love and submits to his will.



Unfortunately today, some people think that to proclaim Jesus as king is to control people through indoctrination and manipulation. They think that it is all right to use his name and distort his message in order to support human plans and schemes to make people shut up and blindly obey. For some, the kingship of Jesus means the disregard for the opinions, feelings and rights of others in the church and in society. This is not the way of the Lord; this is not his style of caring for his flock.



Jesus is king when we allow the fragrance of the gospel to attract people through its welcoming, loving and compassionate message. 

He reigns when like him, we journey with people and accompany them on the gradual road to conversion and new life. 

His power shines when we listen, discover, respect and encourage people including those who disagree with us. 

Jesus reigns in hearts that live patience, humility and gentleness in every moment.



Together let us discover the uniqueness of Jesus’ reign within us. As we open our hearts to him, let us invite him to work in us and through us to win the whole world for his kingdom whose territory is not a geographical location, but the limitless expanse of the human heart! Amen.

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