November 21, 2021
Christ the King
On Friday, a jury in Kenosha acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges. It was a very difficult task considering the publicity and the pressure of public opinion. The jury had to weigh the evidence and to interpret Wisconsin’s existing laws on self-defense. Jesus is on trial in our Gospel today. The charge or indictment against Jesus is affixed to the cross in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. It reads, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.†Looking back, we ask, “Was Jesus a king?’ That is the critical question when Jesus is interrogated by Pontius Pilate, Roman Governor of Judea. “Are you the King of the Jews?†Would we find Jesus, innocent or guilty of claiming to be king?
Even among his disciples there is a misunderstanding of who Jesus is. Simon Peter gets it right when he confesses that Jesus is the “messiah†but being the “messiah†can mean different things. In Hebrew, “messiah†means “anointed one.†For Simon Peter and many of the disciples, a common expectation in Israel, the promised messiah will be a political and military leader like King David who will lead the Jewish nation against their Roman oppressors. Jesus makes a concerted effort explaining to them that for him “messiah†means one who will lay down his life like the “suffering servant†of Isaiah.
When Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you King of the Jews?†Jesus replies, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.†Pilate does not grasp that the sovereignty of Jesus is not one of political power and military domination but one of truth. Jesus explains, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.â€
The “kingdom†Jesus espouses is beautifully phrased in the preface of the Mass … a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace. At baptism we are anointed with chrism to be priests, prophets, and kings. Our being part of the kingdom is both personal and communal. It is not defined by family bonds, by social norms/structures, by geography and physical borders. Look around and see the Stars of Bethlehem that remind us of others who are less fortunate and are part of the Body of Christ. Faith Formation Families are collecting blankets for St. Luke Mission of Mercy. The Ladies of Annunciation are collecting snowshoes and boots for Afghan refugees being resettled in WNY. In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus foretells the Son of Man coming/returning in glory as the great king with the nations of the world assembled before him. We will be judged on whether we have shown compassion to the least of our sisters and brothers, what we do unto them we do unto Christ.
There is a cost to discipleship. Are we willing to stand with and before Jesus, the King, as the Lord, Sovereign of our hearts? Can we say that we belong to and live his truth? Are we committed to listening to Jesus in Sacred Scripture and hearing his voice speak truth to us? We are gathered here at the table of the heavenly king ready to receive his very life in Holy Communion. Are we willing to be Christ the King’s ambassadors in the world and announce and inaugurate the Kingdom of God?
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33rd Sunday Ordinary B
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