Kings

Three thousand years ago, the Jews decided that they wanted a king.

They were impressed with their neighbors’ kings.

And they wanted Israel to have one too.

God was not pleased with their desire for a human king.

He was already their King, why should they want another one?

But he let them have one.

He led the prophet Samuel out on the search.

Samuel found Saul, and anointed him king.

A few decades later Saul had to be replaced, and Samuel anointed David.

God had been the perfect King.

But the Jews didn’t follow him perfectly.

Maybe it was just too hard for the average Jew on the street.

God’s Kingship had to seem quite indirect, impersonal and abstract.

Saul and David—and all their successors—were more concrete.

But they were far from perfect.

So, God sent Israel a perfect human king.

The Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One—Jesus.

Here was perfection, delivered in a concrete, in-the-flesh King.

The people could see him, hear him, and deal with him directly.

And follow his example.

But most didn’t acknowledge him as king.

On Good Friday, Pontius Pilate asked him if he was a king.

Jesus responded that his Kingdom is not of this world.

As he hung on the cross, the sign over his head said King of the Jews.

But that was just Pilate’s jab at King Herod and the Jewish leaders.

They had already rejected him.

Throughout history, there have been thousands of worldly kings.

As well as chancellors, premiers, presidents, and other-titled leaders.

Some have even claimed a touch of divinity.

Some have been bad, some have been good—even saintly.

But none has ever been perfect.

None, except Christ the King.

In him, God returned as our King.

Because Jesus is both God and man.

Fully God and fully man.

He’s no longer walking among us in-the-flesh.

But he left us his example.

And he left his Spirit within us.

And he’s called us to acknowledge him as King.

To give proper honor to God, through him.

And to follow his example in caring for his people.

At baptism we were anointed and told to

Live always like Christ who was anointed priest, prophet and king.

We’re told to take up that regal responsibility for our people.

And who are our people?

Our families, our friends, our neighbors, our fellow Americans,

Our fellow citizens of the world, our fellow children of God. 

Everyone.

We have greater responsibility to those closer to us.

But ultimately we have responsibility for everyone.

We’re to be the kings and queens looking out for their welfare.

Giving ourselves for our people, just as Jesus gave himself for his people.

So we have this feast to call attention to our King,

And to our call to imitate him.

The Church has always proclaimed Christ as King.

But this special feast is relatively new.

It was declared in 1925 by Pope Pius XI.

At a time when the world was becoming 

Increasingly secular and materialistic.

And Church freedom was threatened 

By secular and atheistic governments.

It’s a reminder that we’re all called to serve  

A higher—other worldly—authority.

Even more recently, in 1969, Pope Paul VI made some adjustments.

The formal name for this Feast of Christ the King was changed to,

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

He’s not just King of the Jews, or King of Christians.

He’s King of the universe.

The universe that—in his Divine nature as God the Son—

He himself created.

The date for celebrating the feast was also changed.

It was moved to this final Sunday of the liturgical year.

(Next Sunday we begin a new year with Advent.)

It was moved to stress the relationship between Jesus’ Kingship

And the final coming of his Kingdom at the end of time.

It was moved to this final Sunday because this year-end time

Is an excellent time to step back and review our year.

And to assess it in the context of how well we’ve done 

In following our King.

So let’s take advantage of these few remaining days, let’s ask ourselves:

How well am I honoring my God?

How well am I serving my people?

34th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Feast of Christ the King

Lk 23:35-43   Read this Scripture @usccb.org