Word to the Wise
Sunday, November 22, 2009 - Our Lord Jesus Christ the King
[Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33B-37]So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "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 my voice." [John]
The problem with the word "king" is that it has become very slippery. It can apply to all kinds of folks. It has been used for monarchs (take your pick), cowboys (Roy Rogers), rock stars (Elvis Presley), boxers (Mohammed Ali), and carnival figures (Rex of Mardi Gras). In Jesus' day, the meaning was narrower. It meant a political/religious ruler whose word was law. Since there could only be one king in a country, a claim by anyone else to the title could be very dangerous. As far as the Romans were concerned, there was only one king, Caesar. They were ever on the lookout for religious "visionaries" who might start a rebellion in the volatile land of the Jews! The religious leadership, to whom Jesus represented a threat, were very much aware of this and used it as the pretext for getting the Romans to get rid of him. The sign that Pilate puts on the cross was a warning to anyone who might have any thoughts about trying to be a "king." As a matter of faith, we know that Pilate was missing the point while unintentionally telling the truth. Jesus IS a king - not WAS a king. The visions reported in Daniel and the Book of Revelation (our first two scriptures for today) give us the sense in which we use the word. For the Jews of Jesus' day, although there were many different expectations regarding the "Messiah," most of them if not all referred to a figure who would come in time (not the end of time) and vanquish the Romans and establish the reign of God on earth. Christian faith gradually moved away from this for a number of reasons. First of all, Jesus did not return immediately, and second, the faith began to spread to all kinds of nations - all of which had their own "king," which had the effect of relativizing the political meaning of the word. Jesus' response to Pilate took on its true meaning. Jesus is not king of a country, he is "king" of all creation because he is the source of it. There is no power greater than his! For those who prefer the pomp and circumstance that history and fantasy give to monarchs, Jesus' self-description is disappointing, but he makes it clear throughout the gospels that he came to serve and not to be served. The feast of Christ the King comes as a reminder to us at the end of the liturgical year that the story we are telling over and over again is not about the "Caesars" of the world, but about Jesus Christ, the truth that sets us free from fear of any power other than his. We can "reign" with him by following in his footsteps and living according to his teachings. AMEN
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