34th
Ordinary Sunday (Year C)
(CHRIST THE KING)
(CHRIST THE KING)
First
Reading:
2
Samuel 5:1-3 Second
Reading:
Colossians
1:12-20 Gospel
Reading:
Luke
23:35-43
“AMEN,
I SAY YOU, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”
The
story is told that many years ago, a little boy was visiting London
with his family, and he decided he wanted to see the king. Of course,
when he arrived at the palace, the gates were closed and the soldiers
refused his request to see the king. He took his case to a nearby
policeman, who said, "I'm afraid you're not allowed in
there."
A
well-dressed gentleman had walked up and heard the conversation. He
turned to the boy and said, "What's the matter?" The
boy answered, "I want so much to see the king." The
gentleman took the boy by the hand and said, "Come with me."
As they moved toward the gate, the soldiers sprang to attention and a
guard quickly opened the gate for them to enter. He led the boy into
the palace and up the steps, and no one tried to stop them as they
went right into the king's offices.
The
reason is that the well-dressed gentleman was the Prince of Wales,
the king's son, and he was the one who could give the boy access to
his father, the king.
So
it is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, alone can give us access to
God the Father - and he purchased that access with his own blood,
shed on the cross. And he says to each one of us too, “Amen,
I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Today
is the 34th
Sunday in Ordinary Time and it is also the last Sunday of the
Liturgical Year C. On
the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year the Church always celebrates
the Feast of “Christ
the King.”
This feast was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and is observed on
this Sunday as it helps us to meditate on Christ the King and Lord,
and at the same time reflect on the Second and Final Coming of
Christ, the Last Judgment, and the End of the World.
Now,
the word 'king'
evokes all kinds of images, and whatever image of king comes to our
mind may influence subconsciously our thoughts about this feast.
Also, while it is true that kings and kingship belong to the past –
they are extinct and if at all they exist, they could be found in
history books. King David is one such king given as an example in the
First Reading of today. Again,
in the Second Reading and the Gospel Reading, we are given two highly
contrasting pictures of Jesus as King – a highly triumphant one and
utterly disgraced one respectively. Surely, to call Jesus Christ
“King”
is a paradox – but in this is also hidden the central paradox of
our Christian faith.
So,
what really is this feast of Christ
the King all about? Is it still relevant to call Christ
– the King? And why is it celebrated at the end of the Liturgical
Year? – The feast of Christ the King fits very appropriately into
the liturgical year – a cycle which begins with Advent, then moves
on to Christmas or the actual birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, then
to the dying and rising of Jesus at Easter, and finally, after the
Sundays in Ordinary time, to the end of the liturgical year where
Jesus Christ comes in glory at the end of time in today’s feast of
Christ the King. This
is as it were, a synthesis of the entire salvific mystery. After
reflecting on the mysteries in the life of Jesus for the entire year,
we eventually come to the definite conclusion that Jesus is Lord, the
King of all kings.
DAVID
BEING ANOINTED KING OF ISRAEL :
In
the First Reading of today from the 2nd
Book of Samuel, we see all the tribes of Israel coming to David in
Hebron to make him their king. Called by God to lead the chosen
people, David had been a shepherd, musician, military hero, and
respected leader of his people. Now he would rule as king and make
the Israelites secure against their enemies.
Actually,
this was the second time that David had been anointed as king. In 2
Samuel, verse 2:4, we read that David was first anointed as king over
the house of Judah. But Saul, Israel's first king, though side lined
by God already, refused to step aside. This led to a prolonged
struggle between them and finally ends when Saul took his own life in
a battle with the Philistines. With Saul dead now, all the tribes
come to David in Hebron to make him their king. The tribes of Israel
express their own conviction that David’s appointment as king comes
from God. There is a clear reference to his God-given authority, “You
shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.”
King David then makes an agreement with them before God, thus
invoking Divine blessings on his reign. Those tribes once loyal to
Saul accept this divine appointment of David and affirm that he is
the Shepherd of Israel. Shepherd was a traditional title for a king
and in Israel it was also a title for God. Thus at this point of his
life, David was their shepherd on behalf of God.
Now,
David was the greatest of all the kings in Israel; and in a way, he
was an image of things to come. Lord Jesus was a descendant of David.
Both King David and the Lord Jesus were shepherds. The Almighty God
who chose David to shepherd His people Israel is the same God who
chose Christ the King as the Shepherd who gave his life for the
sheep.
“THIS
IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Now,
as we celebrate the concluding Sunday of the Liturgical Year C, the
Gospel Reading of today from St. Luke does not seem to fit with the
title of today’s feast of Christ the King. Here
we are given a very different picture indeed. It
is a crucifixion scene. It takes us to Calvary and to three crosses
on which three 'criminals'
are hung - left to die. This was a death reserved for the lowest of
the low - and yet, it is recorded here as evidence of the Kingship of
Christ.
Twice
in the passage, Jesus is referred to as 'the
King of the Jews.'
Two other times he is called 'the
Messiah.'
All these references are directed to Jesus as he hung on the cross
and they are all made in mockery of him. Here we are presented with a
man being executed in shame and ignominy, bleeding and battered on a
cross, one of the cruelest and degrading punishments ever devised.
Over his head are the mocking words, “This
is the King of the Jews.”
To every human imagination he does not look like a king.
People
are watching him die on the cross, as the leaders, soldiers and
people too consider him a fraud a failure. The test they are using
is the challenge that if he is truly the King and Messiah why he does
not save himself and come down the cross. This indeed is the
challenge before him of an earthly king like Caesar and a spiritual
king like Jesus. Certainly we prefer those triumphant pictures where
Jesus wears a crown and an expensively embroidered cloak with a
scepter in his hand as he looks down benignly on his subjects. The
Church has chosen quite a different picture for today’s feast. It
is to help us wake up out of our complacency and to become more aware
of how Jesus came to be our King and what he expects from his
subjects. The kingdom of God is about service, sacrifice and love.
Even
while he is dying on the cross, Jesus reaches out to sinners with the
gift of Salvation. This comes as one of the two criminals, sometimes
known as Dismas, who is hanging on a cross next to Jesus senses the
truth about Jesus. Rebuking his fellow criminal, he turns and pleads
to the one who gave him ultimate hope, "Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
And the crucified King, acting as Savior even at the last moment of
his life, responds compassionately to his faith invocation, "Amen
I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The other criminal however, shows no sign of faith and continues the
mockery of others. What this criminal and others viz. the rulers and
the soldiers, fail to understand is the
divine necessity of Jesus’ death.
They do not realize that what he is really doing by dying on the
cross is bringing about salvation for those who cannot save
themselves. The passage clearly tells us that in spite of the mockery
and insult, Jesus is truly the King and Savior. The titles they gave
him are true and accurate. But Jesus redefines the true meaning of
Kingship and the notion of the Kingdom. This is not a competition of
royalty but an expression of leadership that culminates in service.
He shuns the status of power and might, domination and force as the
moral and practical foundation for life. Jesus is truly King,
but not the way his contemporaries imagined. He is King for us
through the way of the cross and
for us believers who now contemplate this tragic crucifixion scene,
the abuses hurled at Jesus were ironic: the crucified One is All that
is denied of him. We
should not become immune to the scandal of the cross, perhaps the
greatest sign that our Christian faith is not
some human thinking.
THE
KINGSHIP OF CHRIST OVER ALL CREATION:
Next,
the
Second Reading of today from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians is
dense and refers to a series of theological realities. It highlights
probably an early Christian 'Hymn
to Christ.'
There
in it is given the highly triumphant and magnificent picture of
Christ. Two
themes are predominant: the kingship of Jesus Christ over all
creation and the reconciliation with God of all things, especially
man, by means of Jesus’ death on the cross. The first stanza
describes Christ before his birth. He is the image of the invisible
God, the first born of all creation... The second stanza describes
Christ after his earthly life. He is the beginning, the first born of
the dead... Christ, the God-man, completely divine and completely
human, moves from heaven to earth and back to heaven. He is the head
of the Church and the One who holds everything 'in
being.'
St. Paul's meditation on the Father summing up and reconciling all
things in and through Christ, is one of the most beautiful prayers of
thanksgiving to the Father. It reminds us to be grateful that we are
loved and saved by such a supreme King.
CONCLUSION:
However,
the Gospel Reading today may sound, for many of us, somewhat
incongruous to this joyous celebration of the feast of Christ the
King. Nevertheless, the image of Jesus on the cross accurately and
eloquently captures the true nature of his Kingship. It is radically
different from the kings of the world. Christ’s Kingship is
eternal, universal and perfect. It is the Kingship, not of force
or fear but of the power of love. Let us then turn
toward the Crucified Lord! He is our true King! In our Christian
life, the cross is the best for us. Let us not turn away from it. It
is the throne of our King where he offered his life for our sakes;
his crown is made of thorns; his garment is the blood flowing from
the many wounds all over his body; his scepter are the nails the
pierced his hands and feet.
Again,
at the end of the Liturgical Year, it is most fitting that the Church
resounds the prayer invocation of the repentant criminal Dismas,
“Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom”
and listens trustingly to the crucified King’s compassionate
assurance of salvation, “Amen,
I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise”.
Finally,
the Liturgical Year ends awaiting the return of Christ, when evil
will be defeated and Jesus will begin his reign as the King of kings.
Christ’s kingdom begins in the community of people who live in a
new and different way because of God’s presence in their lives.
Celebrating Christ’s kingship gives us an opportunity to proclaim
the good news that his second coming brings joy rather than fear,
hope rather than despair. We are cleansed and renewed and brought
closer to our God. Today’s feast is both a challenge and an
opportunity for us to become aware of our call to become truly both
subjects and partners of Jesus our King. Long live the King! May his
Kingdom come! And this is the Good News of today.
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