Whose kingdom are we shooting for, anyway?
Are you the King of the Jews? When, in John's Gospel, Pilate asks Jesus
this question, he is concerned that Jesus represents a dual threat: not only would such a messianic title be seen
as blasphemous (to Pilate, the only king
is Caesar, of course), but Jesus might be positioning himself as a politically
motivated savior of his people, come to upend Roman rule. However, Jesus is dedicated to something
greater than any human, political truth; Jesus has come to testify to the truth, and that truth is God's love… God's love,
which is ultimately true because it is unwavering, eternal, and without
limitations. And accepting God's love
means accepting God's authority to rule our hearts.
That authority is, as the Book of Daniel proclaims,
permanent: His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away
or destroyed. Psalm 93 echoes this statement: God's kingdom is from of old, and will last for
length of days. Jesus, one like a Son of Man, comes to earth
in the semblance of weak humanity, but truly divine, he comes on the clouds of heaven. In the Book of Revelation death crowns
him the faithful witness, one who has made us into a kingdom, and whose
reign is eternal; Jesus is the one who is
and who was and who is to come… forever.
God's love is a power that will last where human power will
not. The Feast of Christ the King
reminds us that we, too, must be dedicated to something greater than an earthly
kingdom, dedicated to a love that moves us, a love that is strong, holy, and
trustworthy. A love, in short, that no
earthly king can destroy, a love that only Jesus, Christ the King, he who loves us, can give.
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Image source 1: Wordle
Image source 2: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Mill Valley
Image source 2: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Mill Valley
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