My Kingship Is Not of This World
Introduction: May you continue to experience the joys
of the Reign of GOD in your life and may it motivate you to serve others so they
too can know the holiness and blessedness of being part of the Reign of GOD.
In 2009,
Michael Josephson presented his commentary entitled The Parable of Brother Leo (http://www.malankaraworld.com/library/General/General_servant-leadership.htm). In
it, he talked about the role of leadership as being of service to others. Today,
as we celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, our King, we realize how Jesus is
the key role model of leadership and that He ruled by coming not to be served but
to serve and to give His life for others (Matthew 20: 28; Mark 10: 45; Luke 22:
27). It is important for us to acknowledge Jesus as our true Leader and King, to
place Him on the throne of lives, and to serve others as He did. This is the fitting
way to end this liturgical year and look forward to the coming season of Advent,
the beginning of a new liturgical year.
This celebration
of Christ the King comes at the end of the liturgical year. It is the “crown” of
the year in that it summarizes what has been celebrated all year and it looks forward
to the Reign of Christ at the end of time. The First Reading describes the coming
of the one Who is like the “Son of Man” who receives everlasting dominion over all.
The psalm proclaims the LORD to be King surrounded by glory. The reading from the
Book of Revelation describes Jesus as the King of Rulers and the One Who has made
us into a Reign of priests (people who can help sanctify others by the way we serve
and minister to them). In the Gospel today, as Jesus stands before the judgment
seat of Pilate, He announces that He is King, but that His Kingdom is not of this
world.
First Reading; Daniel 7:13-14: I
saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man
Commentary: This prophecy of Daniel was written in
the dark days of the Syrian persecution of Judaism a couple of centuries before
Christ. First, the evil empires that persecuted Judaism are described under the
imagery of ravening beasts which tear their prey to pieces. Then comes this altogether
different image of a noble human being on whom God confers all power and sovereignty
on earth. In the original vision this human figure is the personification of the
Jews, ‘the holy ones of the Most High’, who will be freed from this persecution
and exalted to glory. In the New Testament, this prophecy is applied to Jesus. He
uses the mysterious expression ‘son of man’ to describe his authority on earth to
forgive sins and to prescribe rules for Sabbath observance. He uses it also to soften
the prophecy of the suffering and death by which he will achieve his final resurrection.
In the final commission of the Risen Christ to his disciples in Matthew he goes
even further: to him has been given all authority both in heaven and on earth, and
in this power he sends out his apostles, promising that he will be with them always.
Responsorial Psalm; 93:1-2,5: The
Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
The psalm
seems to be taken from the celebration of the enthronement of the Ark of the Covenant
in the Temple. The LORD GOD alone is the true King and Ruler of the Chosen People.
GOD’s rule over the people is something that causes great celebration by the subjects
of this Reign of GOD. Christians have again seen in this psalm a reference to Jesus’
ruling in the new Reign that He came to establish.
Second Reading, Apocalypse 1:5-8:
Jesus Christ has made us a line of kings and priests
Commentary: The Book of Revelation opens with a vision
of the Risen Christ as Lord. This passage is rich in quotations from the Old Testament,
and allusions to several passages of the Bible to express the dignity, power, and
sovereignty which belongs to Christ. He is described even in divine terms, the first
and last letters of the alphabet signifying that he is the beginning and end of
all things, their origin in creation, and their goal. He spans the whole extent
of time, past, present, and future, till he comes again. More specifically, also,
in his glorified humanity Christ is the Lord of the Church, since he has taken the
Church to himself, cleansed it, and made it a Kingdom of Priests to serve God. This
too is a biblical expression, for Israel is described as a royal priesthood; it
will find its fulfilment in the Church. Like the prophecy of Daniel, the Book of
Revelation was written in time of persecution, to assure the persecuted faithful
that they were safe in the protection of God, whose power would eventually prevail
to rescue them and bring them to triumph and security.
Gospel, John 18:33-37: Yes, I am
a king
Commentary: In some
ways, this dreadful scene is part of the climax of John’s Passion Narrative. Throughout
the narrative John stresses the ultimate significance of the events, taking the
stress off Jesus’ suffering and humiliation, and laying it on his triumph. Finally,
Jesus will die only when he has completed his mission, and hands over his Spirit
to the newly-formed Christian community of Mary and the Beloved Disciple. In this
scene the Jewish authorities have denounced Jesus as claiming to be king of the
Jews, not knowing how true that claim is. Jesus declares that his kingdom is no
earthly kingdom, but far more powerful and meaningful. By his statement, he invites
Pilate to declare himself for the truth, as any judge should do. Now Pilate three
times declares Jesus innocent, but at the same time makes a mockery of himself,
as he stands before Truth itself, and asks what is truth. Then he seats Jesus on
the Judgement Seat, robed and crowned as a king. Before this Jesus, was enthroned
as judge and king, the Jewish authorities denied themselves and their faith by declaring,
‘We have no king but Caesar’. If God is not king, Judaism has no reason to exist.
Reflection: Do you recognize
that the Lord Jesus has been given all authority and power to reign over heaven
and earth? Jesus was crucified for his claim to be the Messiah King (John 18:37)
who would rule not only over his people Israel but ultimately over all the nations
as well (Daniel 7:13-14).
God is King and Ruler over all: What is the significance
or meaning of Jesus' kingship for us? Kingship today seems antiquated, especially
in democratic societies where everyone is treated equally and free. God at first
did not want to give his people Israel a king. Why? Because God alone was their
King and they needed no other. Nonetheless, God relented and promised his people
that through David's line, he would establish a Ruler and a Kingdom that would last
for eternity (Psalm 89:29).
The Jews understood
that the Messiah ("Anointed One") would come as God's anointed King to
restore paradise and establish God's reign of everlasting peace for them. They wanted
a Messianic King who would free them from strife and division and from foreign oppression.
Many had high hopes that Jesus would be the Messiah and Ruler of Israel. Little
did they understand what kind of kingship Jesus claimed to possess.
Jesus' claim to kingship: Jesus came to deliver his
people, and the whole world, from the worst kind of tyranny possible - from bondage
to sin, condemnation, and death, and to free us from Satan's kingdom of deception,
oppression, and destruction. Jesus came to conquer hearts and souls for an unshakeable
kingdom - a kingdom ruled not by force or fear - but by the power of God's righteousness,
peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
When Satan tempted
Jesus during his forty-day fast in the wilderness, he offered Jesus all the kingdoms
of the world (Matthew 4:8-9) Jesus knew that the world was in Satan's power. And
this was precisely why Jesus came - to overthrow Satan's power and deception over
the earth. Jesus knew that the way to victory was through submission to his Father's
will and strategy for overcoming sin and Satan in the world. The Father sent his
only begotten Son into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it through the
atoning sacrifice that Jesus would make for us through the shedding of his blood
on the cross of Calvary.
As Jesus was dying
on the cross, he was mocked for his claim to kingship. Nonetheless, he died not
only as King of the Jews, but King of all the nations as well. His victory over
the power of sin, Satan, and the world, was accomplished through his death on the
cross and his rising from the tomb on the third day - never to die again. Jesus
exchanged a throne of glory for a cross of shame to restore us from slavery to sin
to glory with God as his adopted sons and daughters. In the Book of Revelation Jesus
is called King of kings and Lord and lords (Revelations 19:16). Do you recognize
Jesus Christ as your King and Lord?
Which ruler and kingdom will you serve?: The Scriptures
tell us that there are ultimately only two kingdoms in this world that are opposed
to one another - the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Each kingdom
is ruled by one lord or master - the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true "Light
of the World" - or the false messiah and ruler who is called the "anti-Christ"
and an "angel of light" who rules by lies and deception.
If we follow the
Lord Jesus Christ he will open our eyes to the light of his truth and guide us on
the course that leads to our true homeland and security with God. If we follow the
course that is set by the world - a world that is opposed to Christ and blinded
by the Deceiver who is Satan - then we will discover that sin, pride, and greed
will lead us down a path of destruction, division, and death rather than life, community,
and freedom.
Which kingdom will
you serve - today and for all eternity? The kingdom of this present world which
passes away or God's kingdom which can never be broken or defeated and which endures
forever? If we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and King we become citizens of an
everlasting kingdom which is governed by God's righteousness, peace, and love. Is
your life submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ who reigns now and forever in
the glory of his eternal Father in heaven?
Lord Jesus Christ,
you are my King and there is no other. Be the Lord and Master of my heart, mind,
body, and soul. May I always seek to do your will and to serve your kingdom above
all else.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: My kingdom is not of the world, by Augustine of Hippo,
354-430 A.D.
"Listen, everyone,
Jews and Gentiles, circumcised and uncircumcised. Listen, all kings of the earth.
I am no hindrance to your rule in this world, for 'my kingdom is not of this world.'
Banish the groundless fear that filled Herod the Great on hearing that Christ was
born. More cruel in his fear than in his anger, he put many children to death (Matthew
2:3,16), so that Christ would also die. But 'my kingdom is not of this world,' says
Christ. What further reassurance do you seek? Come to the kingdom that is not of
this world. Do not be enraged by fear, but come by faith. In a prophecy Christ also
said, 'He,' that is, God the Father, 'has made me king on Zion his holy mountain'
(Psalm 2:6). But that Zion and that mountain are not of this world.
"What in fact
is Christ's kingdom? It is simply those who believe in him, those to whom he said,
'You are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.' He willed, nevertheless,
that they should be in the world, which is why he prayed to the Father, 'I ask you
not to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one' (John 17:15-16).
So here also he did not say, 'My kingdom is not' in this world but 'is not of this
world.' And when he went on to prove this by declaring, 'If my kingdom were of this
world, my servants would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews,'
he concluded by saying not 'my kingdom is not here' but 'my kingdom is not from
here.'
"Indeed, his
kingdom is here until the end of time, and until the harvest it will contain weeds.
The harvest is the end of the world, when the reapers, who are the angels, will
come and gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin (Matthew 13:48-41). And this
could not happen if his kingdom were not here. But even so, it is not from here,
for it is in exile in the world. Christ says to his kingdom, 'You are not of the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world' (John 15:19). They were indeed of
the world when they belonged to the prince of this world, before they became his
kingdom. Though created by the true God, everyone born of the corrupt and accursed
stock of Adam is of the world. [But] everyone who is reborn in Christ becomes the
kingdom that is no longer of the world. For God has snatched us from the powers
of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).
This is that kingdom of which he said, 'My kingdom is not of this world; my kingly
power does not come from here." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
115.2)
Make Jesus your ruler
“...Jesus Christ
the faithful Witness, the First-Born from the dead and Ruler of the kings of the
earth.” —Revelation 1:5
What “rules” your
life? Does the clock rule you? Does the opinion of your neighbors rule you? Does
your boss rule you? Your spouse? Your children’s needs? Your political party? Your
body’s appearance? The culture’s expectations? Your favorite sports team? Many things
compete for your allegiance. They all want to make you their obedient and faithful
subject.
Jesus is not simply
one more “thing” competing for your attention and allegiance. Jesus is “King of
the Universe,” as the title of today’s solemnity proclaims, “Our Lord Jesus Christ,
King of the Universe.” Jesus is “Ruler of the kings of earth” (Rv 1:5). As King
of the Universe, Lord Jesus does not compete for your allegiance; He demands it.
He is Ruler of all (1 Tm 6:15). He is almighty and absolutely sovereign, to be instantly
obeyed.
Scripture presents
Jesus as “gentle and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29). He is meek, patient, kind, and
compassionate. He understands us and gives His life for us. He is full of love and
“rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4). So it is possible for us to forget that Jesus is a mighty
King. Recall that He forcefully ejects the money-changers from the Temple and drives
out animals and merchants from the Temple area (Jn 2:15). He casts out demons (Mk
1:27). He silences His opponents (see Mt 22:34, 46).
Today, fall on your
knees before the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. With all people on earth,
shout: “Your Kingdom come!” (Mt 6:10). Pledge your attention and allegiance to Him.
Prayer: King Jesus,
with all of mankind my knees bow before You (Phil 2:10). I freely choose to bow
before You today in awe, adoration, and worship. Be the King and Ruler of my entire
life. “Anyone committed to the truth hears My voice.” —Jn 18:37. King Jesus, reign
in glory and majesty. Alleluia!
The personal
action for today: What is my understanding of Jesus as the King? Do I
seek to keep Jesus seated on the throne of my life? Have I pledged complete allegiance
to Him? Does my life proclaim His Reign? Can people experience the freedom and holiness
that flows from Jesus’ reigning in my life? What can I do to extend His Reign to
others so that they will experience the glory and compassion that Jesus brought
through His death and resurrection?
