Christ as King?
On Sunday the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King. For many Christians, there is no difficulty in naming Christ as King. But this feast still presents a challenge to us because it presents something that worldly wisdom cannot understand.
For example, here in the United States, a large part of our political divide has to do with both sides accusing the other of being authoritarian. One side is accused of being Fascist. The other side is accused of being Communist or Socialist. We abhor the idea of someone having absolute rule over others because it means for us the lack of freedom to do what we want. We don’t want to live under the thumb of someone else’s whims or desires. We want to call our own shots.
Truth be told, we can carry this feeling into our relationship with God. Remember how the serpent convinced Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-7). After Eve tells the serpent that they were not allowed to eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, the serpent says, “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.” We are tempted to “be like gods.” Every once in a while someone will come to confession hoping or even expecting me to tell them that it’s okay for them to keep on doing what they’re doing, and I can’t. We want God to bend to our will, instead of the other way around.
But naming Christ as King does not mean being subject to one who wants to control us. It does mean trusting in the One who loves us and sacrificed Himself for the forgiveness of our sins. It means that we are willing to follow Christ’s command to love.
Being swayed by the wisdom of the world, it may seem annoying to hear Jesus speak again and again about forgiveness and mercy and serving the “least of these.” No, we want to give in to the desire to be the ones who decide who deserves to be in and who deserves to be shut out. Refusing to be dictated to, we want to dictate to others. Listen to the ones mocking Jesus on the Cross in our Gospel reading: “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.” They acknowledge that He “saved others,” but they would only be convinced if He saved Himself? But that is the worldly understanding of being king.
Are we willing to renounce conventional wisdom and trust in the wisdom of God? Are we willing to forego a life of self-seeking and embrace a life of love and service? Are we willing to let go of trying to be “king” or “queen” and surrender to God’s love and will for us? Are we willing to follow Jesus?
Christ does not seek to control us but to lead us into trusting His love for us and being willing to love each other and the world.
May we follow our King.
I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.
In Christ the King,
Phil, CP
