Christ, King of the Universe
Daniel 7:13-14 Apocalypse 1:5-8 John 18:33-37
Our response to the Psalm today is so fitting for the Feast; ‘The Lord is King with majesty enrobed’. But this a different kind of king! Throughout the Gospel of Saint Mark, which has been our Gospel of the last liturgical year, Jesus is portrayed as the Messiah, the Servant and the one who is obedient to the Father. Now Jesus, who has always avoided adulation of any kind is being asked ‘Are you a King?’ The Lord does not deny it. ‘Yes, I am a king’. The Kingship of Jesus is to be a service to the truth and all his disciples are those who are on the side of truth.
The definition of a King then takes on a new and wonderful meaning. Being a King means ‘to bear witness to the truth’. Pilate asked what might be regarded as an obvious question; ‘What is truth?’
We do not have a ready answer to that but we can recall the words of Jesus during his ministry, which is what disciples do. Answering the question of St Thomas Jesus declared ‘’I am the way, the Truth and the life’ (John 14:6) So, Pilate had the truth standing before him and perhaps even then, Pilate realised it. Jesus also taught that ‘That if you are truly my disciples you will know the truth and the truth will make you free’ (John 8:31-32).
As we look at the two ‘Kings’ in this scene we might ask which of them is free. Here is Pilate clothed in fine robes and jewels – all the trappings of power, but is he free? Pilate is restrained by the hundreds of man-made rules and laws which take away any personal freedom and then he is pressurised by his own people to crucify one in whom he finds no guilt. He is not free!
The One standing in front of Pilate had peasant’s clothes, had no army to protect him and had the freedom to remain silent, knowing that He was doing the will of the Father. That was the only crown that Jesus wanted – that the Father would be glorified. The Father is glorified by the obedience of Jesus to the Father’s will and the obedience of his disciples to the commandments. Jesus continued to be humble, even onto death. He did not need or seek any personal adulation – everything was for the glory of God.
As we celebrate the Kingship of Christ we do it in a world which seems to, more and more, move away from what is true. Legal systems in many countries seem to work against the truth. Instead of standing for what is true they seem intent on avoiding it by disinformation and false stories and fake news for the sake of expediency.
As disciples of the Lord and heirs to the Kingdom of God we are those who live by the truth and come out into the light so that the truth may be plainly seen that what they do is done in God (cf John 3:21). This ideal was well expressed by Shakespeare in the advice given by Polonius to his son: “To thine own self be true And it must follow as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man” (Hamlet) And Karl Jung, the eminent psychoanalyst concluded that ‘Our world is so exceedingly rich in delusions that a truth is priceless’. We know that priceless truth. Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life. He is the King of Heaven and earth. May he be praised and glorified and exalted.