OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
21 NOVEMBER 2021
Pontius
Pilate asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews. The religious authorities had accused Jesus of
making that claim. They know that this
accusation gives Pilate an open and shut case.
Any subversive action against Caesar is punishable by death. If Jesus has been working against Caesar by
proclaiming himself king of the Jews, Pilate can easily condemn him to a
horrible death on the cross.
However,
the religious authorities are fully aware that Jesus has not been making this
claim. They have not given Pilate their
real reasons for wanting to get rid of Jesus.
First, the teachings of Jesus have been undermining theirs all
along. Second, people have been drawn to
him because of his integrity. He has
been completely transparent in everything he has done. That has not been true with them. They have imposed heavy burdens in their laws
and enriched themselves. Third, he has
claimed to be God’s Son. They regard
this claim as blasphemy. Their real
reasons would not have been grounds for a Roman governor to give the death
sentence.
Pilate
thinks that he has the ultimate authority over Jesus Christ. His kingdom involves dominion, privilege,
power, and prestige. His kingdom is
imposed by force and violence. He has no
understanding whatsoever of the Kingdom which Jesus describes. His kingdom does not belong to this
world. His kingdom involves love,
justice, and service. Pilate cannot understand
this Kingdom. As a result, he has no
idea that the one standing before him had been part of creation from the very
beginning. In truth, Pilate is on trial.
Not Jesus.
Jesus
stands in a truth that contradicts all the allegations of the religious
authorities. His kingdom is very
different from the kingdom protected by Pilate and the other Roman
governors. Jesus comes to testify to
the truth. The Semitic word for truth is
‘met.
It can be translated into English as reliable, faithful, constant,
permanent, and honest. We use a
variation of that word when we respond amen
at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer.
We use the same word when the Body and Blood of Christ are given to us
in Communion.
The passage
from the Book of Revelation in our second reading is like a Eucharistic
Prayer. It reveals the truth about the
kingdom of God already in our midst. It
reminds us that Jesus loves everyone in an unconditional way. It tells us that Jesus has freed us from those
sins which have separated us from the Father’s love. It states that Jesus reigns from the throne
of a cross and is crowned with a crown of thorns. As a result of his redemption, we are part of
a community that continues the priestly and kingly functions of Jesus Christ. Through Baptism, we are priests, prophets,
and kings.
As members
of this community, the Lord calls us as his Mystical Body to bear witness to
the truth for which Jesus died. He died
to demonstrate that God loves all peoples.
He seeks our common good. He was
raised from the dead to live with us forever.
We live in
a divided culture in which people argue about what is true. Through social media and the news networks,
we are offered “truths” that compete with one another. We tend to support our version of truth by
viewing YouTube and 24-hour news channels that reinforce what we think should
be true. But through our faith in Jesus
Christ, we can recognize what is truth.
It endures through all time, regardless of differing viewpoints. It is faithful and true. The truth offered by Jesus Christ provides a
lens through which we view all our petty differences. Jesus Christ, the King, the First and Last,
the Alpha and Omega, invites us to turn to him as the Truth. He is the one who was, who is, and who is to
come. The risen Lord is in our midst.
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