Dear Friends -- November 24

Dear Friends,

We’ve arrived at the last Sunday in the liturgical year. After 34 weeks of Ordinary Time and two major liturgical seasons (one: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and two: Lent, Easter, and Pentecost), the Church year closes with a celebration honoring Christ the King. For most of human history, including the time of Jesus, the basic form of political governance was through a monarchy. (from Greek, monos=one and arche = rule), where political and social control was vested in the hands of a single person. Now for those of us in America where we have a democracy (some more Greek: demos = people, and arche = rule) where political and social control is vested in the hands of the people, it’s a little difficult to get our minds wrapped around a monarch since we fought a war of independence from the British one back in 1776. The consensus among scholars of early Christianity is that Jesus most certainly was killed because he was advocating a new form of government–a Kingdom. But this time, it wouldn’t be the King (or Caesar) of Rome or the successors of the family of Herod the Great in Israel. No, this time it would be the dawn of God‘s Kingdom that would signal the end of history as we know it.

The funny thing about this Kingdom of God that Jesus preached is that he never addressed the specific nature of this Kingdom. He typically talked about what this Kingdom was like. You know all those famous parables? The Kingdom of God is like seed that was scattered where some landed on rocky soil, some landed on the road, etc. etc. Or, how about the Kingdom of God is like a woman who took yeast and put it into three measures (about 150 pounds) of flour. And, one of my favorites, the Kingdom of God is like a man who had two sons, the younger son said to his father, etc. etc. (the Parable of the Prodigal Son). Even more quixotic, in Luke’s Gospel Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is within us! Why did Jesus use all these metaphors? And more pointedly, what do they mean? And how do they disclose the reality of the Kingdom? When you think about it, after Jesus offered one of these famous parables (most of which are specifically about the Kingdom of God) he never gave a homily. And I think that was purposeful on the part of our Lord. He wants us to reflect on what our lives would be like if we really allowed Jesus to be Lord (which is an old English word for a “master” or “ruler”).
    
Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we always say “Your Kingdom come…” So, what are we saying? What do you mean when you use those words? I have to consciously allow Jesus to be Lord in my life because I so desperately want to play the same role. I think it was Mel Brooks who, in one of his films, said: “It’s good to be the King.” Personally, I love to think of myself as king of the universe–where everything and everyone would act, think and behave as George would want! But, if I’m so absorbed in my own kingdom, there is no way I can allow Christ to be King, can I? If life is “all about me, myself and I,” if I feel the need to “lord” my opinion, my prejudices, my likes and dislikes over others, then there’s no room for Christ to be King.

Historically, we do know that Jesus was killed by the Romans because of sedition. He made himself a rival king to the ruling imperial elite. And yet, (here comes the Good News), ultimately even the fire and fury of Imperial Rome could not quiet the Kingdom of God. Caesar is gone and so is the glory of Imperial Rome, but what remains for us is the advent (the coming) of the very Kingdom of God.

I’d better surrender my throne of self-righteousness and allow Christ to be King!