Homily Solemnity of Christ the King Is he our Lord?

By 10:55 AM


Homily: Solemnity of Christ the King

Reading 1: Many times the plan of man and the plan of God are different. Though Saul was originally chosen by God to be the first king of Israel, God knew that Saul would be unfaithful to the covenant. The people insisted they wanted a king like other nations. Samuel said that God was their king and leader who delivered them from Egyptian bondage and established them in the land of milk and honey. They said they couldn’t see God. They wanted to be like other nations and have a visible king. God told Samuel to anoint Saul.

Later when Saul proved unfit to be the king from God’s perspective, he sent Samuel to anoint David, a mere youth, as the future king to shepherd God’s people and be commander of Israel. It took some time for the people to recognize what God had done, before they accepted and acknowledge David as their king chosen by God. How often are we slow to recognize and accept God’s plan over our plan? How often have we tried to force our plan upon God, rather than accept his plan as a better way?

Gospel: The kingdom of God is a fact. The greatest proof is the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. The acceptance of this fact is a personal choice. But non-acceptance has dire consequences that impact our eternal destiny. Acceptance is not merely a verbal acknowledgement but a living as fully as possible the life of a true and committed follower/disciple of Jesus the King in love and service.

The bystanders around the cross and the one thief acknowledged Jesus in a mocked way, using the fact and reality by throwing it back in Jesus’ face. Pilate had written the fact, not because he believed and submitted to the Kingship of Jesus, but to taunt the religious leaders who brought the Kingship of Jesus as a charge against him. Instead of accepting Jesus as King, they aligned themselves with Caesar.

While one thief blasphemed Jesus and was seeking human salvation for a selfish reason, the other thief acknowledged his own sinfulness, his own need for forgiveness. He also recognized and proclaimed the reality of who Jesus was. “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Of all those who were there, besides his mother and disciples, this thief was guaranteed participation in the Kingdom of God.

Are we the religious leaders and bystanders who react and reject the reality of Jesus as our Lord and King? Do we give lip service but our heart is not surrendered to Jesus as Lord? Is he just one lord among many others that we serve and give attention to? Are we the sinner who acknowledges our sin, seek forgiveness and desire to be with Jesus in his kingdom? Do we express this desire by the way we live under the Lordship of Jesus?

Reading 2: What is God’s plan? He has established an everlasting kingdom through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. It is a kingdom to which we have been made worthy to share in by grace. This is our destiny for which we were born, to share in the lot of the saints in light.

Our participation in this kingdom is not something merited by us. It is solely the result of Jesus’ great love through giving his life for our life. Jesus is the beginning and end of our lives, sustaining every breath we take. He is the King and Lord by right as God and by right as the Messiah/Christ, who reconciled everything in his person. Jesus is King in fact by virtue of who he is and what he has achieved.

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