Christ the King, B November 21, 2021
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
Christ is King! Not Christ will be king… not Christ is like a king. As much as we cherish our democratic republic, this truth cannot. must not be forgotten. Jesus Christ is king of the Universe now and forever.
Yet, there are some powerful lies circulating in our world that blind us to this truth and its implications. Many Christians claim the Kingdom of God is not really until the end of the world. But that flatly contradicts Revelation right here. “Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.” Is ruler of the kings of the earth, not will be. This ruler “has made us into a kingdom.” Not will make, but has made. Daniel’s vision says to us in the present tense “all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.”
Pontius Pilate agrees to crucify Jesus because he recognizes the threat of Christ’s kingship, though he misunderstands it. Jesus says “My kingdom does not belong to this world,” but that does not mean it is not in this world. But doesn’t Jesus also say “my kingdom is not here?” Well, in this English translation, it does appear to say that. But Scripture wasn’t written in English. The Greek word means not just “here” but “from here.” Jesus is re-emphasizing what he just said, that his kingdom does not belong to the world and that it is not from the world. It is not like an earthly kingdom, but this does not prevent it from being on earth. Otherwise, it would make no sense to then say “everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” “Everyone” includes the people living then and living now. Belonging to the truth and listening to the voice of Jesus Christ is something we do in this life and on this earth, meaning the kingdom of God is here and now.
Yes, the fullness of the kingdom is only at the end of time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, but Catholicism is not just a religion of “wait till later.” Remember last week that I said we are the Church Militant, meant to conquer the present world with sacrifice, service, and sacrament. We call Jesus King, but it might be more accurate to call him emperor because he doesn’t just rule a single country, he conquers all… not with violence, but with love and truth, which are truly deeper forms of conquest than mere physical force. And this Kingdom of Truth has political and social implications.
The other great lie is a misunderstanding of the separation of Church and State. Don’t jump to conclusions! There is wisdom in separating Church leaders and government leaders, but this should not mean a separation from God. Jesus says in the Gospel “render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Think about that. Is there anything that does not belong to God? He who created everything and keeps everything in existence; Is there something we don’t owe him? Jesus teaches us to pay taxes and be good citizens, but that does not mean we can exclude God from those things.
Even our Declaration of Independence refers to God to justify its claims, though sadly, we don’t authentically follow through on what that means. From the beginning, our country has mistreated human beings: slavery, slaughtering natives, abortion. Though our founders acknowledged that God exists, they did not recognize God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as the eternal king. Christ’s kingship is not an opinion, it’s not a lifestyle choice… it is fact. The God-Man really was born, crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. He is the king and all who listen to the Truth should hear his voice, whether they are the Pope, the President, or a pauper.
So, do you believe in Christ’s kingship? Better yet, do you live like Christ is king? How do we live this truth? Many ways, but let’s pick out three things: Striving for Holiness, Social Justice, and Liturgical Living.
Holiness. To be a faithful citizen of the kingdom of heaven is to strive for holiness. This is not some abstract ideal, but the day-to-day practice of following Jesus Christ. Of being a disciple. Daily prayer, even when you don’t feel like it. Works of charity, starting in your own home and workplace. The sacraments. Studying the faith, even just a few minutes a day through spiritual reading, videos, and podcasts. Supporting others and being supported through intentionally spiritual friendship. Football, hunting, and cooking, sure, but at least some deliberate spiritual conversation and accountability. Holiness is not extraordinary moments or profound speeches or astounding miracles. It is daily striving to be a faithful child of God.
Social Justice. I know that’s something a trigger word and that some people think of radicals, political correctness, and SJWs. I’m not advocating for liberalism or Marxism or socialism. Yet, to separate our political activity from what we believe is to deny Christ’s kingship… it is to deny our savior. So, we ought to strive to make our society just not only on an individual level, but on a social and political one. It means fighting to change laws that dehumanize and kill people. It means putting people ahead of profit. It means care for the environment. There is an entire compendium of the Church’s Social Doctrine and I covered much of it in my bulletin article on Papal Teaching. I may teach a class on it if there’s interest. For now, I challenge you to look it up or to at least learn about the basic principles: Human Dignity, The Common Good, Solidarity, and Subsidiarity. Repeat.
Finally, Liturgical Living. A person’s calendar tells you a lot about their priorities. When someone celebrates Thanksgiving – a good thing – you know they are American. The Catholic Church, which is Christ’s kingdom on earth, has its own calendar of fasting and feasting. By honoring that calendar, we can make Christ’s kingdom real in a practical way especially when the world does not. Starting next week, the Kingdom of Heaven is honoring Advent, not Christmas. Christmas starts December 24th. So, take this week to be grateful. Celebrate Thanksgiving and the good things in our country. But also take this week to consider: how will you honor Advent? How will the next month of your life reflect God’s kingdom instead of worldly wastefulness? What prayer, penance and almsgiving will prepare you for the feast? Advent is also a season of Joy, so there is some overlap between it and Christmas, but they are different. Will your life reflect that?
Long live Christ the King! His kingdom is now and leads into eternity. Strive for holiness, let His kingship guide your politics, and let the Church’s calendar, the rhythm of a heavenly way of life show you how to do what you were meant to, manifest the Kingdom of God.