Homily Solemnity of Christ the King Is he our Lord?
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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