Christ the King 24 November 2024 Two kinds of King
Christ can be seen in different lights. He is humble, taking blows and insults, yet all the while He had the power to crush those mistreating Him. He showed another kind of power in restraining Himself.
Consider Ph 2,6 that He did not cling to his divinity but humbled Himself to become like us.
This feast celebrates His greatness, infinite goodness and power. It also acknowledges His humility stemming from love which motivates His actions.
Christ can be seen in both lights - glorious and sorrowful.
We can admire and respond to both aspects. As to the sorrowful, we are grateful that He has not annihilated us many times over. Just because He does not punish straight away, people take liberties.
At Fatima, when people though the sun was falling on them, they became very contrite!
Most days there are no major disturbances, so it is easy to put off any spiritual aspirations.
We cannot make light of our sins just because there may be no obvious punishment. God does take sin seriously, serious enough to die for.
We can imitate Him in His humility if not His greatness. And He wants us to do that. And that will enable us to discover our true human nature, as originally in the design of God’s holy will.
Unless we see signs and wonders we will not believe (Jn 4,48). We start doubting God if we slacken in our awareness of His past miracles. We have 2000 years to call upon, plus another 2000 years in the Old Testament. We have to assimilate what has been already and draw strength from that.
Eventually, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Ph 2,10-11).
We can anticipate His glorious return, and we get to know Him that way too. We worship God for His goodness; this is one of the reasons He created us.
If we bring ourselves under His providence we will blossom, and so prepare for eternal life.
This double aspect of Christ’s kingship can be applied also at world level.
The kings of the world have often misbehaved in their exercise of authority.
They have tried to rule with power, without worrying too much about being humble first. They just charged in and took what they thought was theirs.
Often using brute force to stay in power, they missed the point entirely. A king is there to serve His people, enhancing his own dignity because he is following in the steps of Christ.
There have been some saintly monarchs, and we honour them. They have put into practice the example that Our Lord has established.
His model of leadership is what all nations should be doing, instead of fighting each other.
Many would be too cynical to try Christian humility against the weapons of the worldHumility has never caught on fully, and certainly not lately in world affairs.
This is why Christians have been martyred in such numbers, because violence has been for so many the main way of operating.
Try instead submission to God’s way, and there will be a lasting peace.
In the meantime, we have to be prepared to be treated about the same as Our Lord was treated.
If we identify with our King, we will be prepared to do as He does. Not for us the luxuries of royal life, but more like the combat of soldiers in the heat of battle.
Christ will prevail in both aspects. His glory will shine out in full, and His humble charity will be our motivation.
Long live Christ the King!
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