Thursday 4 November 2021

Christ the King 31 Oct 2021 Sermon

Christ the King 31 October 2021 One above all

Our Lord has the right to be honoured as King - in His divinity, as being God anyway; and in His humanity as the Saviour of the world.

As Man He has performed the most dramatic rescue ever seen, saving us from sin and death. This is someone fit to lead. He commands our respect, gratitude, obedience etc.

Tragically He is ignored or denied by many, who have allowed themselves to be caught up too much in this life. Many believe in God in some sort of way, but not sufficiently to give Him central place.

People think they can govern themselves. At Babel, God confounded the efforts of those who thought they could get by without God.

Let the nations know they are but men (Ps 9,20). A necessary humbling, but only to pave the way to exaltation. Once we do acknowledge Him we find everything falling into place.

Some take diversity of language culture etc as sign that there cannot be just one source of truth; but human nature and the essential sameness of the human condition do establish the oneness of our origin and destiny. Human beings, human souls are very much the same when it comes to their status before God.

There is only one true God, many false. Our role is to atone and restore the human response to the glory of God, and give to God what is God's.

We pray that He will open hearts and minds to accept His true status and to acknowledge it. This would do wonders for the world.

That we acknowledge God is more important than being saved from particular problems.

Instead of going straight into the prayer asking for things, it is good if we first acknowledge our stance before God, and express our sorrow for offending Him in any way.

The more we do that the more powerful our prayer become, and we are helping the world to come back to equilibrium. We do this as often as we can, while praying for others to do the same thing.

How can we help people to see the greatness of God? Everyone wants certain things, such as the freedom to live in peace. Or enough food for the hungry, or health for the sick. These are legitimate desires and things we should want.

It is just a matter of how we go about them. Do we think we can solve all these problems without God, on a purely secular or humanistic basis?

It never works. It does bring some success, but often at the cost of other important ends.

For example, to save the planet is a good objective, but should not be seen as replacing the need to save souls.

To have healthy children is a good objective, but not good if we abort any baby that might have a defect.

As for different religions, it is good if we do not go about killing each other, but not good if the wrong religions are given the same respect as the true one.

There is only one name under heaven by which we can be saved. (Ac 4,12)

If we go with Christ the King we will get the right objectives and the right way to get there.

We will have peace on earth because nobody wants to kill each other anymore. Hearts have been cleansed of hatred; desires have changed permanently in the right direction.

God wants people to know Him at this level. He wants to bring the people to submission, not enforced but in the free response of heart and mind, whereby the people will come to love God , not just obey.

They will look on the one whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him (Zech 12,10).

Every knee shall bow, but it will be out of reverence not terror.

Christ the King offers a much better way of finding happiness. We acknowledge Him today, King of kings, and Lord of lords.

No comments: