Christ the King 2019

Christ and Nails

• Jeremiah 23:1-6 and Psalm 46  • 
• Colossians 1:11-20  • 
• Luke 23:33-43

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The Revised Common Lectionary that has now been widely adopted across the world celebrates the last Sunday of the Church’s year as 'The Feast of Christ the King' (or 'The Reign of Christ'). Forty years ago this feast would have been almost unknown to the Anglican Communion. Even for Roman Catholics, it is not a very longstanding observation, being added to the Calendar as recently as 1925.
      Yet celebrating Christ as King is an especially appropriate way to conclude the Christian year. Faithful observance of the Church Calendar enables those who follow it to live through the cosmic story of humanity’s salvation. We start out languishing under judgement (Advent). It is while we are in that condition God comes to dwell among us, and is made manifest to the world (Christmas and Epiphany). This incarnate God calls us to a time of repentance (Lent), but because of our own inability to save ourselves, must, in great love, die for our salvation (Passiontide and Good Friday). In a mighty and glorious demonstration of saving power, God raises Christ Jesus (Easter), and returning to the heavenly places (Ascension), he continues to strengthen us with his Holy Spirit (Pentecost).

Christ in Silence -- Odilon Redon

Reflecting on this narrative of salvation, we can see that, despite many appearances to the contrary, the God in whom ‘we live and move and have our being’, has given final authority over human kind to Jesus Christ. Yet, this authority rests on a quite different foundation. As the Gospel for this week so powerfully reminds us, Christ’s Kingdom signals a complete reversal of the values of worldly power that so evidently shape and influence our political life. Where the State relies on coercive power for its security, the path that Jesus pursues (to quote this week’s Epistle), is “making peace through the blood of his cross”.
      In Year B of the lectionary, the Gospel text focusses on Christ as the supreme judge of 'sheep' and 'goats'.  By contrast, this year (Year C), the Gospel is part of Luke's passion narrative. Jesus is truly “Christ the King”, but his 'throne', it turns out, is a place of torture, and his 'crown' is made of thorns. This casts a wholly different light on what it means to pray sincerely for the coming of the Kingdom of God in Christ. To do so, we must first grasp how different the reign of Christ is to all worldly authorities – whether ancient empires, military dictatorships or modern democratic states. At times of political success and failure, it is especially important to remember Mary's ‘Magnificat’  --with the advent of Christ, God "casts down the mighty from their seats and exalts the humble and meek”.

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