The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

Today's Mass Readings

I heard a commentary this week about the Elks in Alaska and the grizzly bear. Of course when we talk about “bear” you know in some way I am also talking about the crisis in the stock market. The commentary was a comparison between how elks deal with the grizzly bear and how human begins deal with the stock market bear. Zoologists have studied the habits of elks and it reveals that when they feed in herds, a few of the elks have their head up looking out in all directions. The moment they sense danger they warn the rest and when most the elks stop grazing and look up towards the same direction, it means that a bear is hiding somewhere near. When they spot a bear, most of the elks begin to escape while a few of them try to stare the bear down and perhaps even try to scare it away. In this way, the other elks find more time to escape the grizzly bear. However, some of these bolder ones end up being themselves killed by the bear. The commentator on the radio said that if human beings could learn from the animal kingdom the stock market bear would not be as dangerous. On the contrary, all people have done these days is look out for themselves. Executives dumped their stocks in insider trading and made money while they could. Others sold their stocks even if they knew that it was going to be unprofitable to the others. In other words, each person is trying to save themselves not caring for what happens to the others. No one is willing to die for another. Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. There is nothing about today’s readings that makes us associate God with kingship, authority and power especially in the way we understand kingship, authority and power. In fact in the first reading God seems to be the anti-thesis of the kings of Israel. The passage just before the one we read for today’s first reading has this to say. Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves. Should not shepherds, rather pasture the sheep? You have slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost but you lorded it over then harshly and brutally (Ezek 34:11). God then says in today’s readings “I myself will look after and tend my sheep” (Ezek: 34:11). And even though God has great power and authority, God assumes the role of a compassionate shepherd. These are the things God said God would do: tend the sheep, rescue the sheep, pasture the sheep, give them rest, seek the lost, bring back the strayed, bind up the injured, and heal the sick.

God kept God’s promise. The King of Kings Jesus came, not as kings and presidents come these days, but quietly in a manger. He reigned not as kings and presidents do these days, but on a cross. Jesus tended the sheep, rescued them, pastured them, and gave them rest. Jesus sought the lost, brought back the strayed, bound up the injured, and healed the sick; and just like the bold elks, gave up his life so that others might be saved. Even the Roman Empire could not deny it - the plaque above the cross said, “King.”

Today’s gospel reading is the most revealing about God as king. In this particular passage Christ judges people not by allegiance to him but by their compassion toward the poor, the hungry, the naked, and those in prison. If we take scripture as a whole we can find other necessary criteria as well. But today’s gospel tell us that the difference between the good and the evil on judgment day has much to with whether we, like God, like Jesus care for the poor, hungry, weak and in prison.

Let me offer three practical implications that emerge from today’s feast:

1) Very often, when people know I am from India, they ask me about poverty, hunger, and nakedness in India. And it is true, about four hundred million people still live below the poverty line. But I also struggle to explain that struggle to explain to people that poverty is a relative thing. In their heart these poor, hungry, and naked of India are very, very rich and generous. In one sense we are all poor. In the presence of God we are all hungry, we are all poor, we cannot hide our nakedness and all of us are in bondage. It is important that we recognize our poverty and nakedness before God. Only God can feed our hunger and fulfill our desire for salvation. Only God can clothe us with dignity. Only God can free us from the bondage of sin. It is only the recognition of our own poverty that will open our eyes to the poor, the hungry, and the naked. When we recognize our own poverty and insufficiency, we then become more compassionate toward others.

2) The one single virtue on which people are judged in today’s readings is compassion. Compassion here means the ability to enter into the lives of people who are different. In today’s society, poverty, hunger, and nakedness are only some of the problems. Think of addicts, the depressed, the lonely, those on death row, and those caught up in the cycle of misery. What does it mean for us to be compassionate as we think of all these people? What is it that we must do to become a more compassionate people? If the compassion of Jesus led him to the cross, our answer is clear; in some way we must reach out to those who cry out for help. The judgment scene is telling us we must imitate Christ in his compassion to become part of Christ’s Kingdom.

3) Today’s feast gives us a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God looks like? First of all the Kingdom is where God’s presence is alive. The Kingdom is where people treat each other as God treats us. The Kingdom is where people aware of their own poverty reach out to others who are poor, are naked, are hungry and are in bondage. The Kingdom is where God’s compassion reaches its climax. This week and for the rest of our lives let us honor Christ the King as we try to build Christ’s Kingdom at home, at work and in the places where we have an influence.

Christ the King will come to us very soon in the most humble way on this altar. As we pledge our allegiance to our King, let us also pledge to build Christ’s Kingdom as we take care of the poor, the hungry, the naked, the ill and those in prison. Amen
Fr. Satish Joseph