Today is the feast of Christ the King. It is the end of the liturgical year. Next Sunday we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year. In the Gospel reading today from John 18, Pilate asks Jesus directly if He is a king. Jesus answers, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.”
Here in America, we don’t like kings. We don’t like the whole notion of being subject to a king. That was what the founding of our nation was all about – breaking away from a king. In our minds, kings are despots. They have complete and total power over their subjects. It is kind of wired into our DNA to think badly of kings. But, just like any official, there are good kings and bad kings. Bad kings wield their power wrongly; they are in it only for selfish gain. Good kings look out for their subjects. They make decisions out of love.
Jesus is, of course, the perfect King. Everything that He did was out of love. He had zero selfish motives. With that being the case, why would we NOT want to subject ourselves completely and totally to Him? The reason is, of course, that often times our motives are selfish. We don’t want to have to live under the rule of ANY king, even Jesus Himself. But that, my friend, is a mistake. King Jesus only wants what is best for you – to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
Father, teach us to be completely subject to the Kingship of Jesus. May we submit completely to His will, as He leads us with love and compassion. Amen.
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