Fr. Alex Roman sx
Today we celebrate the solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe.
The central theme of this Sunday's Gospel is his universal kingship. The king is the ideal man, the ideal of every man, he is free and powerful, he wants only what he likes and does only what he wants, he represents God on earth.
The difference between the kingship of man and of God is this, Pilate is called to leave slavery as head of this world and go towards the freedom of the Son of God, Jesus is the divine King who comes from above, Jesus reveals to us the truth, that makes us free, he reveals to us that we are children of God... and the truth will dissolve the lie. Jesus is the king and his father is God. When the men of this world capture him they did it in a garden and when they crucify him they did it in another garden, in the middle of these two gardens is the city of the governors of this world and the King of glory passes victoriously through it. The kingship of God, even if it is not of this world, is in this world.
The kingship of Jesus shows us many of us have a wrong image of man and God. We do not need to make images of God, nor of man, because man is the only image of Him.
The chapters of the Gospel of St. John, speak about the process of Jesus', passion begin with Jesus being led into the palace and end with Jesus being led out of the palace (Jn 18: 28-19:16). This inside/outside becomes a theological distinction: inside is the word of truth, outside is the cry of lies and death, orchestrated by the religious leaders. Pilate is called to respond between inside and outside, and Pilate certainly respond to the violence that calls out. It is the only way to maintain power, it is not at the service of truth and life.
In the dialogue between Pilate and Jesus, Jesus will reveal the true kingship of Jesus, and Jesus will reveal to Pilate who represents the Roman emperor, the kingship of God. Pilate is also called to listen to his voice, to know the truth that makes free, otherwise he will remain a slave to lies and violence. The kingship of God is not based on violence and oppression, but on love and service.
For us, it is better to conceive the kingship of God as Emmanuel, God-with-us, who puts himself in the hands of all and for all. Therefore, the fulfilled man is one who is in solidarity with all. If people continue to want a king to dominate them, it means renouncing God, who is the king who makes us free. God is not a boss who enslaves man, but a father at the service of his children.
Jesus, with his kingship, reveals to us the truth of God and man. He does not remove oppression with the force of who oppresses the most, but with the force of who loves the most. Jesus does not take power through violence, rather Jesus want us to be free from violence. The way Jesus reigns are this way: doing good, he gave good wine at the wedding at Cana, he saved those who were to die, he restored the paralytic, he offered bread, he restored sight to the blind… he gives back to man the true freedom of his son, the freedom of a brother who knows to love as he is loved. This is how Jesus governs, he gives what is of God and is love and life. The kingship of Jesus is not of this world, but it is in this world. Have a happy Sunday.
Fr. Alex sx.
Today we celebrate the solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe.
The central theme of this Sunday's Gospel is his universal kingship. The king is the ideal man, the ideal of every man, he is free and powerful, he wants only what he likes and does only what he wants, he represents God on earth.
The difference between the kingship of man and of God is this, Pilate is called to leave slavery as head of this world and go towards the freedom of the Son of God, Jesus is the divine King who comes from above, Jesus reveals to us the truth, that makes us free, he reveals to us that we are children of God... and the truth will dissolve the lie. Jesus is the king and his father is God. When the men of this world capture him they did it in a garden and when they crucify him they did it in another garden, in the middle of these two gardens is the city of the governors of this world and the King of glory passes victoriously through it. The kingship of God, even if it is not of this world, is in this world.
The kingship of Jesus shows us many of us have a wrong image of man and God. We do not need to make images of God, nor of man, because man is the only image of Him.
The chapters of the Gospel of St. John, speak about the process of Jesus', passion begin with Jesus being led into the palace and end with Jesus being led out of the palace (Jn 18: 28-19:16). This inside/outside becomes a theological distinction: inside is the word of truth, outside is the cry of lies and death, orchestrated by the religious leaders. Pilate is called to respond between inside and outside, and Pilate certainly respond to the violence that calls out. It is the only way to maintain power, it is not at the service of truth and life.
In the dialogue between Pilate and Jesus, Jesus will reveal the true kingship of Jesus, and Jesus will reveal to Pilate who represents the Roman emperor, the kingship of God. Pilate is also called to listen to his voice, to know the truth that makes free, otherwise he will remain a slave to lies and violence. The kingship of God is not based on violence and oppression, but on love and service.
For us, it is better to conceive the kingship of God as Emmanuel, God-with-us, who puts himself in the hands of all and for all. Therefore, the fulfilled man is one who is in solidarity with all. If people continue to want a king to dominate them, it means renouncing God, who is the king who makes us free. God is not a boss who enslaves man, but a father at the service of his children.
Jesus, with his kingship, reveals to us the truth of God and man. He does not remove oppression with the force of who oppresses the most, but with the force of who loves the most. Jesus does not take power through violence, rather Jesus want us to be free from violence. The way Jesus reigns are this way: doing good, he gave good wine at the wedding at Cana, he saved those who were to die, he restored the paralytic, he offered bread, he restored sight to the blind… he gives back to man the true freedom of his son, the freedom of a brother who knows to love as he is loved. This is how Jesus governs, he gives what is of God and is love and life. The kingship of Jesus is not of this world, but it is in this world. Have a happy Sunday.
Fr. Alex sx.