By Francis Gonsalves, SJ –
Thirty-fourth Sunday of Year B
Christ The King Readings: Dan 7:13-14; Rev 1:5-8; Jn 18:33-37
“I am a king; I was born for this. I came into the world to bear witness to the truth” (Jn)
Three Scriptural Signposts:
1. The first reading is part of Prophet Daniel’s ‘night visions of the four beasts’ symbolically referring to four kingdoms or empires—Babylon, Media, Persia, Greece—whose rulers are described as ‘beasts’ with terrifying power. However, the ‘Ancient of Days’ appears with the ‘Son of Man’ “with the clouds of heaven” to whom is given “dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.”
Note that the rule of the Son of Man is all-embracing and universal: “an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away” and “his kingship shall never be destroyed.” This prophesy does not refer to something that has happened (past), but is a proclamation (in mythological terms) of what will happen (future) at the final establishment of Christ’s kingly rule.
2. While the title ‘Son of Man’ does refer to a man, it refers mysteriously to someone who is much more than a man. This is not only attested by Jewish apocryphal and rabbinical writings, but also by Jesus who applies the title to himself—especially in the gospel according to Matthew (8:20; 11:19; 20:28) with the additional aspect of coming in glory for final judgement of the world (24:30; 25:31).
This passage is written two centuries before the coming of Christ into the world and is interpreted as pointing out to the much-awaited Messiah who will rule the world but, in a manner totally unexpected, belying false expectations of various groups like the Pharisees, the zealots, the recluses around the Dead Sea and those who endorsed various forms of Davidic kingly messianism.
3. The gospel reading, ironically, shows a captive Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor—symbolizing the imperial might of Rome——who throws at question at him: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Here is a classical example of worldly, imperial power pitted against godly, moral authority. A fearless Jesus full of ‘authority’ stands tall before a fearful Pilate drunk with ‘power’.
Piecing together a portrait of Pilate, one realizes that he is indecisive, frightened about losing friendship with Herod (Lk 23:6-12), afraid of the dream which his wife has (Mt 27:19), and pressurized by the potentially riotous mob (Mt 27:24). Seeking to save his own skin, his manoeuvers and cross-questioning serve no purpose as he washes his hands, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood”.
Reflecting on this scene, one could ask: Who really is the king? Who is fearless? Pilate? Jesus? It almost seems as if Pilate, not Jesus, is on “trial for truth”. Pilate fears the loss of his throne, whereas Jesus declares, “my kingdom is not of this world,” fearlessly challenging Pilate, ready to die for justice and truth. In John’s gospel, Jesus declares, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (14:6). ‘Truth’ in John’s gospel refers to the kingship of Jesus himself.
Today’s Psalm (93) on Kingship: is one of the original enthronement psalms referring not to Christ’s, but to Yahweh’s, kingship. The kingdom spoken of is an eternal reality. What is predicated of Yahweh in the First Testament is interpreted later in terms of Jesus Christ. In other words, God reigns, reveals and redeems through his son, Jesus Christ.
A Possible Link of the 2nd Reading to the Main Theme:
The second reading from Apocalypse reveals three facts: (a) Christ loves us, (b) He has “washed away our sins with his blood” and (c) he establishes us as his family “line of kings and priests.” The reading ends with a self-proclamation of Yahweh under three titles: (a) Alpha and Omega – referring to the beginning and the end; (b) One “who is, who was, and who is to come” – reflecting the meaning of ‘Yahweh’; and (c) Almighty (Greek, Pantocrator). All these are wonderful confessions of Christ’s Lordship and Kingship.
Three Texts from Tradition:
Pope Pius XI (1857-1939) instituted the feast of Christ the King in 1925 to remind Christians that their allegiance was to their spiritual ruler in heaven as opposed to earthly supremacy. His papal motto was: “Pax Christi in Regno Christi,” meaning, “The Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ!” Towards the end of his papacy Pope Pius XI spoke out boldly against the ‘evil empires’ of Hitler and Mussolini who seem to remind us of the ‘beasts’ of the first reading!
Pope Benedict XVI on November 25, 2012, Feast of Christ the King [homily to newly installed cardinals]: “Jesus speaks of kings and kingship, yet he is not referring to power but to truth. Pilate fails to understand: can there be a power not obtained by human means? A power which does not respond to the logic of domination and force? Jesus came to reveal and bring a new kingship, that of God; he came to bear witness to the truth of a God who is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8,16), who wants to establish a kingdom of justice, love and peace.”
Pope Francis: Homily on Feast of Christ the King, November 23, 2014: “Jesus brought about his kingdom… through his closeness and tenderness towards us… Jesus is not a King according to earthly ways. Rather, his reign is not to command, but to obey the Father, to give himself over to the Father, so that his plan of love and salvation may be brought to fulfillment.”
Current Concern: Kings and queens seem alien, today, because all we see are ‘remnants of royalty’ either distributing Wimbledon trophies or displaying erstwhile ‘raja-rani’ regalia at weddings and funerals. But we have new networks of powers and principalities of religious nationalists, neo-imperialists and neocolonialists—the ‘beasts’ of today—who worship Mammon, not God, and work against Christ the King’s kingdom and ‘kin-ship’ by using the poor and the powerless as their footstool.
Reflection: Am I—and, are We—citizens of Christ the King’s kingdom? At our baptism, the minister of baptism used holy oil to anoint our heads, praying: “As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live always as a member of his body sharing everlasting life.” We are privileged to share in Christ’s kingly function through our baptism. Additionally, those ordained for priestly ministry are anointed to be ‘kings’—pastors and shepherds, who, like Christ our King ought to be compassionate servant-kings who give hope, forgive sins, wash feet, accept thorns as crowns and crosses as thrones. Long live, Christ the King!
Fr. Francis Gonsalves is a Gujarat Jesuit, former Principal of Vidyajyoti College, Delhi, and currently Dean of Theology at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. He is also the Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine. He has authored many books and articles and is a columnist with The Asian Age and The Deccan Chronicle national dailies.