A Different Kind of King

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 18:33B-37.

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

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Reflection

There was a great confusion on the identity of Jesus even until hours before His death. Pontius Pilate could not comprehend why this religious leader should die for the title of "King". Jesus was fast becoming a nuisance to public order. The Jewish religious leaders appear to be irrational in their attacks against Him. What is more troublesome is Jesus' own peaceful acceptance of what is happening. Is Jesus a King or not?

We, like Pilate, often fall into the trap of boxing Jesus in our concept of King. Jesus is a different kind of King. He is not troubled by the evils of His trials. He knows everything is in place. Even when He looks powerless He is still in control. Knowing His true identity and purpose gives Him confidence that defies human courage.

He was not after political power. He was not after religious superiority. This King came calling for His sheep, sheep who are able to recognize His true identity. This is His Kingdom: the relationship between Shepherd and the sheep steeped in a love that subjugates all things.

The Church at the end of the liturgical calendar ties up together the end and the beginning of the year - that Christ is King because everything begins and ends with Him. His Kingdom is not spatial but existential, not only temporal but eternal. For anyone who accepts Christ as King, that is, who allows Jesus' love to shape His very being, allows this King to shape his very existence and share in His eternity.

Changes The End Brings

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 13:24-32.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

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Reflection

The end is always something that snaps us back to the reality of how fleeting life is. Our Sunday Gospel reading reminds us of the end of days which marks the transformation of the old order into the order of the Son of Man. What was old is totally transfigured into something new, reconfigured to the design of the Word who does not change, who remains faithful, and whose words will not pass away.

Jesus invites us to be sensitive to the signs of the times. The very seasons of life will tell us the proximity of the new age. Its coming is totally veiled in mystery - only the Father knows the time, if only to humble us that no human foreknowledge could grasp the final fulfillment of God's design. We are humbled in our ignorance but also spurred to always keep watch and be ready for the end.

The predictions of change that are celestial in proportion may sound scary but they speak of the magnitude of the change that God is about to bring. However, the Gospel also reminds us that such change is not abrupt. It has already begun. It began in when the Word became flesh, and continues as all that is flesh is reunited to the Word. The celestial changes should be foreshadowed by how much we ourselves are changing and preparing to receive our end, who is the Word, Jesus Christ.

Contributing What We Value

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:38-44.

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."

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Reflection

The contrast between the widow and the rich people tells us that God looks at the proportion of our generosity. We can choose to be generous but too often our generosity have limits. We run into the temptation of giving only what comfort allows. Jesus made the poor widow the standard of generosity. She gave even in her poverty and she gave everything she had.

The scribes, those well-versed in the scriptures in Jesus time, is the Gospel reading's negative example. Instead of giving, they hoard honor and riches. This opposition and contrast reminds us of the generosity expected of a Christian. We go through life not hoarding but giving. We are not to give from our surplus. We are to give from what we value.

The widow impressed Jesus because she mirrored what Jesus would do on the cross. He gave everything He had. As disciples of Christ, we are all spiritually poor by ourselves and Jesus invites us to drop in our last two small coins. What do we value most that we still need to give to the Lord?

A Hierarchy of Love

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12:28B-34.

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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Reflection

The question which among the commandments tells us two things: one, that there are many commandments; and two, among these stands one that precedes all others. The Jews follow the Mosaic Law which contains 613 commandments that dictate on morals, worship, relationships, and even their diet. It was understandable that they should wonder which of these is the most important.

But life is not just about rules and procedures. To live is to live for something. True Christian discipleship possess meaning and purpose which shapes the whole of life. For Jesus, the main meaning of life, of the law, of discipleship, is a two-sided expression of love - the love of God and neighbor. Love shapes the kingdom of God.

There is no greater commandment than the command to love. Love sits at the highest throne in the kingdom. It gives the Christian his identity. It gives the law and commandments its spirit.