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Reflections
for Sunday, November 22, 2009
We continue the theme from last Sunday, about the coming of the Lord at the
end of time. This Sunday, however, we focus on Jesus' role at the end of
time as King of the Universe. Just as last Sunday, however, we can say
that if the Lord Jesus is not our king now, how would we expect Him to be
our king at the end of our life?
Perhaps the figure of a king does not mean as much to us today as it may
have to earlier generations of Christians. On the other hand, if we read
the Old Testament, the Jewish Scriptures, we do come to understand much
more about kings and the symbols of kingship.
In the Old Testament we find that the king is really deputizing for God
and must try always to do the will of God and lead the people in God's
ways. A true king is one who always seeks to know what God wants and who
is first of all a servant of the living God. A king wants all of his
people to have true life and to have abundant life. A king in the image of
God wants everyone to have the best of everything. This is the meaning of
the type of peace that we find idealized in the Old Testament. It is not
just spiritual goods that the king wants for his people, but material
goods, physical goods as well.
Always in the Old Testament the king is an intermediary for God Himself.
We can understand fairly easily that when a king is bad, the people begin
to long for God Himself to be their king. It is in this understanding of
our deepest longings that we can understand the Book of Daniel when it
begins to put together the figure of an ideal king with the figure of God.
Jesus comes to us as our Lord and Savior. He begins to show us what true
kingship is and how it serves others. Instead of dominating us, this true
service of leadership helps us become ourselves as God created us to be.
For this to happen, we must accept the kingship of Jesus Christ and allow
Him to transform us. He not only frees us from our sins, but he transforms
us into a holy people, a people set apart, a people who are happy to do
God's will and rejoice in knowing the Lord. The Book of Revelation speaks
strongly to this reality today.
It is John's Gospel today that tells us to listen to the voice of Jesus if
we want to live in truth. May this celebration today help us live this
mystery of our faith more profoundly and rejoice as we follow our Lord.
Surely we are sinners and surely we fail our Lord, but just as surely it is
His love that always draws us to continue following Him with total
confidence and trust. Let us rejoice in our King!
Readings of the day:
First Reading:
Second Reading:
Gospel:
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Reflections are available for the following Sundays:
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