"The One Who Loves Us" - Revelation 1:4b-8

This Sunday churches in the Western liturgical tradition, both Catholic and Protestant, celebrate Christ the King Sunday.  Christ the King is among the newest of all liturgical celebrations, having been founded in 1925 by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in response to a rising tide of nationalism in the world.  The celebration of Christ the King is meant to remind us that it is Christ himself and not any earthly power, that is sovereign over the world.  As Christians our ultimate loyalty is always meant to be directed to Jesus Christ and never to any nation, race, or party.

 Though we may appreciate the intent to dull the forces of nationalism and racial pride, many of us nevertheless struggle with picturing Jesus as a King ruling in power.  We have come to know Jesus as the gentle healer, liberator, friend, and teacher.  We know him as the one eager to serve, humble enough to wash the disciples’ feet.  These understandings do not sit comfortably next to images of royal power and sovereignty.

 The tension between the gentle messiah we know in Jesus Christ and the idea of power and sovereignty is a good and healthy one.  We are meant to notice this tension, meant to observe the gulf between the ways of Jesus and the ways of earthly rulers.  For the idea of Christ as King is not that Jesus transforms himself to meet the standards of worldly kings.  Rather it is that in claiming the title of King, Christ transforms our worldly notions of power and sovereignty.  Our one true King is indeed the gentle, humble, healer and liberator from Galilee. I n the kingdom of Christ it is not domination, exploitation, and violence that rule, but rather peace, and generosity, and justice.  This Sunday we look forward to the coming of this kingdom and we celebrate that the future is in the hands of our King, Jesus the Christ, the one who loves us.

 Rev. Andrew Greenhaw