Spiritual Corner -- Christ the King
Two thousand years ago, Jesus stood in front of Pilate as the King of the Jews. Today, he is presented to us as the King of the Universe. Does he look like a king in the conventional manner? No. He is supposed to be robed with majesty as we sing in Psalm 93, instead, we see Jesus dressed in tunic, a very simple garment worn by the common folks. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said: I am the king. (Jn 18:37). Then why did the people shout out loudly: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Lk 19:38) when He was entering Jerusalem?
Will you acclaim Jesus as your King and Lord as presented to you in the Gospel?
The people of Jerusalem acclaimed Jesus as their King because they believed in him by what he had taught and done. To them, Jesus was not a conventional “King”, neither was his Kingdom. “My kingdom is not from this world.” (Jn 18:36). They believed he was that shepherd-king mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel: “who has come to establish his kingdom not by force. His weapon is goodness and a shepherd’s solicitude seeking out his lost sheep, to those men and women who have gone astray through sin. He takes care to heal their wounds. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of them have been scattered abroad, and will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of
clouds and thick darkness.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12).
The wellbeing of our future is the prime reason why the Word was incarnated and became man. The salvation of souls, the reparation of sin and the gathering of the lost sheep of the world is the first priority of his mission.
Therefore Jesus is our King and our Lord, He is the source of our lives and happiness. Let us follow the path He has shown us, which is the path of the beatitudes. Let us be a good shepherd as Christ has taught us, loving, and caring our brothers and sisters in need especially those who are suffering in poverty, sickness, loneliness, and homelessness.
As St. Ambrose said, “Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is our life and our kingdom”
Yours,
Deacon Thomas Kung
