LAST PENTECOST, PROPER XXIX - B - 15 JOHN 18. 33-37
Today is the last Sunday after Pentecost and is
traditionally referred to as “Christ the King” Sunday as the readings refer to
Christ as King. The first reading from Daniel portrays Christ being crowned as
king. The reading from the Revelation of St. John the Divine portrays Christ
already enthroned as king, and the gospel reading has Pilate asking Jesus if he
is a king.
Daniel and Revelation are visions of the future
given by God and fall under the category of scripture referred to as “Apocalyptic
literature.”
Daniel’s vision is similar to several aspects of St.
John’s revelation, including the throne, the multitudes of worshipping angels
and other creatures and the books. Both readings are visionary and prophetic
and reveal something about the “last days” or “end times."
They are not meant to frighten us, but rather to
encourage Christians in every generation in their struggle against sin, the
principalities and powers of darkness in this world and the fear of death.
These writings assure the faithful that even in the midst of the battles
against evil the Lord will bring final victory over all forces of evil.
The reading from Daniel and Revelation are timely.
We should take courage in hearing them read this morning believing as the
Collect says that it is God’s will to restore all things in His beloved son,
the King of kings and Lord of lords. To speak of Christ as king is a matter of
faith. Through the eyes of faith we picture our world ruled over by Christ.
Recent events in Paris and other parts of Europe and
the Middle East confront us with the hard facts of evil and destructive forces
that seem to deny and test our faith’s picture of Christ as King and our world
ruled over by Him. It was no different during the time of Daniel or St. John.
The evil of their own day stood to destroy God’s people, to deny their faith,
and to rend them hopeless.
The essential purpose of their writings was to
encourage the faithful to be full of hope and prepared to persevere to the end,
no matter what happens. But sometimes that is easier said than done especially
when hate seems stronger than love. Conflict is more prevalent than peace. Lies
win out over truth. Pain often overshadows happiness.
What hope is there for the future? Can we hope for a
victory of love, peace and truth over hate, conflict and lies? Can we hope that
goodness and happiness can win out?
Daniel and St. John’s vision of Christ as King was
futuristic. They were holding out for that “day” in the face of real
persecution. In his vision, Daniel saw “that all peoples, nations, and
languages should serve him who was given dominion and glory and kingship; a
dominion that is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and a
Kingship that shall never be destroyed.”
As St. John saw Christ, “the firstborn of the dead,”
already enthroned as the ruler of the kings of the earth. Both Daniel and St.
John were encouraged by their vision to persevere knowing that the final
victory belonged to God. Where can we
find sure and certain hope for the future?
Today’s first two readings point us beyond the world
as we know it to the world to come when the fullness of God’s Kingdom will be
ushered in and Christ as King will rule over all other powers. Until then, we
live by faith, and our faith enables us to live with the hope that our future
is with God.
Yet to some it appears that the powers of evil and
destruction have gotten out of hand. Hate and conflict, lies and pain seem to
be ruling the world today. God’s ways are not our ways, however, and to some
the very idea that He allows such powers to operate at all is a perplexing
puzzle. Why can’t there be more good than evil? More love and less hate? More
peace and less conflict?
It’s easy to lose hope in the wake of such evil and
destruction as witnessed in recent days and with the threat of more to come.
Life sometimes seems to be just one big tragedy, no matter what we do. And when
we lose hope, when we give up, that is when life really becomes hopeless, for
hopelessness is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
These puzzling questions are often without answers.
But even so, faith assures us that Christ is King and whatever suffering our
King permits in this age, he suffers with us, for He is with us to the end of
the age. Faith makes us feel confident, then, in the final Victory. Faith moves
us to see beyond hate and conflict, lies and pain to Christ the King. He holds
our future in His hands.
Faith enables us to believe that our King will work
things out for good. Evil and destruction will be subdued. Then life will be
Truth not lies. Life will be Peace, not conflict. Life will be Love, not hate,
Happiness, not pain. Christ promises that such a life will come to those who
choose to remain faithful, who do not lose hope, who remain watchful and
expectant, and who persevere to the end.
Today’s readings are meant to inspire us to look
through the present darkness and to behold the ultimate victory of Christ and
the joyful consummation that awaits His Bride - the Church - who, through Her
sacraments, has prepared herself for “His coming with the clouds; where every
eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him.”
On that “day” the fullness of His Kingdom will be
ushered in; a kingdom without end, where the peoples of the earth, heretofore
enslaved and divided by sin, are freed and brought together under the most
gracious rule of the King of kings and
the Lord of lords; the King of Truth.
Pilate asked him, “So, you are a king?” Jesus
answered, “You say that 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.” AMEN+
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