Writing this homily was challenging as well. After the homily I gave at Ammerdown with no notes I felt confident but when I sat down with the scripture nothing came easily. Much of the theology was complex and I struggled to find words to explain things. I spent 4-5 hours at the keyboard and typed nothing, than on Thursday evening after 2 hours of nothing it just flowed, 20mins and most of it was written. I guess you have got to give the Holy spirit space to provide you with the words.
So if you are interested this is the homily, or at least near enough, as the exact wording changes as you stand up and start speaking to the congregation. God Bless, J.
Homily – Christ The King
Notes 21st Nov 2010
Reading
Old Samuel 5:1-3
Psalm Ps 121
New Colossians 1:12-20
Gospel Luke 23:35-43
As we reach the end of another year we celebrate today the feast of Christ the King. But I have to admit, after all the press coverage this week of Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton, I am a little uncomfortable thinking of Christ as a King. Prince William is second in-line to the thrown after his father Prince Charles. He is very likely to be King one day. His Kingdom or commonwealth will stretch across the globe from Canada to Australia. Is this a good comparison to Christ the king?
Personally I think it falls a long way short. So how about we look to the Kings of history, warrior kings ruling their lands. Strong powerful kings like king Richard, or more sinister kings like King John. Well again this doesn't work for me when I read about Jesus.
Jesus had no palace, no robes, no political power, and he wasn't willing to rule through power. When Jesus walked the earth he resisted being made king, for example in John's Gospel when he tells us about Jesus feeding the 5000 we hear “Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take Him by force and make Him king escaped back to the hills by Himself.” And again when Pilate asks him if he is the king of the Jews he replies “It is you who say it”. The only time he wears a crown it is made of thorns and cuts deeply into his head.
So what sort of king is he? Where is his kingdom?
Today's readings help us understand why today we we refer to Christ as the Universal King.
Our first reading is about David, the second and possible greatest, King of Israel. It tells of his anointing as king by the tribes of Israel after a civil war and the death of Saul the first King. The prophets who foretold of Jesus' coming said he would be descended from David. And so in human terms Jesus had a claim to the human throne of David, and the ability to unite the people of Israel as David had done, to establish armies and retake Jerusalem, to re-establish it as Gods Kingdom and home for the Jews as Gods chosen people. This was what was expected of him 2000 years ago, but it was not the kingdom he came to establish.
For that we need to look closely at our second reading Paul's letter to the Colossians. Paul was writing to correct a heresy spreading in Colossae, called Gnosticism. And the great thing for us is that Paul choose to do this by telling the Colossians everything the was correct about Christianity, rather than telling them everything that was wrong about Gnosticism. So we are left with a wonderful description of Christ and his kingdom.
Paul uses phases like “join the Saints”, “inherit the light”, “out of darkness” and the phrase I want to talk a little more about “Created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son he loves”.
But Paul didn't write in English, he wrote in Greek and his words may have meant something a little different for people of the time so I am going to try and teach you a little history and a little Greek.
The unusual word I want to explain is meth-is'-tay-mee (methistemi) it means in our translation today “Created a place for” but it was used specifically when a conquering army exiled all the people in a conquered land back to their own land. Just like the Babylonians and Egyptians did to the Jews. So in that one word “Meth-is'-tay-mee” or “created a place for” Paul is showing the readers of his letter a picture of Christ's victory over this world and of them being carried away to kingdom of light to join the saints. It's a lovely image isn't it.
Paul goes on to describe Christ. He was the first born of all creation, through him everything was created, Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, powers – everything was created through him and for him.
So if the power of every king, prime minister, emperor and president is given by his kingdom, the kingdom of heaven and earth, the kingdom of everything you can see and everything you can't, that kingdom must be a very different place. Christ is King of something so big and so wonderful we can't imagine it, but that doesn't mean we can't experience it, touch it, feel it. Know it really exists!
So now as we turn to the Gospel we see the sacrifice he made to win this victory for us. And most importantly how we can gain our freedom in His Kingdom.
The gospel scene is familiar to us, but try and picture it now for me. There is a hill a short distance from a big city, on the hill are three simple wooden crosses. Nailed to each is a man, but the man in the centre has also been beaten, he's covered in blood and bruises. He is being mocked by all around him. “IF you are the king of the Jews save yourself” they say. Even one of the men hanging from a cross next to him joins in the abuse.
Placed above his head is a sign “This is the king of the Jews” is this sign also mocking him, or has it been placed there by Pilate because he is beginning to believe that Jesus is something much bigger?
The other criminal next to Jesus then turns to him, admits his crime and asks to be remembered in his kingdom. And Jesus promises him paradise. That's a clear message for us isn't it.
Admit we are wrong and ask to be taken to his kingdom. If you remember nothing more from today's gospel remember that.
You may by now be thinking that Christ's Kingdom is heaven, the paradise we as a people of hope aspire to when our time on earth is done. But if you listen to Paul's letter and this gospel you realise that Christ Kingdom is bigger than heaven, everything seen and unseen, heaven and earth, are part of his kingdom. And you right now are experiencing that kingdom. You are his body, he is present in the people next to you right now, and you are making him present to the people next to you. You want to be part of Christ Kingdom turn and smile at someone next to you...
...how did it feel to see Christ smiling back at you?
The Victory of Christ on the cross is his kingdom, a kingdom we make present every day by accepting Christ as our King. By accepting the tasks he gives us to do. The vocations and ministries he challenges us to complete. Today is a day to be proud of your faith, to be proud of you kingdom, to be proud of of the work you do in His kingdom and most of all today is a day to celebrate and worship our King.
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