The Solemnity of Christ the King points to the second and definitive coming of Our Lord, at the end of time, when all mankind - all who have ever lived - will appear together before Him and He will judge each one according to his works. All that is hidden will come to light, the goodness of the righteous will be shown to all, the deceit of the false will be unmasked and the justice of God will be fully vindicated.
Today's Gospel shows the Christ who will be judge. The one who will judge all in righteousness and truth stands alone before a corrupt official who can only think in worldly terms. "Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate asks Jesus. In other words, do you pretend to be king? Are you a threat to Roman power? Rome, once that great empire that is now merely a subject for history and archaeology lessons. But what is striking in this episode is how the tables are turned: Jesus, physically bound and humanly powerless, seems to be judging Pilate more than Pilate is judging him. Totally undaunted, Jesus merely insists that his kingdom is not of this world and that, although he is a king, his kingship consists in "bearing witness to the truth".
We tend to associate power, and certainly politics, with falsehood. Jesus helps us to see that true authority is inextricably linked to telling the truth. We govern ourselves, and the situation, best when we tell the truth. Indeed, a fundamental part of the revelation of Christ's kingship, when he comes at the end of time, is to bring the truth to light. He will do so in the universal judgment (cf. Lk 8:17; 12:3; Rev 20:12-15). Kings judge, and we certainly see it in God (cf. Gen 18:25; Ps 10:16-18; 98:9; Is 33:22), and justice consists in discerning and following the truth in every situation. Christ is such a king, he rules so much in every situation, that he can fearlessly submit to unjust judgment, speaking the truth himself clearly, but without bitterness or anger (see also Jn 18:20-23). Christ's kingship on earth never had to do with worldly power. In fact, he always avoided it (see Jn 6:15). It was always a service to truth and justice, with deep humility (see Jn 13:3-17). As Christians, we are called to imitate Christ in his kingship that proclaims the truth, mastering our fear and our vanity to bear witness ourselves to the truth in any situation.
Homily on the readings of the Solemnity of Christ the King (B)
Priest Luis Herrera Campo offers his nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
