Feast of Christ the King   Year B                                                       

Daniel 7:13-14  
Revelation 1:5-8  
John 18:33b-
37                                                                                                                         
               The Feast of Christ the King.
What a great name for a parish, isn’t it?                        
A conversation between a Procurator and the Prince of Peace.
Pontius Pilate and Jesus Christ. Some would call it the clash of
the titans. Or two different worldly powers going head to head. Or
two big wigs like the CEO of Wal-Mart vs. the CEO of Target
having a debate on successful business practices. They’re both
titans, but Wal-Mart seems to swallow up everyone in their
path.                                                                 
This conversation as recorded in John’s Gospel that took place
2000 years ago within the Praetorium between the one governing
Palestine and the King of the Jews is a conversation that takes
place on two different levels. They’re speaking the same
language, but they’re not speaking the same language. Yet, the
worldly level of speaking as represented by Pilate, and the
heavenly way of speaking as represented by Jesus, are two
levels that are meant to meet. And they do meet, thanks to Jesus,
and not to Pilate.         
The two levels of conversation between Pilate and Jesus are not
meant to clash for the sake of clashing. Nor battle for the sake of
battling. But rather they are two levels of being and existing that
meet and embrace. We live in this world right now, but at the same
time we know that we are journeying toward something greater
that is beyond the ability of any language to explain. As human
beings, we are both now and future; Pilate and Jesus. Except
Pilate’s now is not Jesus’ now. Pilate’s now stops with death.
Jesus’ now leads to eternal
life.                                                                        
So as we celebrate this feast day of Jesus’ kingship, we embrace
the deeper conversation between these two titans. Pilate is a titan
because he is a man of power and influence. He can cause the
death of a person in an instant, simply by commanding his
soldiers to do so, as he does to Jesus soon after their
conversation is finished. But the key to our being lifted up and
carried by the purpose of this feast day as found in this Gospel is
to allow our own conversations, our own language, and our
relationships to embrace the deeper conversation of Jesus.
Jesus’ part of this conversation is heavenly. Yet his words reach
into our world and into our hearts and lift us to our rightful place
with God.                 
Thus, I make a couple points about this Gospel and how Jesus
Christ as King affects our lives now, along with the life of the
world to come.                                        
First, to recognize Jesus’ kingship is to accept that he is in
charge, thanks be to God. He is King, and we are subjects of his
everlasting dominion, as it says in today’s first reading from
Daniel; “His dominion is an everlasting dominion.” Unlike Pilate’s
dominion, which has come and gone, thanks be to
God.                                                 
So this feast day begs the question, “Where is Jesus’ authority in
our lives? How much do we open the door to Jesus’ authority
within our spiritual and bodily lives?” Truth be told, we enjoy our
own authority, and it starts from an early age. Show me a two-year
old child that hasn’t said “No” to their parents, and I’ll tell you that
you may have a future canonized saint on your
hands.                                                         
Or even a better example. I have a teenage nephew who wants
nothing to do with receiving his Confirmation this year. He’s
ready to receive Confirmation age-wise. But he’s not ready to
receive Confirmation spiritual-wise. He’s sick and tired of all the
God-talk that goes on in his house. I don’t know if it’s because he’
s the only Yankees fan in the Riley family. That probably has
something to do with his defiant stance. But he wants to be
strictly his own authority.                                                                 
What he doesn’t yet understand is that he’s beginning to walk a
worldly road that resembles too much Pilate. He’s fast becoming
too “Pilatey.” As we all know, however, some of the best lessons
in life come from taking on too much of Pilate. And I guess we’re
never too old to be humbled.                                                                 
What I hope my nephew will learn one day is that when we allow
our control to be consumed by Jesus’ authority, a loving, merciful
authority, we discover slices of heaven right now. We discover
peace, hope, and the great virtue of letting go. Because to let go
and let God reign in our hearts is to say that Jesus is “King of the
Jews.” When we can say of our lives that the King is in charge of
this conversation, and not Pilate, then we are in a good place
spiritually.                                                                
And secondly, what this feast day reminds us is that Jesus as
King, and only Jesus, is deserving of worship. I go back to my
nephew as an example again. The weaker his hold on Jesus in
his life, and the stronger his grip on Pilate in this world, the more
he will worship the objects of this passing world, and not the one
true God. That’s the danger his parents see for him right now. But
Jesus’ Kingship centers our worship. It puts us in a good place
with God.                                                                                 
So to celebrate Jesus’ Kingship means to fall on our knees once
in a while, or more often than once in a while, and say “Jesus, you
are Lord and there is no other besides you. As good as you
created this world, you, my Lord, are infinitely better.”                 
Christ the King. He’s in charge of this conversation. He alone is to
be worshipped. And lastly, it makes a nice name for a
parish.