![]() It's not, if we're going to follow the way of Jesus, really try to follow the way of Jesus: live Christianity rather than talk about it or hold it up as an ideal. ![]() So it's really an anomaly, a contradiction, to think of Jesus as a king because right away, we think of those aspects of earthly kings - power, wealth and force - and make that Jesus' way. Human kings follow the ways of the world, not the ways of Jesus. "My ways are not your ways my thoughts are not your thoughts." As high as the heavens are above the earth, my ways are above your ways my thoughts above your thoughts." We can't just follow the ways of the world, the ways of our flawed humanness that want to dominate over others, that want to accumulate in wealth, who want to use force. It reminds me of what the prophet Isaiah says when he says about God: "My thoughts are not your thoughts my ways are not your ways. These are the ways of Jesus, and they are dramatically difficult. Those who live by the sword die by the sword." Violence brings violence - always greater violence - and so instead of the violence, Jesus heals the person whose ear has been severed. Jesus says, "Put away your sword don't use violence. I must prevent this," and so he draws his sword and began to flail with the sword, slices off the ear of the high priest's servant. Look, even in the garden, at the risk of his life - they're coming to take him prisoner, to torture him, put him to death - one of his disciples says, "I must defend him. He wasn't willing to let go, to not keep on trying to build up, accumulate wealth, get more and more and more. Follow me live a life of simplicity - of poverty - having what you need, but not more than you need." In that Gospel incident, the young man went away sad because he had great possessions. Don't depend on your riches any longer, your wealth. Give it to the poor then come and follow me. says with love - and says, "If you want to truly be perfect to follow me now, go sell everything you have. There's that incident in the Gospel where the young man comes to Jesus and says, "What must I do to gain everlasting life?" When Jesus says, "Well, keep the commandment," "I've done that from my youth my early years." They draw money from the poor and build up their own wealth so they can always do whatever they want that money can obtain. ![]() Or take wealth: Kings are identified with wealth. You must be servants." That's kings and human kingdoms act. He said, "As I have done to you, you must do to others. Isn't that what Jesus showed them dramatically at the Last Supper, when he got down and knelt in front of each disciple and washed his or her feet? He took the role of a slave, a servant. ![]() The one who is to lead must be the servant, the slave of all." Jesus is upset, and he not only rebukes them, but he calls all the disciples together and he says to them: "Look, among the Gentiles, those who are not part of God's chosen people, those that in power lorded over others - lorded over others - among you, it cannot be that way. They're thinking of a human kingdom they want to be at his right hand and his left hand. There's that incident in the Gospel where James and John come to Jesus seeking the first place in his kingdom. Look at the idea of having power over others. Kings use force and killing to get their way. Kings have power kings have wealth kings lorded over others. What's wrong with calling Jesus the king? Well, there're three things in the Gospels have become very clear that we identify with kingship, with someone who is a king. It's never been tried," and I think, as we celebrate this Feast of Christ the King, it's an evidence that we really back away from that idea of trying genuinely to follow Jesus. Some years ago, many years ago, Mohandas Gandhi - the great Hindu religious leader in India who brought about a revolution, an overthrow of the British empire through active love, not violence - said about Christianity: "Christianity has not failed. Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Pilate says, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus refused to accept the title: "You have said it, not I." Jesus rejected the whole idea of being a king and calls us also to reject this idea and to think of ourselves as being followers of Jesus, a king. Remember in the Gospels the couple of times that people wanted to make Jesus a king and he refused? In fact, he went into hiding when he was in trial before Pilate. Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King - probably one of the most almost direct contradictions of the way of Jesus as we could find to celebrate.
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