Sunday the 23rd of November 2025 - Christ the King

2 Samuel 5:1-3/ Ps 122(121)/ Colossians 1:12-20/ Luke 23:35-43

Our image of a King is someone who rules over nations, adorned in great splendour, displaying power through clothing and symbols of the finest materials and the most valuable metals and jewels. The King we celebrate today was crowned with a crown of thorns, dressed in purple by people mocking him and spitting on him. The image of the king of heaven and earth is one of a dying tortured man nailed to a roughly cut cross, not a dignified image of wealth and power. It was a criminal crucified next to Jesus who recognised the Kingship of Jesus, leading him to plead, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” This guilt ridden criminal recognised through all the pain and suffering the kingship of Jesus hanging on the cross next to him and understood that Jesus was the way to salvation and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Earthly Kings and rulers can appear aloof and remote from their subjects. In Jesus we have a King who knows exactly what it is like to live as one of his subjects, what it is to feel joy but also sorrow. Our King knows what it is to suffer and die, to be rejected by those offered limitless love and compassion. Earthly rulers have a tendency to send their subjects out to die for them and their desires, we have a King who willingly died for us, his subjects. Our King and Saviour is very close to us and understands all our needs and feelings. This is why God became human in the person of Jesus, lived, suffered and died with us, and led the way, through his resurrection, into his Heavenly Kingdom. That Kingdom is not a remote place, something beyond and in the future, it exists here and now. Jesus promised the criminal dying next to him that he would be with him in heaven that very day.

We accept Christ the King as our Lord and Saviour in our lives today. We seek to surrender our lives to Jesus by following his example and teaching by making the right decisions throughout our lives. There should be no areas in our lives that exclude Christ our King. We must surrender to Jesus putting him at the centre of our lives, giving him sovereign power over our bodies, thoughts, hearts, and souls. Jesus showed us what it was to be a Servant King, he washed the feet of his disciples, he was to be found among the social outcasts of society, and ultimately he gave his life for his subjects even when they had turned against him. We become faithful subjects of the Kingdom of Jesus when we follow his example and bring his Kingdom into our lives and the lives of others. We must become serving subjects of the Servant King, recognising his presence in the poor, sick, outcasts, the marginalised, refugees, in all people who suffer, serving Jesus our King by serving those closest to him. Jesus, our true King, is a saving and liberating ruler, he does not bind us to his kingdom as cowering subjects, but enables us to live in peace and harmony with the promise of eternal life with him in heaven.

The celebration today ends our liturgical year with a reminder of who our God and King is. It was established to remind this world that the Kingship of Christ is sovereign over every other power and sovereignty and that we are first and foremost subjects of the Kingdom of God before being subjects of any earthly authority. This was something recognised by the numerous martyrs who gave their mortal lives in favour of God’s lasting Kingdom over the demands of the short-lived kingdoms of this earth. The example of saint Thomas More comes to mind, he held high office under King Henry VIII and he went to his death declaring: "I die the King's good servant, but God's first". No matter what jurisdiction we live under, Jesus is our spiritual and overriding King who rules with truth and love. We show our allegiance to him through our commitment to living a Christian life expressed by our humility, service to others in sacrificial and forgiving love, living in solidarity with the poor and needy. We honour and adore Christ the King by falling subject to him, allowing him to rule our hearts, minds, and lives. Ruling from the cross with his laws given by the Sermon on the Mount, we need only to obey the command to Love God with all our being, and love others as he has loved us. This love is Selfless, compassionate, forgiving, and above all, unconditional.

Jesus continued to teach even as he hung dying on the cross. The only person who has true entitlement to reign teaches all who have any kind of authority how to show justice and compassion as he gave forgiveness to a criminal dying beside him. Compassion was and is at the heart of the sovereignty of Jesus. In baptism we are given a share in the ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet, and king. We are called to show the humility, love and compassion of heavenly kingship rather than the proud, repressive, indifferent sovereignty often found in our world.

Today we remember our need to accept Jesus as our King who came to proclaim the Good News of the gospel, the news of God’s love and salvation giving us a new commandment to love one another as he loves us. This love was demonstrated by Jesus who died on the cross for us while we are still sinners. We bring ourselves under the Kingship of Jesus when we love others as he loved us, when we die to ourselves and live for him, loving him directly but also loving him through those who need his Kingdom here and now. Our prayer today is, Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom.

God Bless, Brendan.