“So You Are a King?”
Thus, Pontius Pilate famously quizzed Jesus when the Jewish leaders brought Jesus to him to demand that he be put to death.
But Jesus did not give an unequivocal answer. Rather, he pushes the question back to
Pilate, “You say that I am a king.” And then, Jesus goes on to explain to Pilate what his
purpose in the world was from the very beginning. “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. ”
We assume that when Jesus says that “this” was what I was born to be, the “this” refers to being a king. But he doesn’t say that explicitly.
I think this is a very significant detail. Pilate, the Jewish people, and we ourselves, all have our own, very worldly, understanding of what a king is, and what a king does. And what kings are, and what they do, are both inextricably linked to power. Power relative to their subjects, and power over their subjects. We all know from history that such power is more often exercised with brutality than with love.
As we celebrate the feast of Christ the King today, we must, I think, be careful to distinguish between what this image means, and what it does not mean. Christ is king not of nations, or peoples, or empires, but of the whole universe. And his kingship over all creation is expressed not through domination, but through salvation.
Jesus is the king who rules through being a servant – and a servant is one who has a
purpose and function, not one with unbridled power to impose his will. Jesus’s purpose is “to testify to the truth”, the truth that it is through the suffering of the cross that we, and indeed the whole universe, are saved.
Fr Stephen
Notices
- We have PCC Meeting immediately after Mass.
- We have started the ‘Warm Welcome’ and its on every Wednesday, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
- Please speak to Susan if you would like to attend the Advent Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Saturday.
- We are happy to announce that we will start using the English Hymnal on 1st December. We are grateful to David for his generous donation.
- We need volunteers to work as sides people to support the Church Wardens before, during and after worship by welcoming people to church.
- Please support the church generously through your giving at
www.stanselm.co.uk/giving
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