Kings or queens still exist in certain countries. Yet, most of them are symbolic figures with some privileges except the ones in Brunei, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, and Vatican City who maintain absolute power. A ruler with supreme authority goes above and beyond laws. If not calling them a king, we call them a dictator who not only can do whatever one wants but also can suppress others’ freedom and human rights. Throughout much of European history, Christian theology played a crucial role to defend and justify absolute monarchy. We heard stories like a king is chosen by the divine right directly coming from God to rule others.
The problem with this theological concept of the divine right is that it is only applied to a certain group of people with power to justify their ruling over others. Whether this king or queen is benevolent, generous, and even so perfect or not, this implication of the divine right to certain privileged groups takes away the most important privilege and gift of God given to us, which is baptism. In baptism, we are all transformed, transfigured, and deified by the merit of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. No divine right of absolute monarchs is greater or higher than this baptismal gift from God. Then, this theological concept can only be rightly applied to only one person, Jesus of Nazareth. He is granted with the divine right, yet he knows so well that this is not the right for this world. Standing before Pontius Pilate, he says, “My kingdom is not from this world.” We have this king who has the divine right of absolute power and authority, but his kingdom is neither in this world nor from this world nor of this world. This is to say, “I have the divine right but I wouldn’t exercise it here in the way that this world uses and abuses. I’m not the king of this world, but the king who brings the reign of God into this world. And how I’m going to use this divine right, power, and authority is only through the weak, the vulnerable, the oppressed, and the poor. You can only see this divine right exercised rightly according to the will of my Father through the cross.” His being in this world is the reign of God, the kingdom of God itself breaking into this world. For example, coming into the womb of Mary the Blessed Mother is the most vulnerable and the most human way that God freely chose to bring God’s kingdom. His solidarity with the socially outcast such as prostitutes, criminals, addicts, and tax collectors is another way that Jesus manifests how his kingdom would look like. What about the crucifixion? In his encounter with Pontius Pilate, he refuses to use his power in the way that this violent world does. The crucifixion reveals the upside down nature of the kingdom of God in this power hungry and self-idolizing world. The crucifixion exposes that the kingdom of God is completely different from this world. The resurrection is the statement of God that God’s kingdom is the world of love. It is where the power of love rules, not like this world in which the love of power prevails. Often, we wonder what that kingdom is really about, if not somewhere we go after life. We seem to have no clue what it means here on earth, if not proselytizing or converting non-Christians as Western colonists used to. Itis rather simple than we would think. Who Jesus is and what kingdom of God is are not two different things. When we listen to his teaching of love and look at his action of compassion, that's what this kingdom of God is about. Jesus is the incarnation of God’s kingdom on earth. In this kingdom Jesus brings to this world, we feel loved, forgiven, reconciled, and embraced no matter what we have done in the past, are doing now, and will be doing in the future. God’s love and forgiveness is always ever present to each moment we live whenever and wherever God’s reign in Jesus is manifested through the Holy Spirit. How then do we find ourselves in the kingdom of God? Is it something we don’t really experience but can only talk about? Is it far from our reality, our ordinary lives? If we really think that way, we may want to seriously consider what we believe when we talk about the kingdom of God. Why would anyone believe in something we are not able to articulate at all? So here are some questions to reshape our perception of God’s kingdom: When do you feel the love of Jesus that gives you a sense of peace, healing, and hope? When is it you feel free and empowered to love more? What situations do you see yourself more forgiving, accepting and less judgmental of others and yourselves? All these experiences of God’s love and embrace are sort of special moments that are more memorable and powerfully moving. These are the moments when we enter the kingdom of God, that we encounter Jesus. Psychologically speaking, it seems to happen when our defense mechanisms are unguarded and we open ourselves, we get to see things closer to as they are in reality. Spiritually speaking, the Holy Spirit moves us into that sacred time and place quite unexpectedly, and Jesus so lovingly walks into our lives, inviting us to accept his love and compassion and follow him. We don’t simply find ourselves in the world of Jesus where Jesus is so fully present. We are found by him. But the problem with these instant experiences of the kingdom of God is that they come and go, and we are susceptible to forgetting. When we face life crises, they tend to disappear as we feel isolated, alone, hurt, or abandoned. Or we might not yet have experienced or brushed off this glimpse of God’s kingdom in our lives, shutting our hearts to the grace and mercy of God. Either way, we forget that just like Jesus we are not of this world even though we are in this world. We forget who we are following is the one who promises to be present in every moment of our lives, not the one who simply gives what we want, keeps us safe and secure while everyone else suffers. We forget it is the kingdom of God in which we desire to live, and by living it out here we can make God’s reign present in our lives. In that state of mind, we lose our true identity as Christians, as God’s beloved children. We become aimless, not knowing our meaning and purpose of life, not hearing God’s call to love, give, share and flourish with others. And when we lose our ultimate purpose as human beings created in the image of God, we idolize ourselves, seeking the power of this world to be in control of everything, trying to deify ourselves to be the king of our own lives. All our own efforts to build our own kingdom in this world end up hurting others and ourselves. So I want to ask all of us, “What world are you living in here on earth? Are you of this world or of the world of Jesus?” This feast of Christ the King, some might think, is out of touch with our time when we actively try to deconstruct oppressive patriarchy as well as its patriarchal use of languages. Talking about Christ as a king might sound outdated, countercultural, and irrelevant. But knowing what kind of king Jesus is and what world he is bringing to this world, we have quite a radical understanding of king and kingdom. This king of love invites us to be in his kingdom of love, hope, and peace. It is not coercive but empowering. It does not suppress but set everyone free. It is not deadly but life-giving. No fake news but the good news for all, the gospel for all that they are all loved, that you are loved eternally, “you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own for ever.” (BCP p.308) God gives us a choice to be in the world of Jesus or not. What helps us to see his world begins with our personal and intimate encounter and relationship with Jesus. And what keeps us to live in that world begins with our sense of thanksgiving to Jesus and his salvific work here in this world. That thanksgiving heart of ours leads us to celebrate our lives that God has given us, and it also compels us to share the world of Jesus with this world out of joy. Thanksgiving season is over this year, yet the spirit of gratitude never ends. It is the very means to remain in the world of Jesus where love prevails, wins, and rules. That’s why we celebrate the Eucharist, which means the Great Thanksgiving. Let us faithfully and actively develop the habit of gratitude to Jesus the king of our lives as we end this liturgical year and are about to enter the holy season of Advent. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. |
Paul"...life up your love to that cloud [of unknowing]...let God draw your love up to that cloud...through the help of his grace, to forget every other thing." Archives
January 2025
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