King – in our minds means “power”, “control”, and “authority”; the ability to rule over a nation. What kind of king is Jesus?

Today’s feast proclaims him “Christ, King of

the Universe” – king not of a single nation, not even of the

whole earth, but king of the universe, king of the countless

worlds, even of those that we haven’t yet discovered! It

assumes he has an infinite power, unmatched by any human

standard!

And yet – today’s Gospel presents the scene of his

proclamation as the King of Jews, which is far from this

image of power and might! He is in fact powerless! He

cannot even defend himself! He is nailed to the cross,

suffering and dying, he can hardly move his head, he can

hardly breathe! Where is his power?

"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." "Are you not

the Christ? Save yourself and us.” We can hear in the

mocking questions of the rulers and of the soldiers

(themselves representatives of power!) the echo of millions

of human beings who ever existed or will ever exist: Where

were you, God, when the horror of war destroyed millions of

human beings; when the hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes,

volcanoes crushed our husbands, wives, children, parents,

friends; when my innocent defenceless baby died of cancer,

shortly after its birth?

All such questions are legitimate accusations of suffering

people, who seek protection from a Higher Power that

supposedly controls the whole universe! How come this

Higher Power could not save my baby? What does it say

about this Higher Power? That it is blind, indifferent to our

fate! It doesn’t care about us and our suffering! But – is this

angry answer true? Let us look at the scene of proclamation

of Christ as a King!

Jesus the King is dying on the cross! Is this an image of

somebody who is indifferent to our fate? He is dying for us!

He is suffering with us! He is this kind of king who doesn’t

rule from the height of his throne, he is right in the middle of

his people, right there where they suffer, right there in their

suffering hearts! But why doesn’t he use his power to defend

himself? Doesn’t he? He still has the power to save! In fact

he says to the repentant thief: "Amen, I say to you, today you

will be with me in Paradise.” In the moment when Jesus is

dying, he gives to this man eternal life! He gives him the gift

of salvation! A moment ago the same thief said about Jesus

to the mocking criminal: “We have been condemned justly,

for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but

this man has done nothing criminal.”

Jesus has never done anything evil, not even in the face of

unjust and cruel treatment! His heart is free from hatred,

from any evil! That is his power! That how he rules the

universe! He can give us the power to defend our hearts from

evil! And even more - he can give us the power to do good,

to love. And that is how he helps millions of those who

suffer! His kingdom is visible in the hearts of those who

love! That is how he rules! He never takes away our

freedom! He invites our free will to ally with his in the fight

for a better world, a more loving world! Next page please

Our King, the King of the Universe, rules from the cross,

through the power of love! He saves us from evil!

It means that when we love we are in his kingdom! But when

we hate, when we harm others, when we abuse them, take

advantage of them, when we mock them or hurt them in any

way, we are not in his kingdom, further more – we act as

enemies of his kingdom!

Fr. Janusz Roginski, S.A.C.