Universal King

Gospel
Jn 18:33b-37

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

Sermon at St Saviour

The Solemnity of Christ the King

“I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this”

All my life I have been a monarchist. The Christian character of our present sovereign makes it easy to be a monarchist in England today. I was happy to swear the oath of allegiance when I enlisted in the R.A.F. and I was proud as a serving airman to be part of the R.A.F. contingent at the coronation. It has been no embarrassment to me to take the oath of allegiance at each new appointment in the Church of England. I consider it a privilege to defend the faith as well as to defend the realm. I feel confident that the Queen knows that she only rules in church and state under God.

As the liturgical year draws to a close once again we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. We who worship the Father also acclaim His Son seated in glory at the right hand of the Father. He is alpha and omega, the one who has overcome the deadliest foes of man which are sin, Satan, and death. Today’s liturgy describes our Lord as King of the Universe, as Universal King, as King of All Creation and we are glad to give Him our adoration and praise; we confidently bring before Him our petitions; we readily reverence His presence in word and sacrament and imagery.

If we use the words ‘allegiance and service’ in respect of an earthly sovereign how much more of a divine king? We may at times have our struggles with the word ‘obedience’ but surely in the Christian life it has to be embraced. “Ours not to reason why, Ours but to do or die”. When news broke of Fr Tony’s move to Failsworth I heard someone ask him whether it was a promotion. He replied that he didn’t regard it as a move up or down but just sideways. Then he went on to explain that he had never sought or applied for any appointment but had simply said ‘yes’ each time he had been asked to take on a new appointment. It struck me that he had the right attitude and that he probably learnt it from Mary, Our Lord’s mother.

And what about exercising authority over others under Christ the King ? It is often said that the good leader will only ask a subordinate to do what they, in different circumstances, would be willing to do. As today we celebrate the authority of Christ in our lives perhaps we should be inspired by the truth that during the coming Advent and Christmas we shall be welcoming One who in order to enter our world laid aside His Majesty and Glory to be born the Babe and Bethlehem.

This morning, as in every Eucharist, he deigns to come into our lives under the guise of a bit of bread and a sip of wine. Let us tell Him, with love as well as obedience, ‘Come, Lord, and reign in me’.