Are You A King?

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, November 24th, 2024:
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

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John
18.33-37

​Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”

Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”

Jesus answered, “You say that 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.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Our Gospel for this last Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Christ the King, sees Pilate asking Jesus if he is a king. Reading this sort of narrative in our present culture makes it difficult, I believe, to understand the full experience. 

Pilate asks Jesus an apparently straightforward question: “Are you a king?” Jesus responds with a question: “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”

Jesus isn’t concerned about his life or the power Pilate appears to have over Jesus’ life; instead Jesus is looking at the heart of Pilate to see if Pilate is open to the Good News of salvation. 

Everyone in this gospel narrative seems to believe that Pilate has the power to take Jesus’ life—except Jesus. To me, this is an incredible reality! How often in my life have I thought to myself that if everyone else thinks a thing to be true or right or accurate, it must be so? How easy is it to believe that kingship is about power, authority, and grandeur that is displayed to the world, or else it doesn’t exist? 

Bishop Robert Barron once shared a reflection on “the two kings” present at the birth of Jesus: Herod, who was the king at the time, and Jesus Himself. Bishop Barron talks about how this baby born into poverty and obscurity is the head of the Church that still exists 2000 plus years later – but where is Herod? 

Why do I mention these comparisons? Because we often look at the worldly royalty of our day and think it is so amazing or so glamorous. In fact, kingdoms of the earth rise and fall all the time, but the kingship of Jesus has never fallen; not even on the cross when, to the world, it appeared defeated.

We celebrate the kingship of Jesus not simply to give Him glamor and prestige but to recall that the worldly idea of kingship is nothing compared to the eternal glory of Jesus and His Heavenly Kingdom. We are called to look at the humility and obscurity of Jesus’ life and imitate his loving, poor, and merciful existence. 
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My identity is not found in glamor, fame, or riches but is in fact found in being a daughter of the king of kings. Like Jesus, who reminded Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world, I am called to a kingdom of eternal life that is not here on earth. The King I seek hung on a cross and loved His enemies. It does not matter what the world around me believes to be powerful, rich, and famous; rather it matters that my whole being strives to be united to the true King.




Sr. Teresa MacDonald

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