John 18: 33b - 37
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112424.cfm
Almighty ever-living God,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of the universe,
grant, we pray, that the whole of creation,
set free from slavery, may render your majesty service
and ceaselessly proclaim your praise.
(Collect of Solemnity)
When Joseph Stalin was told by his staff that the Pope (Pius XII) objected to his invasion of Poland, Staling famously said: "The Pope! How many military divisions does the Pope have?" For Stalin, as Pilate in the Gospel today, power was equated with coercion, with military force and heavy handed enforcement. But Jesus' power is different. Jesus says: "My kingdom is not of this world." In other words, his power is not of the kingdom of Stalin, Pilate or any earthly ruler. Jesus' power is different from the normal coercive way that we may experience power in our lives. Although present in this world it is not of this world's values.
So Pontius Pilate felt in this Sunday’s Gospel passage from the Passion story
according to John. That greatness is measured by power, riches, kingdoms and adoring
subjects. No one needs to be of a
royal line in fact to be called great. In fact, we might feel the famous line
quoted from Lord Acton in the late 19th century might be timely here: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
There is some clear historical proof of this of course
but on this Sunday at the end of our liturgical year, the Church turns our
attention to another measure of greatness. Jesus is proclaimed to be “King of
the Universe.” For those who have had a
lust for power such a position and claim would have been a further hope. Yet, Jesus is a king. He preached on the kingdom of God numerous
times in his public ministry. He taught
many parables on what the “kingdom of God is like.”
So here Jesus stands before Pilate who sarcastically
questions him: “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilates’ greatest fear was not
Jesus nor his followers nor the Jewish authorities but Rome and the
Emperor. He was placed in this far
eastern region of the Roman Empire to be sure that everything was under control
and under the tight fist of the Roman military.
He was known to be a weak and not significant leader, so he was in a
sense banished to the far eastern part of the Roman Empire – the dusty desert
country of the eastern Mediterranean.
But Pilate’s suspicion of Jesus and his alleged
kingdom along with the crowds proclaiming him a king, immediately brought fears
of treason against Jesus. There will be
no rival to Caesar, not alternative kingdom rising in the Empire, no plan of
sedition or treason which would be met only by a swift and very public tortuous
death. The charge of “King of the Jews” and the one who allegedly made it met
immediate apprehension on the part of Pilate.
He must settle this quickly before Rome comes down heavy on him. He felt
any great king, measured by the values of this world, would be a rival to Caesar
and his own prominence.
Yet, Jesus does not fall into the trap. Rather than proclaim himself a king, which he never did, as Pilate questions, he instead speaks of his kingdom as one not from this world. In so doing he avoids Pilates specific question about being the leader of the Jews and proclaims himself “king” of a universal kingdom of the truth; the one whose mission was to tell reveal God’s plan of salvation for all – the good news of the Gospel.
All of which makes us wonder what sort of “King” is
Jesus? His followers are those who live
by the truth he reveals. His answer to
Pilate is about the nature of his kingdom and those who live by its
values. A kingdom divine in origin. “My
kingdom does not belong (is not from) this world.”
The second reading of our Mass from the book of
Revelation says: “Jesus Christ is the faithful witness . . . and ruler of the
kings of the earth. To him who loves us
and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom,
priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever.”
(Rev 1: 5-6).
This is a ruler who did not call for the blood of
others but shed his own blood for the sake of his flock. He is a ruler who
referred to himself not as despotic king with a lust for power but a Good
Shepherd who would give his life for his sheep. (Jn 10: 11). This is a leader
who would gather to himself the lost, the forgotten, the rejected and abandoned
and invite them to experience infinite mercy, forgiveness and love. He is a
teacher who touched the deepest hunger in the human heart for value, meaning, dignity
and purpose. He offers a new vision of
God who is a loving and forgiving Father not a heartless and ruthless
judge. This way shows the world the true
meaning of greatness and opens the window to see from whom ultimate greatness
comes.
“My kingdom does not belong to this world . . . my
kingdom is not here.” The power Jesus does claim is that found in his
followers: “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
It was a strange conversation between Pilate and Jesus
and may have left Pilate more confused than convinced. But, in the end Jesus’ kingdom is not
political or earthly. Since he is Lord
of heaven and earth, his kingdom is a kind of proposal from God to renew our
vision of authority and power and to live by the values of his kingdom. It is
about God’s desire for humanity: to break the power of evil and open up the
promise of eternal life.
We hear the voice of the Father who speaks through his
Son. He invites us to an encounter with
the living God and with him and to receive in faith what he offers us. The
truth of Jesus’ kingdom reveals God’s absolute love for us and shows us the
mark on which to stand to live a full and rich life as we await the next; to
join him in his kingdom of light and peace.
Our celebration of the Holy Eucharist brings us to
experience a taste of this. United in
Christ, by our common baptism and faith, we mark our diversity not as
separating nationalities one from another or creating rivalries between us but
as a reflection of the beauty of God. We
gather to hear the word of the King and to feast on his body and blood, his
very life poured out for us so that we may do the same for one another.
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