Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, whose Kingdom is not of this world and, in fact, functions totally opposite of earthly kingdoms. Jesus' kingdom is not a dictatorship, not one where power is wielded to the point of killing those in one's way to their "throne" of power and control and lording power over others. No! Jesus' kingdom is one of being servant to all, sacrificing everything, even life itself, for the good of others, to reconcile all to God, to reveal to us God's eternal love, mercy, justice and kindness and secure God's gift of eternal life for all! The reflections from Word Among Us for November 25, 2018 reconfirms that "Jesus' kingship is unlike any we have ever seen. Instead of exerting power over his people, [Jesus] submitted himself to [our]power--even if it meant lettering [s] put him to death. And because he refused the temptation to lord it over his people, God raised him up and established him as the one true King over all of creation."
Jesus' kingdom here on earth is a kingdom that converts all to being men and women of mercy, of forgiveness, of servanthood. Those under Jesus' reign bring peace and justice to our world, are persons who live lives of humility and love, generosity and sacrifice for the good of the other. Models of Jesus' servanthood abound among us and many are parents, who, 24/7, sacrifice for the good of their children, teaching them, in turn, to live a life of justice, respect, love, generosity and merciful forgiveness. Such children learn how to say "I'm sorry; forgive me." These children learn how to share from both their abundance and their scarcity to those in need! They do not build walls of division or isolation, whereby those who have lord it over those who do not have their basic human needs met! These children learn who Jesus is, how to listen to His voice and follow His ways!
How about you and I? To whose Kingdom do we belong?
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