Sunday Scripture Readings

Submitted on May 24, 2007

Fr. Francis X. Cleary, SJ

SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THE K ING, NOVEMBER 23 Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 93; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33-37 OUR GOOD NEWS:"Come, Lord Jesus!" Christ’s kingship is our present challenge and future hope. In ancient times, dreams served as accepted means of divine revelation. The prophet Daniel (first reading) learned God’s ultimate purpose for us, his Chosen People, and the future for all races and nations, through a series of "night visions." Today’s selection contrasts with gruesome events described earlier in the chapter. There, four monsters, beasts, symbolic of godless, brutal world empires (Babylonian, Median, Persian and Greek) rose from below, out of chaotic waters. These were subsequently judged — overthrown at once or limit placed on their reign of terror — before the throne of God ("Ancient One"). Now, a ruler-to-be comes in human form ("like a Son of Man"), from above ("on the clouds of heaven"). What the others vainly struggled to get for themselves he is given: "everlasting dominion," absolute and eternal sovereignty over the whole world. This strange prophecy originally proclaimed the steadfast divine will to preserve Israel, represented in vision symbolically as "a Son of Man." In spite of terrible persecutions by foreign tyrants that temporally frustrated God’s determined redemptive intention, the whole world would one day be united under His rule, mediated through His Chosen People. He first revealed this plan in a promise to Abraham, ancestor of all believers: "All the earth’s communities will find blessing in you" (Gn 12:3). Centuries later, the glorious Davidic empire served as temporary and incomplete foreshadowing of the fulfillment Judaism awaited but never subsequently achieved. Today Christians gather worldwide to acclaim Jesus "Son (successor) of David" and self-styled "Son of Man" (embodiment of Israel). In and through him God carried out the redemptive plan He was conceived from eternity. Today’s first selection admirably serves as prediction-description, in late Old Testament imagery, of Jesus’ enthronement as universal Lord. "Everlasting dominion, glory and kingship" that will be His at the Second Coming is already acknowledged within the gathered community, His Church. Most people consider kingship outdated and inconsonant with modern democratic ideals, tolerated only for ceremony and sense of history. Today’s Gospel shows how it continues to apply in Jesus’ case. Alone with Pilate backstage, Jesus asserted His claim as king and explained why and how. In typically Johannine style both talk on different levels using words that admit of more than one meaning. From the Jewish point of view, a Messianic claim could be false but not in itself criminal offense. Jesus, however, arrogates to Himself the right to sit on God’s own throne, a matter of blasphemy. Religious leaders were also anxious to preserve good relations with the Romans and therefore shared their overlords’ fear of inevitable consequences. Jesus explained His unique kingship by describing its origin, quality and meaning. It doesn’t denote possession of absolute political power, legitimized by succession or conquest and maintained through struggle against challengers. It is "from above" rather than "of this world." And yet Jesus comes to liberate from every kind of oppression, challenging accepted understanding of rule. Jesus is our kind of King!