In the Gospel this weekend, we are
provided a highly unfamiliar image of what we normally would think when it
comes to the word “King.” Hanging in agony, naked, beaten, and bloody, Jesus
redefines what a King is. Historically, a King was about a self-centered,
self-absorbed despot whose sole purpose was to acquire great power and wealth.
In our modern era, the word King or royalty brings to mind ribald headlines in
supermarket tabloids of the misbehavior of spoiled, pampered, pompous brats.
However, Jesus reveals that a King is about the total giving of oneself in love
and service to others. The gold thrones, rich tapestry, the bejeweled crowns of
precious metal, and the opulence of many possessions stand in stark contrast to
a throne of cruel wood from which Jesus rules with his head crowned by a
circlet of sharp thorns. The awesome power of monarchs who command vast armies
pales in comparison to the power of Jesus’ greatest weapon, mercy and love. The
bravest of Kings remembered in human lore are but meek cowards in comparison to
Jesus, who vanquished the power of Sin in the world forever. Paradoxically, it
is the cross not a crown that is the greatest sign of royalty. As St Cyril of
Jerusalem writes about the cross, “It is
a sign for the faithful and a terror for the demons. On the cross, Jesus
triumphed over them; and so, when they see it, they remember the crucified:
they fear Him Who crushed the heads of demons.” St Cyril continues, “Let us not be ashamed of the Cross of
Christ, but even if someone else conceals it, do you carry its mark publicly on
your forehead, so that the demons, seeing the royal sign, trembling, may fly
far away. Make this sign when you eat and when you drink, when you sit down,
when you go to bed when you get up, when you speak, - in a word, on all
occasions.” Upon bearing this most royal of signs of Kingship, may we pray
as did St Francis of Assisi to carry on the royal mission of Jesus, who is
Christ the King, “Most High, glorious God, enlighten the shadows of my heart,
and grant unto me a right faith, a certain hope and perfect charity, sense and
understanding, Lord, so that I may accomplish Your holy and true command.”
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