Who is Your King?
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:40b
Today the Church celebrates the last Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe or “Christ the King.” This means that one week from today, a new liturgical year begins with the season of Advent. As is the custom with the end of every year, we are invited to reflect on this past year, not necessarily on how well we’ve achieved our weight loss goals or how well we curbed a bad habit or fostered a new one, but how we well we have lived out our call as Christians, as people who claim to follow Christ, whom we celebrate today as King of the Universe.
The kind of king that Jesus is stands in stark contrast to the kings we read of in history, even the first king of Israel. Jesus is not a king who sits on his throne and wields power from his scepter or that passes edicts and gives commands while staying in the palace. Jesus is a king who is a servant, a servant who talks to sinners and associates with the outcast, a servant who is despised by His own people and who ultimately dies the death of a criminal. This is the King of Christians. Do you still wish to follow this king?
In the readings given to us today, we are reminded that the Lord is our Good Shepherd who leads His sheep to green pastures and restful waters. Jesus tells of the judgment on the nations with the imagery of the goats and sheep, where those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, and welcome the stranger will “inherit the Kingdom” that has been prepared for them, while those who do not will spend eternity with the devil and his angels. At first this may sound like people have been predestined to go to either heaven or hell but that is not the case. God wants all of His children to go to heaven, but sadly not everyone wants to or at least chooses to lead lives that lead them there. God does not send anyone to hell; in fact we send ourselves to hell. How? Hell is the absence of God, and so if we choose to not believe or choose to live lives that are not in imitation of our King and Lord we are saying we do not want God, we do not want heaven, and so the only other option is “not God,” which is hell. Do you choose heaven or hell?
The ways the righteous ministered to the Lord that Jesus mentions in the Gospel are what we call today the Corporal Works of Mercy. Jesus reminds His disciples that to really serve Him, we must serve the least ones — the poor, the rejected, the outcast, and the vulnerable. To serve Christ we must serve one another. Do we do that? I don’t mean if we wait on one another, but rather do we truly care about the eternal fate of our brothers and sisters? Do we pray for them? Do we share with them how God has worked in our lives? Do we invite them into a relationship with God? Do we talk to those who are lonely or accompany those who feel alone in this life? Do we help the poor or do we walk by and drive by without even acknowledging them? Do we help the immigrant or do we judge them quietly and laugh at their struggles? Do we visit and help the elderly and shut-ins or do we let them live out their final days in isolation and seclusion? Do we help the dying to die with dignity or do we see them only as a body occupying a bed that is needed? Do we love the unborn and fight for their lives? If we choose to neglect anyone, we neglect Christ. If we choose to reject anyone, we reject Christ.
Brothers and sisters, I must admit, it is not easy to live as a Christian today, but God doesn’t ask for us to be perfect. We ought to strive for perfection, and when we fall short we must turn to Our Lord for strength to do better. Jesus did not say only those who have loved perfectly and served perfectly or those who ten times out of ten fed the hungry and welcomed the stranger will inherit the Kingdom. He only asks that we try and do our best. So brothers and sisters, as we come to the end of our liturgical year, how well have you followed the Universal King, Our Lord Jesus Christ? Have we chosen to follow a different king? I recently saw on a few cars a sticker that read “Do you follow Jesus this closely?” It’s funny but it’s also a great question to ask ourselves. Now I’m not saying you should tailgate other cars, but I am saying we should tailgate Our Lord and His Cross. Keep your eye on the prize and the Lord will lead you to His Father. Let us reflect with the Lord today and ask Him for the grace to love more deeply and to serve more willingly.
