THE KING'S KINGDOM.

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THE KING. YEAR A.
November 23, 2008.
(First reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17) ( Psalm 23:1-6)
(Second reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28) (Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46)


THE KING'S KINGDOM.

Christ the King has a kingdom which is radically different from the kingdoms of the world, a kingdom which has been prepared "from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).

Why is Christ's kingdom radically different from the kingdoms of the world?:
Because of two reasons, namely:
- Because in Christ's kingdom there is no imposition, there is no coercion. In Christ's kingdom human beings are motivated only by what is in the best interest of their fellow human beings.

The gospel points out that neither the righteous nor the wicked (the "sheep" and the "goats") are compelled by any external law. It is up to them to care for the suffering.

- Because in Christ's kingdom the king himself - Jesus Christ - lives in every human being, especially in the "little ones", in the suffering ones. The King not only becomes a subject, but the lowliest of the subjects. In the kingdom of Christ every human being contributes to the building of the kingdom by bringing an end to all victimization from abuse and injustice.

Christ's kingdom is a kingdom where there is no suffering, no abuse, no injustice.

The negation of Christ's kingdom.
It follows that the presence of hunger, poverty, dispossession, abuse, abandonment and exploitation of human beings constitutes a negation of Christ's kingdom.

According to the gospel those who fail to care for the suffering are responsible for their own condemnation not only because they are the culprits but, above all, because they are indifferent to suffering, hunger, poverty, dispossession, destruction.

Indifference is the gravest offense against Christ the King.
Why? Because the culprit may some day come to see the evil he causes and correct it, but the indifferent cannot see the evil he causes thus rendering himself incapable of undertaking correction.

In the struggle of the kingdoms, Christ the King will prevail over "every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroy is death" (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).

The King's kingdom will be fully realized in our world when we succeed in turning injustice into justice, war into peace, death into life.