THE KINGSHIP OF JESUS IS OF SERVICE, LOVE AND SACRIFICE Power, fame and wealth – If you have all three, you will feel like a king and people will treat you as a king. But that was not the kingship Jesus proclaimed. His kingship is of love, service and sacrifice – not very appealing if a person who puts his faith in material things. Unfortunately this is a way of life for many, yearning and striving for power, fame and wealth, forgetting his call. This call, is something we will celebrate today. That is why through the ages we see many people; including saints choose to become poor in order to be great. Take blessed Mother Teresa, she said “Not everyone can do great things, but everyone can do small things with great love” It is in becoming the lowest, and living for others that we become great in the eyes of God. Jesus willingly laid down his life on the cross speaking of a king that serves and not one that is served. His dying enables us to worship God despite our imperfections. But the crowd in the Gospel failed to see the point of Jesus dying on the cross. How cruel it was for the crowd to watch as Jesus was being nailed to the cross despite most of them listening to his teachings and even praising him for the works he has done. Why didn’t they stop him from being crucified? I believe it is because they knew very little of Jesus. They knew Jesus only on the level of his actions and were expecting a king that holds worldly power. So, the crowd did not understand what it meant for Jesus to die on the cross. They failed to see his acts of Love that is beyond power. Sometimes we too know Jesus only on the level of his actions, when we face difficulties in life; we too ask “Are you not the Christ? Save us now”. Today’s feast is a good opportunity to ask ourselves what is our relationship with Jesus like. Is Jesus really the king of my life? The readings today invite us to review this relationship we have with Jesus. In the first reading, the people are able to profess that they are flesh and blood of David because they recognize him as the person who led them when they were exploited and eventually led them to victory. They were confident that David will bring them closer to God. Do we see Jesus as leader of our life? We can if we live a life of gratitude according to St Paul in the second reading. When we put Christ as the centre of our lives, our joys and struggles will then make sense and we will see the hands of God unfolding in our lives. Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers – all things were created through him and for him. We will feel secure in the hands of God. But to live life as a Christian we must be prepared to be mocked, jeered and ridiculed because we will be seen as weak and at the losing. But Jesus assures us that when we live for him, we will be with him in paradise. So, how can we call ourselves a follower if we do not do what Christ has done? My brothers and sisters, as we end this year I’m sure you could agree with me that there is still room for improvement in our spiritual life. And if we could add a few more weeks before we start a new year, I’m sure we would take the offer. But fear not, for the church is inviting us to move on because as we know, our God is not a revengeful, calculative God. He is merciful and loving. Therefore let us leave our old self behind and begin anew. Great things will come our way when we place our trust in the Lord. As we enter the season of Advent next week, how would you live in anticipation of Jesus coming? How would you promote the coming of a king that serves others, promote love and sacrifice for the good of others? Let me share with you a story of a monk. There was a time when everyone flocked to India to do mission work. So this monk too responded to the call. He packed all the necessity in order to minister in India: medicine, clothing and food. As he walked towards the airport, he met a lot sick people, so he nursed them. As he continued his journey, he met some poor people without proper clothing exposed to the cold, so he gave them the clothing which he packed. Then, he saw hungry people along the street so he shared with them his food. Seeing nothing else in his hands he decided to return home. The other monk who made it to India came back famous for he fed thousands of people and cured many sick. When he saw the other monks in the temple, he laughed at him for his mission to India has failed. Instead of feeling embarrass he gave him a smile for even though he did not reach India, his love reaches the ends of the earth. My brothers and sisters, may we live our lives not for power, fame and wealth but for true love, service and sacrifice for the love of God. May the Eucharist reminds us of this call and be the food that sustain us and nourish our lives.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 01:36:02 +0000