by Joe Cady
Today is the Feast of Christ the King (actually, it’s listed in the Missal as the Solemnity of “Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe”). It is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, where we celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promises and Christ’s reign as Lord of all creation. As we enter into this great feast day of the Church, it is worth taking time to reflect upon the “kingdom of God” and the role it played in the life and ministry of Jesus.
When we look at the four Gospels as a whole, it is clear that the proclamation of the kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus’ public ministry. In the Synoptic Gospels alone (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Jesus refers to the kingdom over 100 times, more than the concepts of sin, repentance, prayer, and love combined. In both Matthew and Mark, Jesus begins with the message “the kingdom of God/Heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17/Mk 1:15). In Luke’s Gospel, the first time the phrase “kingdom of God” is used Jesus says, “To other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Lk 4:43). Likewise, when the disciples are sent out, they are sent with the message of the kingdom, “[Jesus] sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:2). In the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7), Jesus emphasizes the centrality of the kingdom when he says, “seek first the kingdom of God” (Mt 6:33). Everything Jesus says and does is framed within the context of the kingdom of God, which is Jesus’ way of proclaiming that the time of fulfillment is at hand, that the time has come for God’s anointed one to bring about Yahweh’s reign over all creation.
But, understanding exactly what Jesus meant when he spoke of the kingdom of God can be a little tricky. This is because at different times throughout his ministry, Jesus speaks of the kingdom as something that is both present already and as something that is coming. For example, Jesus says things like: “The kingdom of God is at hand.” “The kingdom of God has come upon you.” “The kingdom of God is among you.” But then he also says, “Our Father in heaven… your kingdom come.” “There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God has come in power.” “When you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.” To further complicate things, Jesus sometimes speaks of the kingdom as something in the next life: he refers to the kingdom as a “banquet.” Jesus tells the thief who asks him, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” that “today you will be with me in paradise.” And when he describes his return and judgement, he tells the faithful, “Come, inherit the kingdom.”
So, what are we to make of all of this? I think one simple way to understand the kingdom is that it is a present reality on its way to fulfillment. The kingdom is a “present reality” because the kingdom truly is a at hand. The King has come, and so the time of renewal, restoration, and new life is at hand. But the kingdom is also “coming” because, according to the Gospels, the great victory of the King takes place through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s anointed who conquers sin and death and holds the keys to life. The realization and spread of this kingdom will take place through the ministry of the Church and the power of the Holy Spirit. The kingdom that Jesus’ proclaimed involved a new way of living and being in the world, and it is through the Church that this new life in the kingdom is to become a lived reality. And while the Church is the seed of the kingdom on earth, the kingdom will only be fully realized in
the next life. As the Catechism says, “To carry out the will of the Father, Christ inaugurated the kingdom of heaven on earth. Now the Father’s will is to raise up men to share in his own divine life. He does this by gathering men around his Son, Jesus Christ. This gathering is the Church, on earth the seed and beginning of that kingdom” (CCC 541).
This is why the kingdom can be said to be a present reality on its way to fulfillment. Again, as the Catechism says, “The kingdom of God lies ahead of us. It is brought near in the Word incarnate, it is proclaimed throughout the whole Gospel, and it has come in Christ’s death and resurrection. The kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper and, in the Eucharist, is in our midst. The kingdom will come in glory when Christ hands it over to his Father” (CCC 2816).
What does all of this mean for us? Well, first of all, we must always remember that the kingdom truly is at hand. Christ is Lord and he has defeated the powers of sin and death. This is what makes the Gospel truly good news, because of Jesus everything has changed. Yahweh has visited his people and set them free from the hands of their enemies. And he now invites us to live according to the kingdom, which is not like the kingdoms of this world. The way of the kingdom of God is one of humility and service. This is why Jesus says that the kingdom belongs to the poor. “The kingdom belongs to the poor and lowly, which means those who have accepted it with humble hearts” (CCC 544). Jesus repeatedly reminds us that the measure of greatness in his kingdom is not power or prestige, but sacrifice and generosity.
Christ is truly King, and he has established us as a kingdom people. He has given us new life as a gift, and he now calls us to live according to the way of the Gospel; to be a people who bear witness to God’s reign in all that we do, especially by our care for the least among us. In today’s Gospel we hear the standard by which we will be judged when Christ returns: active love of others. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” – in the Gospel today, he tells us exactly what seeking the kingdom looks like: a love for the Lord that manifests itself in service to others, especially the most vulnerable among us. Let us ask ourselves today: Will we let Christ be the King of our lives? And are we willing to say yes to living as a kingdom people in the world?
“Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”