Searching for King Jesus

The readings for this Sunday the 34th Sunday of the Year, often known as Christ the King...the Sunday next before Advent. Ezekiel 34:11-16,20-24; Psalm 100 (p 326 APBA); Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46

In our sister Church of England this extended season before Christmas starting from about the end of October is often called Kingdom season. And today is called The Feast of Christ the King, or The Universal Reign of Christ,.
In reality these ideas to do with the language of monarchy do not sit easily with the 21st century democratic idea
Once we get over this,the ideas of this king, though, are fairly straightforward.

Let me use three examples.

The Three Kings of the Christmas story get lost looking for Jesus the King.

They expect to go to a palace and find him amidst the life of privilege and wealth. They look for the king where they think he should be. And they do not find him.

Right from the start we are to see that God's kingdom will not be where we think it is going to be. Do we miss God's kingdom because it is right there under our noses, and we don't want it to be?

We want Jesus to be with the rich and famous

the powerful and influential

but he is with the weak, the hungry, the naked.

Have you missed the kingdom of God that is there is the ordinariness of your life

because somehow we think God should be bigger than that.

Is the kingdom of God beside the bed of the smelly incontinent old man

dying sad and disappointed

rather than in the pomp and circumstance of the nation?

We understand more about elected rulers than hereditary monarchs.

Perhaps today should be called Christ the President.

Where do we look for authentic leadership.

It is in the genuineness of their actions.

So much of the critique of Kevin Rudd, (and we all await President Obama to judge in the same way)

Is not do they look like a ruler but do they act like one

Exercising authority, certainly, but not for self-interest (so much the critique of others)

but do they serve the weakest and the most vulnerable.

Rulers we recognise need to expend themselves in order to be good rulers.

Is this how we act?

Finally this is the feast of Christ the King

His example is "I come amongst you not to be served, but to serve"

And St Mark adds...to give his life.

If we are to get in will with the King

then that will the character of your and my life too.

For as much as we care for, serve and attend to the needs of others

We are tending to Christ himself.

• Are we looking in the wrong places?
• Will our actions show the Spirit of service which is true leadership?
• Are we radical servants? Committed to worship Christ through the service of the needy?

You tube of this reflection

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