Jesus Christ is ALL
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November 23, 2019“Above him there was an inscription that read, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’” (Lk 23:38)
What does it mean to say that Jesus Christ is king of the universe?
Today’s Scriptures offer us some contrasting images. First, David is anointed king of Israel in Hebron, by the people who call themselves “your bone and your flesh.” He is a human ruler, full of flaws as time will tell, yet one chosen from among the people to incarnate divine authority. This points forward to the Son of David who is also the unique Son of the Father. It also reminds me of the vocation of every Christian to live out the threefold ministry of Christ in the world: he is priest, prophet and king, and as baptized Christians, so are we called to be for the people of our time. The Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium, describes how these roles apply to members of the Church:
As priests, we consecrate all creation by our worship of the Creator, in liturgy and in life. This role applies to all the faithful, and in its fullness to those who are ordained.
As prophets, we witness to the transcendent meaning and goal of life on earth, to the primacy of the kingdom of God. All Christians are witnesses to Christ but vowed religious, by renouncing secular life to live for God alone, represent in a special way the prophetic dimension of the Church.
As kings, we order all earthly things to the service of the Almighty and draw all people together under one Lord. The whole Church shares in the call to claim all people and things for Christ, but the laity are said to have a primary role in this unifying mission.
Second, we have the magnificent hymn from the Letter to the Colossians. Here we are brought to focus on the preeminence of Christ, image of God, firstborn of creation, on the fact that all created things find their meaning and purpose in him, and he leads them to their fulness, making peace between heaven and earth. As a confession of faith that predates the rest of the letter, this text invites the reader into a posture of worship. I feel called not so much to interrogate the words for theological meaning, but to adore the One to whom they refer. The message could be summarized in the saying of Fr Pedro Arrupe, former General of the Jesuits: “For me, Jesus Christ is everything. For me Jesus Christ is ALL.” I was drawn to the words that introduce the hymn and interpret it. They make clear that the focus is not only on Christ in himself, but also on the presence and action of Christ in our own lives:
“We do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy.” (Col 1:9-11)
Since we have been “delivered…from the power of darkness and transferred…to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1:13), we are able to live “the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past” (Col 1:26), the mystery of “Christ in you” (Col 1:27). Christ lives in us his life as image of God and firstborn of creation, “provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard” (Col 1:23).
Finally, the gospel makes explicit what was only hinted at in earlier readings, that this king of the universe is the crucified One, who, refusing to save himself, and while dying a shameful and ignominious death, invites the believer into his kingdom. Above his head is hung a sign that reads: “This is the king of the Jews” (Lk 23:38), a sarcastic play on the centuries-long desire for a messianic king of Israel. But the irony turns back on the perpetrators – this is in fact the King, not only of Israel, but of the whole world, the Christ of God and the deepest meaning of all things. Only the one who can see beyond the bruised and battered body and the frightful abandonment into the heart of God, which beats in solidarity with his people, only such a one can be received into his kingdom. Would that we had a sign like this posted above everything we encountered in life! This might give us a clue that Christ is to be found not only in the more obvious places: in the Church and the Sacraments, in good and faithful people, but also in a difficult relationship or an insoluble problem, amidst cultural decadence and environmental devastation. Jean Pierre De Caussade, author of the classic, Abandonment to Divine Providence, wrote: “At every occurrence we should say: Dominus est. It is the Lord; and in all circumstances we should find a gift from God” (p. 19). Again, he says: “The life of faith is nothing else than a continual pursuit of God through everything that disguises, misrepresents and, so to speak, destroys and annihilates him” (p. 22). In all circumstances, Christ is King. Can we find him?
What does it mean to say that Jesus Christ is king of the universe?
Having listened to the Scriptures, it’s time to turn to the Rule of St Benedict. It is rather obvious that Christ is also king of the monastery. Here we find ourselves “armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord” (RB Prol. 3). In the monastery, we bump into Christ everywhere: in the abbot and others with roles of authority and service, in the old and sick, in newcomers and the young, in the guests and the poor, in worship and in labor and, by extension, in the tools and goods of the monastery, which are to be treated “as sacred vessels of the altar” (RB 31.10). We are invited to seek and find him in circumstances of stress and difficulty, in misunderstandings and even in injustices. Our goal is to share in Christ’s kingdom by entering into his sufferings through patience (RB Prol. 50). Perhaps one day we won’t need that sign to be waved in front of our noses “This is the king of the Jews,” or “It is the Lord!” From a monastic point of view, then, the kingship of Christ means that everything in our life centers on Christ, from the humblest matter to the most exalted, every person, every situation, every material thing and every inner state, whether joyful or sorrowful, torturous or glorious. If we don’t find him, we need to seek him, to ask him to reveal his presence. “Lord, I know you are here, because you have said so, but I don’t see you. Show me.” Everything in our life should teach us to “prefer nothing whatever to Christ,” that he may “bring us all together to everlasting life” (RB 72.11).
What does it mean to say that Jesus Christ is king of the universe?
I can find no better conclusion to these assorted observations than the words of Fr Pedro Arrupe: “For me, Jesus Christ is everything. For me Jesus Christ is ALL.”
Image: Jesus Christ King, by Licia Atelier
