What type of King?

A big thing in life is ‘where are you from’?  We say ‘your accent betrays you’. Sometimes we judge totally on where people are from, as Pilate with Jesus.  With all he knew of him and heard, the miracles and the speeches, he asks
– Where are you from? 
– Are you a king really? 
– What sort is your kingdom?

Pilate was intrigued with Jesus and so are we.

Our Christian life is getting to know Jesus more, and taking part in his mission.  The type of person he was.  That he came from God and from humanity.  He speaks of the best of God and the best of us, the best of heaven and the best of earth.  He is worth our following.

Our role in life, our vocation and our mission is a calling to live like him in love and service.

There is the ‘from above’ in Jesus and much of John’s gospel stresses the divinity of Christ.  He doesn’t look very divine but he does look very human.  In the human is the divine.  So we could be like him. We become like him by reading about his life and living like he did. He is a king in his truth, justice, compassion and love.  The king-defender of the poor.

A good ending of one church year leads us to the beginning of  another.  King and/or Servant. We’ll see more of what it’s all like in the weeks of December.  Meantime we want to live in this reign of God and at the same time pray and live – Your kingdom come.

Picture Jesus with Pilate, mocked and belittled.
Or on the cross, and recall, ‘this man is a king’.
Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.

Donal Neary SJ