The Reign of Christ in 2025

 

                                                  Christ Between the Two Thieves -- Rembrandt 

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus  there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him,“This is the King of the Jews.” 

 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah?  Save yourself and us!”  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in[g] your kingdom.”  He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:33-43 NRSVue -- Gospel reading for Reign of Christ Sunday

4 Crown him the Lord of love;

behold his hands and side,

rich wounds yet visible above,

in beauty glorified.

All hail, Redeemer, hail!

for thou hast died for me;

thy praise shall never, never fail

throughout eternity.

Crown Him With Many Crowns -- Voices United 211 

This is Reign of Christ Sunday for Christian denominations which observe the liturgical calendar. We used to call it Christ the King Sunday in the United Church and while the new title may seem more inclusive the real question is why we single out a Sunday that uses the terminology of royalty to describe peasant Jesus, the crucified Christ. There has always been the risk of triumphalist misinterpretation, including in our hymns.  

We are seeing in the world today a form of Christianity that is to my mind an abomination, a betrayal of who Jesus was and is. The Christian Nationalism Jesus of the Religious Right in the States and Canada  perverts our faith to justify misogyny and racism and nativism. I read that in the United Kingdom the followers of Tommy Robinson, the dangerous far-right leader, are returning to church even when they don't believe in God. They do so as a statement against Islam and march through the streets carrying crosses and other Christian symbols. This is blasphemy. The witness of the Christ of love, compassion, forgiveness and redemption is being perverted.

When Pontius Pilate asked during Jesus' trial if he was a king Jesus responded saying

“My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

John 18: 33-38 NRSVue 

Many congregations choose not to observe Reign of Christ Sunday anymore and I understand why. Still, we need to hear Jesus' voice and uphold the truth that his kingdom challenges earthly conventions and that the message of the cross upholds the dignity of all persons. 

We are called to be the Church:

    to celebrate God’s presence,
    to live with respect in Creation,
    to love and serve others,
    to seek justice and resist evil,
    to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
       our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,
    God is with us.
We are not alone.

    Thanks be to God.

from A New Creed -- United Church of Canada