“Assumptions” – Homily for November 22nd/23rd

Christ the King

Today we celebrate the last Sunday of our liturgical year the Feast of Christ the King. As we celebrate this final feast of our Church year, I think we have an opportunity to examine our assumptions.

We all carry assumptions of various kinds with us. Some assumptions are useful like a friend who is always there for me will be there in the future as well. Other assumptions are harmful, even sinful, like this race of people is lazy or that class of people is lower than us. We call these sinful assumptions prejudice. We all carry assumptions good and bad; our task is to be aware of them.

For instance, when I say the word “king” what assumptions come to your mind? I suspect one assumption is that a king has power. Ohh to be king for a day, we say. To have all the power. You know the world has assumptions about power, they sound like this. “If we just get enough power, then we will be secure. If we have enough power, then we will not need anyone else we will be independent. Might makes right!”

These were the assumptions of power the devil had when he tempted Jesus in the desert way back at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Remember those temptations? “If you are the Son of God command this stone to become bread.” The temptation? To use power for security. Save yourself. “After showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant, the devil said to him, ‘I will give you all this power and their glory… all this will be yours if you worship me.’” The temptation? To use power for fame and glory. Save yourself. “Then standing on the parapet of the temple in Jerusalem the devil said to Jesus, ‘If you are the Son of God throw yourself down from here for it is written: ‘he will command his angels concerning you to guard you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” The temptation? To use power for control, even to control God. Save yourself.

Jesus rejected this vision of power and its assumptions, and the devil left him. But note just exactly what the text says at this point, “then the devil departed from Jesus for a time.” Those same temptations returned in full force at the cross.

The world says power is to be used against others, over others, so you can save yourself. But Jesus rejects the world’s assumptions on power, on what it means to be king. Christ is king but not as the world understands kingship.

In the end our assumptions about Jesus will be shaped by our walk with Jesus. Our past Church year has been the year of Saint Luke’s Gospel. Luke painted a portrait of Jesus in his Gospel as a healer and champion of the poor, for Luke himself came to experience Jesus through his own vocation as a physician and his close proximity to the poor.

You and I likewise are called to paint a portrait of Christ for others to see. We painted by how we live our lives. We paint it by how those who encounter us come to see Jesus’ kingship. We paint it by the assumptions we hold.

Examine our assumptions about power, kingship, and service, and may the picture we paint of Christ as king bring glory to his vision.