Reimaging Kingship

This, the last Sunday of the liturgical year, always finds us celebrating Christ as King of the Universe.  In the three scripture passages the Church provides for us this year, we find the theme of kingship, and the kind of kingdom that God envisions.  In the first reading (2 Sam 5:1-3), we see David anointed as a shepherd-king, chosen to lead and care for his people.  This kingship is rooted in a covenant with God and a responsibility to serve rather than to dominate.

In the second reading (Col 1:12-20), the kingship is magnified to a cosmic scale.  Here Christ is portrayed as the image of the invisible God, the one through whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together.  He is the head of a kingdom not just of earth, but of all creation, and his rule is one of reconciliation and peace.

Finally, in the Gospel (Lk 23:35-43), we see the paradox of Christ’s kingship revealed on the cross.  Jesus is mocked as the “King of the Jews,” yet in his suffering, he embodies a kingdom defined not by earthly powers, but my mercy, forgiveness, and the promise of paradise.

Together these readings show us a kingship that turns worldly expectations upside down.  From David’s anointing to Christ’s cosmic reign, to his crucified compassion, we see a kingdom where true power is rooted in service, reconciliation, and humble love.  This is the common thread that invites us to see Christ’s kingship not as the world sees it, but as God reveals it.

1.When you imagine a cosmic Christ, what do you imagine? What are his main attributes? Is this image one that you relate to? Can pray to/with?

2. How does David’s anointing as a shepherd-king remind you of the ways God might be calling you to lead with humility in your own life?

3. Think of a person you know or have known that most embodied the attributes of a leader rooted in service, reconciliation and humble love. What did you learn from that person?