Today is the Feast of Christ the King. The gospel is the parable of the sheep and the goats. “When the Son of Man comes in glory” means when Jesus rules as King. The separation of people into sheep and goats indicates the kind of king He is and the kind of kingdom He has. The sheep are those who, like Him, take care of the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and prisoner. What they do to the least of His brothers, they do to Him because He has made Himself one with them. The goats are those ignore the plight of the needy.
The inscription on the cross above Jesus’ head read, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews.” It tells us His throne is the cross and He reigns by giving His life for all men. The crucified Christ is what omnipotent power and divine sovereignty look like. We reign with Him not by being the afterlife governor of ten cities and collecting their taxes for our gain, but by also giving our lives for the life of others here and now. Let us celebrate Christ the King the way He wants us to.
