THE ETERNAL PRIEST & UNIVERSAL KING

SERMON PREACHED BY FR. TONY NOBLE ON November 21^st 2010

Colossians 1:15 & 16 “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;

For in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.”

There has been great excitement during the week about the royal engagement of Prince William and Katie Middleton.  For Britain, this has been a much needed boost in the midst of their recession.  The government is also eagerly looking forward to the wedding next year, when there will be much money to be made.  Can such romance really affect the things of everyday life?  Yes, if the man is the future King of England!  Even here in America, great excitement has been generated.  On Tuesday night, the first ten minutes of every news bulletin I watched were concerned with the engagement.

It’s understandable that Episcopalians, given our connection with the Church of England, would be very interested.  Perhaps we are more excited than most. It was Pope Gregory the Great who sent St Augustine to England after he saw the slaves from England in the marketplace. When told they were Angles, he said, “not Angles, but angels!”  We might paraphrase that by saying about ourselves, not Anglicans, but Anglophiles :-)

What about other Americans? Should the descendents of the pilgrim fathers, or of the Boston revolutionaries get excited about the British monarchy?  One reason for the excitement is that the British Royal Family is, perhaps, the last of the fairytale monarchies.  There are still a few in Europe and a couple in Asia - but on the whole, the world looks at the British Monarchy and sees the stuff of fairytales.  Perhaps, it’s because we are familiar with where they live and the great churches where they are crowned and married. 

A royal wedding is not just about the romance of two famous people - it is also about the pomp and ceremony that is still both historic and authentic, even in this modern day and age. Five years ago millions around the world watched the funeral of Pope John Paul at the Vatican. A world record will be set next year by all those who will view this Anglican wedding, and we can be proud of that. 

Nevertheless, the British monarchy is not the sort of monarchy that we would find in years past.  It was, once upon a time, a powerful monarchy. Charles I was probably the last powerful British monarch - and for his trouble he was beheaded! When Prince William is crowned King of England, he will be nothing like the kings of the past.  His power is that of a constitutional monarch. 

And on this great feast day, we must say that he will not be anything like Christ the King. As we reflect on the British monarchy, in many ways it does seem odd to celebrate here in America Christ the King.

Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  Although he was worshipped as a king at his birth, Jesus did not take for himself the power or trappings of kingship. On the one day when he did seem to reign as a king, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  That triumphal entry ended on the cross.

Today’s gospel, Luke 23:35-43, takes us back to that day. At first, it seems strange to have a gospel reading about the crucifixion on the day we acclaim Christ the King. When they nailed Jesus to the cross there was the inscription above him, “This is the king of the Jews.” This was not meant as a declaration of power, but as humiliation and sarcasm. True enough, the good thief says to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus promised him that he would be with him in paradise. This is the best promise any earthly king could make.

The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross reveals Christ as King, despite the horror of suffering and death. It is there that Jesus defeated evil.  Calvary was a finished work of God - and was much greater than an earlier finish, when God rested on the seventh day. 

One of the most beautiful images of Jesus on the cross, much loved by Episcopalians, is of Jesus reigning on the cross - crowned as King, and wearing the vestments of a priest. This image proclaims the truth that Jesus reigns as King, even on the cross. He reigns because of the cross.

In the words of today’s special preface for the Eucharistic Prayer, He reigns there "as the eternal Priest and universal King." This image of Christus Rex in the priestly vestments reminds us that when we celebrate the Eucharist, the cross is present as we do this in memory of Him.  In Holy Communion, Jesus comes to us as our sacrifice for sin, and as our King. This will be seen particularly at the end of the High Mass, when we have the Procession of the Eucharistic Host and Benediction. In our own simple way, we give to Christ all the honor, pomp, and ceremony associated with the kings of this world.

It is interesting that this Feast of Christ the King was only established in 1925.  That was after WWI when all the kings of Europe had lost their power. There was a rise in secular states, and secularism in general.  This modern feast of an ancient title was a declaration by the Church of God that the realm of Christ was not only in the hearts of the individual Christian, but over societies in general, and in particular. Alas, no longer do states head the law of God, nor the authority and teaching of his Church.

In today’s epistle (Colossians 1:11-20) St. Paul expresses this truth about Christ the King in one of his brilliant supernatural passages.  Here St. Paul leads us to ponder the fact that everything that exists is under the word of God himself.

"The image of the invisible God,” he says, “the first born of all creation.”  The word of God comes forth from the Father, comes to dwell in this world.  In doing so he establishes the Church. "He is the head of the Body, the Church", says St Paul. And his purpose is "making peace by the blood of his cross" - which brings us back to the Gospel. 

Colossians 1 takes us to the heart of the mystery of the divine and human nature of Christ.  By his sacrifice on the cross, He who is king of all creation, reveals himself to be our great High Priest, who has offered sacrifice for the sin of the world.  Through the Church, Jesus hands on his royal priesthood to that royal priesthood, which is his Body, the Church. You and I. 

This is what St. Paul means in Colossians 1:15-20. He may be speaking in supernatural terms, but is also about the here and now.  It’s about you and I and Jesus. 

On the cross the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God, and of his Christ. And he shall reign for ever and ever.