The feast of Christ the king.

In Luke 23:33-43 this morning we hear Jesus being named King: “There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 

It is usually pretty easy to distinguish a king from his subjects.  The king is the one with power and authority, the king is the one in charge, the one in whose name laws are made and enforced.  But in Luke, when Jesus is named king, he has no power, no authority, no strength even to save himself. 

 For most of those watching the idea of a king with no power was ridiculous, they scoff and mock and deride him.  Christ’s kingship is clearly not the kind of kingship we expect.  Jesus does have power yet he chooses never to exert it over others, even to save his own life.  In doing so he reveals how power is used and abused: in Luke the soldiers, the religious leaders, the national leaders, even the criminals executed alongside him, make a choice whether not to use the power they have for good.  

As we hear again the story of Christ named king on the cross we reflect on the power we have in our own lives. When we choose to use our power to serve, not those with power but those without power; when we give voice to the voiceless, champion the weak and care for those in need, we too become kings with Christ, sharing with him in leading and serving God’s people.

Some major roof maintenance started this week. The old roof is being re-covered but with new upstands and skylights ( to replace the existing, many of which are broken). The new ones are triple glazed, improving heat performance.