Where is Christ Jesus the King?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Solemnity of Christ the King

St. Gerard Majella Church

November 20, 2011

Today is Christ the King Sunday. Today, we celebrate Christ Jesus as our King. Today we celebrate Jesus, the Shepherd of our souls. We celebrate Jesus, the King of our life. Today, we come to the end of this liturgical year. As usual, we look to the future, the ultimate future when Jesus will return in glory for the final judgement. 

So, today I preach to you this message which I have titled “Where is Christ Jesus the King?” Many of our Pentecostal and Evangelical brothers and sisters, in answering that question will tell you that Jesus is in our hearts. Many Catholics and probably Episcopalians and Lutherans etc will say that Jesus is present in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Some other Christians will tell you that Jesus is in the Bible. Yet, others will say that he is in heaven. 

Yes, Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and supremely too. Yes, Jesus can be found in the Holy Bible. Yes, Jesus lives in the heart of those who love him dearly and sincerely. Yes, Jesus is present in our midst when we gather in his name. Yes, Jesus is present with us. But where else is the Lord present? Where is Jesus? A Look at today’s gospel taken from Matthew 25:31-46 tells us where else he can be found: “For when I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Although Jesus is in the Eucharist, he is also living on the streets. Although Jesus is in the Bible, he is also in soup kitchen lines. Although Jesus is in the midst of those who gathered together in his name, he is also waiting at the Salvation Army to get a coat. Although Jesus is in the hearts of those who sincerely love him, he is also in the hospital and with those sitting at home because they cannot afford to go to the hospital. 

Sisters and brother, Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” This means, wherever people are in need, Jesus is there. Wherever people suffer, Jesus is there. Wherever people are hungry and thirsty, Jesus is there. Wherever people are homeless, Jesus is there. Wherever people are jobless, Jesus is there. Wherever people are helpless, Jesus is there. Wherever people lack the basic necessities of life, Jesus is there. And he is not only there to comfort them, he is also there suffering along with them. Jesus is present in the Eucharist, in the Bible, in our midst. But he is also present concretely with the not-haves. 

Some of us may think that when we leave the Church on Sundays, Jesus is locked in and locked out from the everyday life of everyday people as the church is locked. Sometimes we hear people refer to the poor and destitute as “God forsaken people” because of their poverty. But today’s gospel tells us that they are wrong. Where is Jesus? Jesus is with the God-forsaken people. Where is Jesus? He is with those living on the margins of the society. Jesus is with the working poor. The working poor is the man who washes cars but does not own one. She is the clerk who files cancelled checks at the bank but has nothing in her bank account. He is the man who paints the houses of others but cannot afford to repaint his. The working poor is the man who lays new carpets for others, and after that, begs the owner of the house to give him the old carpets removed from his house so that he can use it at home. Where is Jesus? Jesus is with those whose dreams, hopes and aspirations have been shattered by no fault of theirs. Jesus is with those who live in crumbling houses that are contributing to their children’s asthma. 

Jesus who is supremely present in the Eucharist wants us to know that he is also present with the weak, the most vulnerable, the not-haves, the poor, the abandoned, the shut in, the jobless, those in jail and those living on the streets. The Lord says today that the Eucharist, the Bible, the Church, in our midst are not the only place he can be found. He can also be found in the heartache and the pain that surround us. He can also be found in those people who ask us for their help and attention. 

Today, we are celebrating Jesus Christ our King. But it is absolutely striking that the Lord, the Master and the King did not choose to be found in palaces, in thrones, and in the corridors of power, rather in the slums and most stinking places of the world. On the very day we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus, he did not choose to be found with the wealthy, the powerful, the mighty, the movers and shakers of the society, instead he chose to be found with the weak, the vulnerable, the defenseless and the wretched people of the world. It is strikingly amazing that on the day that we celebrate Jesus as the King of the world, he was not found with the kings, queens, princesses and the princes of the world. He’s rather to be found with the “not-have of the world. 

And in today’s gospel, he says that when the Son of man comes in his glory, he will reward those who recognized him in the slums. When the Son of man sits on his glorious throne, he will reward those who found him and attended to him in the poorest of the poor. He will say to them, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Jesus is the only King who is not found in the kingdoms and empires of the world. He’s is rather found with the lowest of the low. He is here with us. But he is also out there in the world waiting for human contact. For care. For love. For compassion. For help.