Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

 

When we say Jesus is the King of the Universe, we mean a few things.  First, He’s our Shepherd.  As our Shepherd He desires to lead us personally as a loving father would.  He wants to enter our lives personally, intimately, and carefully, never imposing Himself but always offering Himself as our guide.  The difficulty with this is that it’s all too easy for us to reject this kind of kingship.  As King, Jesus desires to lead every aspect of our lives and lead us in all things.  He desires to become the absolute ruler and monarch of our souls.  He wants us to come to Him for everything and to become dependent upon Him always.  But He won’t impose this sort of kingship upon us.  We must accept it freely and without reservation.  Jesus will only govern our lives if we freely surrender ourselves over.  When that happens, though, His Kingdom begins to become established within us!  And through us in the world.

Additionally, Jesus does wish for His Kingdom to begin to be established in our world.  First and foremost this takes place when we become His sheep and thus become His instruments to help convert the world. However, as King, He also calls us to establish His Kingship by seeing to it that His truth and law is respected within civil society.  It’s Christ’s authority as King that gives us the authority and duty as Christians to do all we can to fight civil injustices and bring about a respect for every human person.  All civil law ultimately gains its authority from Christ alone since He’s the one and only Universal King.

“I was hungry and you gave me to eat.

I was thirsty you gave me drink…”  (Matthew 25:31-46)

At this moment in time, everyone is suffering.   In historic numbers worldwide, layoffs continue for those least able to stay afloat financially, breeding anxiety, domestic violence, and suicidal behaviors.  Even two-career families blessed with jobs working from home, are still struggling, trying to care for and educate their children.   With many schools still offered only virtually, there’s the attendant loss of free breakfasts and lunch which were the only guaranteed daily nutrition for many young families.  This has led to dramatically heightened incidents of childhood psychological and physical illnesses in just the past several months of the pandemic. 

The elderly among us and those who are prone to chronic illnesses are severely at risk from the virus and in protecting themselves, or being protected by others, must be isolated more than ever before.  Programs and charities to attend to them are stretched beyond their capabilities or even the vision planning for that assistance which occurred in normal times without envisioning the need for the scope of a whole wide, or community wide need for food and companionship.  Meals on Wheels, which typically delivers 200 million meals a year to American seniors, finds itself overwhelmed not only by the surge of need but also by seventy-five percent decline of corporate volunteers as businesses shut down or reduced employee hours.  Many of the average volunteers are over age sixty-five themselves.  They must think first of themselves and their immediate family, leading to an immense drain on the source of help from those wonderful, giving people. 

All these are hungry for sustenance and human comfort, are thirsty for knowledge and guidance, are alone, depressed and have lost hope.  I can’t deny that I have seen them, know them, or know of them.  “What you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for Me”. 

If today you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.  (Hebrews 3:15)