A Kingdom Not Of This World

Julián Carrón - At the heart of the Gospel story, we find ourselves before one of the most intense and significant moments of the Passion of Christ: the interrogation of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. The scene takes place in the Pretorium, where Jesus is accused of proclaiming himself ‘king of the Jews’.

‘Are you king?’ asked Pilate. Jesus answered: ‘You say it: I am king.

In fact, Jesus had previously refitted the title of king. Just think of when, after the multiplication of the loaves, he tried not to be recognized as king. ‘Seeing the miraculous sign that Jesus had done, people said, ‘This is truly the prophet who is to come into the world’.

Jesus then, knowing that they wanted to take him and make him king, went off again to the mountain, alone’ (Jn 6:14-15). Why does he now accept the title of king if he had previously rejected it? Because on that occasion he would have been misunderstood. It is evident that they wanted to make him king according to a political conception that Jesus absolutely rejects, as is shown by his reaction to the disciples' conception of the division of the first places.

‘The leaders of the nations, you know, rule over them and the great exercise power over them. It shall not be so among you; but he that would be great among you shall be your servant, and he that would be first among you shall be your slave; even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mt 20:25-28).

In the scene of Pilate's interrogation of Jesus, this risk of misunderstanding is no longer there. Therefore, Jesus does not hesitate to go along with Pilate's statement: ‘You say it: I am king’. But he immediately explains the meaning of his statement: ‘My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought lest I should be delivered up to the Jews; but my kingdom is not of here’.

In this confrontation between the earthly power, embodied by Pilate, and the Kingdom of God, represented by Jesus, emerges all the drama of a dialogue that goes far beyond a simple judicial interrogation. Pilate, the representative of Roman authority, is faced with an accused who escapes the common categories of political power.

Christ's kingship is manifested in a paradoxical way precisely at this moment of apparent weakness. It is not a kingship based on force or earthly dominion. Despite being in chains, Jesus maintains a royal dignity that even leaves his judge astonished. His answer to Pilate reveals the transcendent nature of his kingdom: it is not of this nature, it is not imposed by force of arms.

In this circumstance, Jesus reveals the true nature of his kingship: ‘I was born for this: to bear witness to the truth’. Jesus is king because he is a witness to the truth. Therefore, he will not answer Pilate's question: ‘What is truth?’. The concept of truth that Jesus intends cannot be enclosed in a definition. The truth brought by Jesus can only be witnessed, and otherwise it could not be understood.

Where will this testimony of truth shine? Jesus himself says: ‘When I am lifted from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. This he said to indicate what death he had to die of’ (Jn 12:32-33). The truth that Jesus testifies to is God's love for the world. ‘For God [says St. John] so loved the world that he gave his only Son’. This truth can only truly shine out in the total surrender of the Son.

The cross is the tangible proof of the Father's love for the world, which is manifested in the gift of the Son. This is the power of his testimony. This is its only power: to attract with the splendor of the truth. Any other power has no such power of attraction. We see this in the plea of one of the evildoers on the cross: ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him: ‘Truly I say, today you will be with me in Paradise.

St. Ambrose comments: ‘He prayed that the Lord would remember him when he came into his kingdom, but the Lord answered him: “Verily, verily 2 I say, today you will be with me in Paradise”. Life is to be with Christ, for where Christ is, there is the Kingdom’. (Exposition of the Gospel according to Luke, 10:121). To have life, to participate in his Kingdom, one does not have to wait to die, it is enough to be with Christ today.

In this confrontation between earthly power, embodied by Pilate, and the Kingdom of God, represented by Jesus, emerges all the drama of a dialogue that goes far beyond a simple judicial interrogation. Pilate, the representative of Roman authority, is confronted with an accused who escapes the common categories of political power.

Christ's kingship manifests itself in a paradoxical way precisely at this moment of apparent weakness. It is not a kingship based on force or earthly dominion.

Despite being in chains, Jesus maintains a royal dignity that leaves even his judge astonished. His response to Pilate reveals the transcendent nature of his reign: it is not of this nature, it is not imposed by force of arms.

In this circumstance, Jesus reveals the true nature of his kingship: ‘I was born for this: to bear witness to the truth’. Jesus is king because he bears witness to the truth. Therefore, he will not answer Pilate's question, ‘What is truth?’. The concept of truth that Jesus intends cannot be encapsulated in a definition. The truth brought by Jesus can only be witnessed, and otherwise it could not be understood.

Where will this testimony of truth shine? Jesus himself says: ‘When I am lifted from the earth, I will draw all to myself. This he said to indicate what death he had to die of’ (Jn 12:32-33). The truth that Jesus testifies to is God's love for the world. ‘For God [says St. John] so loved the world that he gave his only Son’.

This truth can only truly shine out in the total surrender of the Son. The cross is the tangible proof of the Father's love for the world, which is manifested in the gift of the Son. This is the power of his testimony. This is its only power: to attract with the splendor of the truth. Any other power has no such power of attraction. We see this in the plea of one of the evildoers on the cross: ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’. Jesus answered him: ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise’.

St. Ambrose comments: ‘He prayed that the Lord would remember him when he came into his kingdom, but the Lord answered him: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise”. Life is to be with Christ, for where Christ is, there is the Kingdom'. (Exposition of the Gospel according to Luke, 10:121). To have life, to participate in his Kingdom, one does not have to wait to die, one only has to be with Christ today.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe—Year B Notes from Julián Carrón's homily/ The author has not revised the text and its translation.

Parish of San Bartolomeo, Brugherio (Mb) 24 November 2024

(First reading Dn 7 :13-14; Psalm 92 (93); Second Reading: Rev 1:5-8; Gospel: Jn 18:33b-37).

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