November 22, 2015
Sunday, Solemnity of Christ the King
1st Reading: Dn 7:13-14
2nd Reading: Rev 1:5-8
Gospel: Jn 18:33b-37
Pilate then entered the court again, called Jesus and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from others?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingship does not come from this world. If I were king like those of this world, my guards would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews. But my kingship is not from here.”
Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” And Jesus answered, “Just as you say, I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears my voice.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
A story is told of a teacher who asked her pupils to draw the Flight to Egypt. One child drew an airplane with four people inside. The child identified the first three as Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus. When asked about the fourth guy seated in front, the child answered, “He is Pontius the Pilot”.
Pontius Pilate behaved like a pilot, skillfully navigating his conversation with Jesus to get the upper hand. He asked incriminating questions like, “Are you the king of the Jews?” An answer in the affirmative was enough to send Jesus to crucifixion because the people were supposed to recognize only one king – the Roman Emperor. But Jesus outwitted him with the question, “Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from others?” If Pilate admitted that it came from him, it would appear he was a secret follower. If he said that the question came from others it would appear he was asking people around because he was interested in Jesus.
Pilate’s “aircraft” lost altitude when Jesus explained that his kingdom did not belong to this world. He was not a threat to the throne of Caesar after all, so what was Pilate so anxious about? Pilate was all the more disturbed when Jesus said, “Everyone who is on the side of truth hears my voice.” Pilate knew that the side of truth was the right thing to be, and that Jesus was not a threat to the Roman Empire and therefore it was not a crime to listen to him. But listening to Jesus could cost him his job and his life. In his confusion, he washed his hands.
As we navigate our flight to salvation, we must choose the way of truth – a way that leads to Jesus Christ, “ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5). — Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya? I-type ang BANDERA REACT
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Bandera. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.