Regnat Dominus Noster! We enter the last liturgical year with the Gospel of John depicting the scene of the trial of Jesus before Pilate. In the time of Jesus, Roman Empire was considered a powerful empire the world had ever known and Pilate represented this great power. For Pilate, being king could only mean a powerful exertion of authority and establishing order. Any claim of kings or kingship, could only mean that he or she becomes a threat to the Roman authority and order. On the contrary, Jesus sees himself in line with the biblical description of a Shepherd King, the one who seeks the lost. Perhaps, it is here that John, the evangelist brings out a sharp distinction or rather making it very clear for his audience as to what kind of king Jesus is. The issue of Jesus' kingship is already raised in chapter 6. After he satisfies the bellies of the 5000, they try to seize him and force him to be king. It is in the midst of intense expectation of the people for a Ruler-Messiah to establish or restore Israel, together with the dilemma faced by Pilate as to who Jesus really is that John sets the scene to clarify the status of Jesus. Hence, Jesus is presented as not an earthly King, a presentation which did not match the needs, the expectation of anyone present there, neither the Jews nor Pilate.
How many
times in our lives did we want God to fit into our moulds, our concepts, our
needs, our expectations, or our ways? When things do not happen the way we
expect, we reject them as ungodly or we lament or we even purge God from our
lives? The classic temptation is: “To make God into our Image,” is one of the
most difficult hurdles to overcome. It requires a constant discernment and
acute awareness. It is like walking on a tight rope. Instead of making God fit
into our agenda, we should discern always on how we fit into God’s design.
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