PROPER 29 (34) – Year B

Welcome to the final week of the liturgical year, culminating in “Christ the King Sunday.” It's an intriguing title, especially considering Jesus' reluctance to accept the label of King in today's text. In fact, the only title Jesus consistently uses for himself in the Gospels is "the Son of Man," which literally means, “the human one.” 

He uses it nearly 80 times! Yet, no one else in the New Testament directly refers to him that way. The creeds skip over it, and theologians throughout the centuries have seldom used it.

What gives? Why do we systematically avoid the one title Jesus embraces? 

Yes, Jesus is Lord, Savior, Messiah and King of Kings. He is the Son of God and more. But given the way Jesus redefined these roles, perhaps we’d be better off thinking of him as the un-Lord, un-Savior, un-Messiah and un-King.

This is precisely what happens in our Gospel today when Pilate asks Jesus if he is king. Without claiming kingship directly, Jesus says, “If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over.” Jesus not only exposes the violence that underwrites the kingdoms of this world, he also offers the world’s first non-violent monarchy in return. The un-King is revealing his un-Kingdom. Can we see?