Famous Last Words: Homily for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Christ and the Good Thief by Titian, circa 1566

A while back a friend shared a website with me
that was a collection of the last words of famous people,
and it was very interesting.

Some of their final words were humble.
For example, Leonard DaVinci said,
“I have offended God and mankind
because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”

Some tried to be prophetic.
Nostradamus, for instance said, “Tomorrow I will not be here.”
He was right.

And there were some who didn’t realize
they were speaking their final words.
The last words of the poet Dylan Thomas were, unsurprisingly,
“I’ve had eighteen straight whiskies, I think that’s the record…”

But there were many who knew it was the end,
and were very deliberate about what they said.

Harriet Tubman sang, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” with her family.
President James Polk told his wife Sarah,
“For all eternity, I love you.”
Vince Lombardi turned to his wife and said,
“Happy anniversary. I love you.”
Final words mean something.

Today, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
is the final Sunday of the church year,
and the last day of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.
The church year is about to pass away.
It’s on its death bed, so to speak,
and it beckons us closer
whispering final words to us.
So the readings today are especially significant.
They are the last words of the church year.

And the last words we’re given
paint a picture,
an image.
An image of the invisible God,
as St. Paul says;
an image of Jesus.

What is this final image
on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe?
An image of Jesus the mighty ruler
dominating the Pharisees,
overthrowing the Romans,
conquering everyone?

No.
The image of kingship we’re given today is Jesus on the cross.
A battered and broken Jesus
who is sneered at by earthly rulers,
who is jeered at by Roman soldiers.
A king who wears a crown of thorns.

These are the last words of the church year that is passing away.
They’re deliberately chosen
to tell us three important things
about the kind of king we have in Jesus.

First, Jesus is King of the Universe
because he obeys the will of the Father.

In the first reading we see David anointed king
and given the task of shepherding the people.
He was followed by Solomon, Solomon’s sons,
and all the succeeding kings who led the chosen people
after the kingdom was divided into north and south.

Some were good kings and some were not so good.
The prophets of the Old Testament
always pointed out who the good kings were.
They weren’t the kings who won military victories,
they weren’t the kings who brought wealth to the people.
They were the kings who tried to follow the will of God.
Any military victories or prosperity they achieved
were due to their faithfulness to the covenant.

Our Lord Jesus, King of the Universe
is the fulfillment of the covenant.
He completely and utterly follows the will of his father.

We see this clearly in the image of Jesus on the cross,
the servant king,
willing to follow the will of the Father to the ultimate end,
to death for us.

And now the dying church year takes another labored breath
and beckons us closer to tell us more about Christ our king,
the image of the invisible God.

We look once more at the scene from the gospel,
and the second thing we see about our king
is that he is a king who sacrifices,
who gives all of himself for us,
even to the point of death.
This is our king.

Not a king interested in accumulating wealth,
not a king interested in accumulating power.

Jesus doesn’t accumulate anything.
He empties himself.
He, the living God of the universe,
come to us in the flesh,
empties himself,
pours his life out
for us.
For you, and for me.

Our king is a sacrificial king.
He offers his body and blood for us
so that we can live eternally.

And finally, the church year takes one more deep breath
before leaving us with the last of the last word,
the final message before passing on.

Next to Jesus on the cross is a thief.
A criminal.
Unlike Jesus, he deserves to be there according to the law.
But this thief recognizes Jesus as King of the Universe.
He says,
“Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus does more than remember him.
He shows him mercy.
Mercy is the last word.
Mercy, mercy, mercy—it’s all through the gospels.
It’s all through scripture.

A year ago when Pope Francis announced the Year of Mercy,
he began by saying,
“Jesus is the face of mercy.”

On this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe,
we look at that face upon the cross.
We see him turn to the thief,
and we hear him say words of mercy.
“Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus, from his heart of mercy that will shortly be pierced
assures the criminal of eternal life with him.
His word of mercy reaches out to us over the centuries
and reassures of God’s love,
which comes to us through his Son and Servant King Jesus.

Do we recognize ourselves in the thief next to Jesus?
Do we, like the thief, turn to Jesus
acknowledging our sins,
placing ourselves at his mercy?
He waits there for us, arms outstretched.

His mercy is so great,
that through our baptism into Christ,
we are incorporated into his kingship.
We were anointed at our baptism, each one of us,
priest, prophet, and king.

Today’s Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
reminds us to live our call to kingship.
Not as earthly kings seeking wealth or power,
not as kings who try to dominate or coerce,
but as kings who do the will of the father,
kings who sacrifice for others,
kings who give mercy.

And with that last word, mercy, still on its lips,
the church year passes away.
But our faith tells us that death is only a beginning.
As this Year of Mercy closes its eyes and breathes its last,
its life is changed, not ended.
It is raised to new life in us.

For next week a new year begins,
and the final words of this church year ask us
to once again acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and King,
and to begin anew
to embrace our baptismal call to be kings
who do the will of the Father,
who give of ourselves in sacrificial love,
and who bring a hurting and divided world the gift of mercy.

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