November 2016


November 2016

"MY kingdom is not of this world"
John 18.36


The four Sundays before Advent are often known as "The Kingdom Season". The Church celebrates Christ as King and rejoices in the King's most loyal courtiers whom we call Saints. At the same time, we reflect on how Jesus transformed the common ideas of what a kingdom really is, or should be, under God. We are challenged by the Gospel to re-interpret in every age questions of economic and political power in the light of what we, people of faith, understand as God's kingly rule, i.e. his kingdom. Here are some words from William Temple's commentary on the 19th chapter of St John's Gospel.

Pilate is puzzled. He knew that the charge was to be one of sedition; but it has not been made; and the prisoner does not look like the leader of a serious revolution. Pilate does not constitute his court, but questions (Jesus) himself . . . "Are you the king of the Jews?" . . . "You?" - the pronoun is placed so as to be most emphatic . . . The Lord's reply takes up what is the real charge, that he claims to be the Son of God, the Messiah (John 19.7; cf Mark 14.61-2). In that sense he does claim to be the "King of Israel" (John 1.49). But he has transformed the conception of that messianic kingship. He has royalty, but not what the world means by royalty, for it neither proceeds from the world nor is recognisable by the world. "My kingdom is not from here . . . from this world". He does not claim a kingdom, but acquiesces in that description of his realm. It is a special kind of kingdom . . . An earthly king depends for any effective authority upon the loyal support of his people and the force they can offer in his support. The Messiah derives his authority from God alone. The quality of an earthly kingdom is, partly at least, the maintenance of order by the forcible coercion of malcontents . . . But the divine kingdom cannot be content with this. It must control not only outward conduct, but hearts and wills. Its authority is from God, who is Love.

(Note. This month's commentary is adapted from the book "Within Thy Silence" by Martin Tunnicliffe (O-Books 2010). Copies should be available from any bookshop and on the Internet)