Gospel Reading: Luke 23:33-43
33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 [[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Gospel of Christ
For those who don't know me, my name is Eli Deifeld, and I am a pastor from the Lutheran Church of Brazil.
Today we are celebrating the last liturgical Sunday of the year. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, which marks the beginning the new liturgical year.
The last Sunday of the year is called Christ the King. The celebration of Christ the King was created in 1925, a few years after the end of the First World War. The context of the time was one of many contradictions: growing ultranationalism, increasing prejudice and hatred towards minorities, especially against Jews, inflation and economic insecurity, and the redrawn of national borders following the end of the Ottoman Empire. In addition to the thousands of dead and injured left by the First World War, there were also countless deaths caused by the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.
Given this context, the Catholic Church initially created the celebration of Christ the King to remind people of the purpose of the Kingdom of God, brought to this world by Jesus Christ.
Today, a century (100 years) after the institution of the celebration of Christ the King Sunday, the world is also recovering from a pandemic. We have numerous ongoing wars, such as in Ukraine, also Sudan and Gaza, where many people are dying of hunger. While people are starving, we have a growing number of billionaires in the world, mainly those who own the means of communication and social media, and those who exploit natural resources and people to their limits. We have increasing political polarization, discrimination, and hatred towards immigrants and minorities. In addition to inflation and economic insecurity. And something that wasn’t present in 1925 is the worsening of the climate crisis, which seems to affect mainly the poorest, as we saw with the tornado in Jamaica, or with the hurricane in southern Brazil a few weeks ago. We also have a growth of authoritarian governments in several countries, rulers who abuse their power, use violence, and consider themselves above the law.
When faced with this reality, it may cause us to despair, lose hope, and fall into apathy. Or we can realize that this reality is unsustainable, and it needs to be changed. And, in light of this, where should we look? What kind of world do we want?
In the proposal of the Kingdom of God, revealed in Jesus Christ, we are reminded that God loves everyone. And if God loves everyone, everyone should have the right to a dignified and respected life. When Jesus heals people, he tells us that everyone should have access to health; when Jesus teaches people, he tells us that everyone should have access to education; when Jesus shares bread, he tells us that everyone should have the right to food (and yes, as Mahatma Gandhi stated: "The earth has enough to satisfy everyone's needs, but not everyone's greed"). When Jesus teaches us to love our neighbor, he tells us that there is no distinction between people. Jesus teaches us to be the best we can be as human beings. And so, build a better society.
And this best entails not exploiting people and natural resources to their limits in order to accumulate fortune. Nor is it the abuse of power by authorities to oppress and subjugate people.
The best we can be as human beings is when we understand that we are part of nature, not superior, and we depend on it to live. It’s when we allow ourselves to be guided by compassion, kindness, and love. And these values guide us in building a more just and equal society.
Today's Gospel reading is about the death of Jesus. Jesus taught us that God's love can transform people, and this teaching, in turn, can change the world. However, that did not please the tyrants of the time. The death of Jesus portrays the authorities' mockery of Jesus' reign - the crown of thorns, the sign above his cross: "This is the King of the Jews," and the scorn of those who crucified him between two criminals. Jesus died with nothing; even his clothes were divided, but he left a legacy of love, compassion, mercy, and teaching that has inspired lives for over two millennia.
Jesus' last act was one of compassion and acceptance for the one who asked him: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." To which He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." God's love transcends life. God's love transcends our finitude. Jesus did not remain in death. He lives. And he reigns from eternity to eternity.
And while our ultimate encounter with God's infinite love has not yet happened, we are called to work for his kingdom.
Perhaps we think that this proposal of the kingdom of God is something very grand, utopian, very difficult to achieve.
If we think about all the global problems, we may indeed feel very small. But think about your neighborhood, your community, and how you can contribute and help there. Maybe it's by making soup to raise funds for a scholarship, or donating to alleviate hunger in Sudan or Gaza, or buying things with less plastic, biking to work, being more conscious of the things we buy and consume. Or sharing the knowledge you have with other people; education is one of the most important tools we have. And all these things matter.
There is suffering caused by the abuse of power and greed of some people, but there are also many people trying to do their best for their neighbors and for Mother Nature. Jane Goodall said: “it is more important than ever, in the word that we live in today, that we have the ambition to know what would be like to live in a peaceful world, the kind of world we all want.”
Just an example: A few weeks ago, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in a protest called "No Kings," also known internationally as the "No Dictators" or "No Tyrants" protests, a series of demonstrations, largely in the United States, against authoritarian policies. People from diverse social classes, races, and languages came together to say that enough is enough.
In times of insecurity and fear, human beings may cling to life proposals that generate even more destruction. But Jesus, Christ the King, guides us to a path of mercy, compassion, justice, and peace, where all who live matter. And it is this proposal of the kingdom that we must cling to and work for.
Hope comes with action. And we all can help.
Until our eyes close for the last time, until we can say: Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Until we are in the embrace of God's eternal love, may we continue working to build the kingdom of Christ the King. And may he give us strength. Amen.
