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Last week, we celebrated Christ the King Sunday.
When I think of kings or queens, I think of someone with a royal lineage, lavish lifestyles, palaces, jewels, limos, fine clothing, thrones and crowns.
What does that have to do with Jesus? Absolutely nothing.
Despite a somewhat fanciful genealogy in the Bible that tries to attribute the lineage of David to Jesus, Jesus was not of a royal house. He was born if not in an actual barn, then at least in humble circumstances. He did not live in a palace, and indeed after his baptism, he seems to have been a homeless and itinerant preacher, relying on the generosity of strangers for food and shelter. He walked pretty much everywhere, and rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, a most humble animal. He had no throne, and the only crown he ever wore was a crown of thorns meant as a mockery of the "crime" he was crucified for.
This gives us an idea of what kind of king he was.
In an ideal world, people who rise to positions of leadership and prominence carry their yokes with humility. Whether you are a politician, royalty or just the CEO of a company, you are hopefully aware that people look to you for guidance. People look to you to set an example.
That being said, if your leader is a good a leader and you support what he or she stands for, the next question is how well are you reflecting the example your leader is setting?
If Jesus exemplified the virtues of compassion, justice, peace, etc, how well are we reflecting those virtues?
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