Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: November 24th 2024

Spas vsederzhitel sinai

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Lectionary: 16

Images from Early Art

Early Christian art portrayed and perhaps understood the image of King Jesus much better than we do. The trappings of later power are largely absent, for in early art he was often portrayed as the good shepherd, or healer, and an early 3rd century scene has him as the Child Jesus enthroned on his mothers knees, adored by the magi. The earliest icon of him as Pantocrator, ruler over all things, is from the 6th century and still in the monastery of St Catherine in Sinai. Even here the essential trappings of power are stripped down. This Christ is certainly clothed in rich and precious imperial purple but styled simply. His face is powerful, but on close inspection is clearly divided in two parts, the right side gently human, the left side more serene with an eye fixed in an intense stare towards the onlooker. In this manner the artist represented Jesus' human and divine nature, gazing out at us. Behind his head a halo, symbol of divinity, his right hand raised in a gesture of authority and blessing, his left hand holding the Gospels by which each of us has to live and the end will be judged.

This Sinai Pantocrator is the regal Christ of judgement, is not frightening, showing Jesus' gentle human nature as the one who knows every single one of us by name and circumstance but in his divinity understanding and forgiving us. If this were a full-length image he would be seated on a simple throne, and surrounded by the court of heaven, the apostles, all attentive to us, but also all waiting for us to come to join them in his Kingdom.

There are other 5th century mosaic Christs of ancient basilicas, rather like the Sinai Christ in style, but then as Christianity grew more confident after the 5th century and the image of the cross became acceptable, other variations appear, such as the crucified Lord often seemingly awake and peaceful, as in a famous illustration in the Syrian Rabbula gospel text of c 585, which has a peaceful Christ nailed to the cross, vested in a royal robe of purple. His face with its open eyes, is turned in a gentle gaze towards the thief crucified on his right. There is no crown of thorns on his head, that comes into art later in time, here only the halo behind his head shows us who he is.

From Image to Personality

All these images are human representations of what we think Jesus is like, but they not accurate portraits, although the legend of the Mandylion of Edessa, the holy relic with the imprint of Jesus face, said to have been sent by him to King Abgar of Edessa, suggests a deep Christian tradition that early on there emerged an image of Jesus, that was accepted by the faithful and has been passed on down through the ages. This is one we recognise, that of the longhaired, bearded face of an adult man. But art and image only go so far, we must never ever totally identify any one image with the reality of Christ calling us in to relationship with him. Our King Jesus is somebody we are called to love and discover in our lives. In seeking him we begin to realise this King Jesus first finds his title as King in the context of his approaching death, at his trial, we discover Pilate's words about him as King fixed above his cross. The dialogue between Pilate and `Jesus as recorded in John's gospel , is a fixed starting point for our own journey to discover for ourselves who this King Jesus is :

'Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here"'. ( Jn 18:36)

The Different King

If we take those words as a starting point, we discover our King Jesus is a ruler unlike any human one before or since. Though we believe that as Pantocrator he will come to judge the living and the dead, he indicates in his own words that he is a merciful judge who forgives as well as understands, who listens to each of us intently. He is also a King who rules not by forc , never harshly, but justly and by love and kindness. This is no spoilt, privileged scion of an aristocratic or dynastic family.

This King is different from all others in authority, and we belong intimately to him, part of his mystical body. He is the one who is never distant from even the least of us, but knows our sorrows, and has borne our sins. He has tasted the hatred of others against him, found betrayal by close friends, been rejected by religious leaders and despised by many as we have, he knows what life is really like. This different King descended into death, and then returned in hope, not in triumphant noise and procession, but in friendly, loving encounters, where the stranger is seen as the risen one and where life eternal is held out to us.

He does not hold orbs and sceptres in his hands, but shows his true authority in the wounds in his hands and side, and breaks bread and gives frightened people the gift of joyful peace filled hearts . He is the King of Palm Sunday, riding of a colt, surrounded by children, alive to the world about him. He is ours and we are his.Yes, King Jesus is the one we serve, but we serve by love and find him in each other. Though I appreciate the many images of Christ in religious art or in poetry and prose, whenever this feast comes around, I try to strip away the human trappings of power, try not to make my `king` Jesus into what he can never be , that is a King of this world. A favourite image of him is that of an ancient Dutch carol, King Jesus with a garden full of divers flowers where we rejoice and into which we are all invited .

May his Kingdom come!

Lectio

Dutch Carol

1. King Jesus hath a garden, full of divers flowers,
Where I rejoice with great delight, all times and hours.

Refrain:
There naught is heard but Paradise bird,
Harp, dulcimer, lute,
With cymbal, trump and tymbal,
And the tender, soothing flute.

2. The Lily, white in blossom fair, is Chastity:
The Violet, with sweet perfume, Humility.

3. The bonny Damask-rose is known as Patience:
The blithe and thrifty Marygold, Obedience.

4. The Crown Imperial bloometh too in yonder place,
Tis Charity, of stock divine, the flower of grace.

5. Yet, 'mid the brave, the bravest prize may claim
The Star of Bethlehem - Jesus - bless'd be his Name!

6. Ah! Jesu Lord, my heal and weal, my bliss complete,
Make thou my heart thy garden-plot, fair, trim and neat.

N.T. Wright, Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters

"They were looking for a builder to construct the home they thought they wanted, but he was the architect, coming with a new plan that would give them everything they needed, but within quite a new framework. They were looking for a singer to sing the song they had been humming for a long time, but he was the composer, bringing them a new song to which the old songs they knew would form, at best, the background music. He was the king, all right, but he had come to redefine kingship itself around his own work, his own mission, his own fate."