Crucifying the King
In the last few weeks the world witnessed cataclysmic political changes after several national governments crumbled like packs of cards. In some of those countries legitimate monarchies had to step down and in some others self-styled monarchs were summarily overthrown. In a way, one can say that they crumbled under the weight of the long-term social, economic and political exploitation of their people; but surely none of the rulers would have seen the end unless they were forcefully removed from power.
These are overwhelming events, yet have a touch of déjà vu. In fact, it is child’s play if we consider that, two thousand years ago, the man who was God was put to death on the Cross. The King of Kings who had deigned to visit his people was most unceremoniously removed from the face of the earth. There were no long-drawn-out hearings; there was no interest in arriving at the full truth; there was no mercy…. Rather, there was, and in abundance, injustice, brutality, ingratitude. The annihilation of Jesus Christ was undoubtedly the greatest crime ever perpetrated in history, and shall remain so till the end of times.
How does this event become a turning point of great significance to humankind – immeasurably more than that of the fall of any worldly monarch? To begin with, through Jesus’ death, God rewound history: Eden became Gethsemani and the Satan who tempted our first parents returned as the Judas who betrayed Jesus. And whereas at Eden death stuck into the Tree of Life, at Calvary life sprung up at the Tree of Death! And this symbolic tying of loose ends in meta-history was not without a silver lining – in that God returned through his Resurrection to establish His supremacy over His Creation.
This story, relived by us year after year through Lent, finds its crowning glory in Easter, the ‘bedrock of our faith’, as St Paul has called it, for without it we are nothing. Now, if Jesus who is God could have been subjected to such an ignominious death, what makes us, poor mortals, wish to evade it? We are therefore duty-bound to partake in God’s suffering in our own little ways, to experience on our flesh the crucifixion of our King. And appreciating all of this in the midst of our daily ups-and-downs – or say, living our life in hope – will help us to share in the same glory that was once His on the third day and will be so forever more.
(Editorial, The Stella Maris Bulletin, Vol. 4, No. 3, April 2011)
