Gospel in Art: Solemnity of Christ the King

Christ Raised on the Cross, from The Passion of Christ by Grégoire Huret © Metropolitan Museum, New York

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 20 November 2022
Luke 23:35-43

The people stayed there before the cross watching Jesus. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. 'He saved others,' they said 'let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.' The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer vinegar they said, 'If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.' Above him there was an inscription: 'This is the King of the Jews.'

One of the criminals hanging there abused him. 'Are you not the Christ?' he said. 'Save yourself and us as well.' But the other spoke up and rebuked him. 'Have you no fear of God at all?' he said. 'You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,' he said 'remember me when you come into your kingdom.' 'Indeed, I promise you,' he replied 'today you will be with me in paradise.'

Reflection on the engraving

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. Why does the Church end her liturgical year with this feast? The clue is in the very last sentence of our Gospel reading. It is also the last sentence of the Gospel readings for this liturgical year: "Indeed I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise". If we can simply say the words that the thief said to Jesus and acknowledge that indeed Jesus is Lord and king, then we will join him in his glory after this life. As Peter kreeft says 'If you make room for him on the throne of your life, he will make room for you in his throne of heaven. You will share his kingship, his triumph, his glory'. This is the core of our faith.

The good thief sought Jesus in the final moments of his life. In our engraving by French artist Grégoire Huret, we see Jesus nailed on the cross which is being lifted. Christ's crown of thorns is radiating, almost conveying a kingly crown. The penitent thief is on the left. We see him gazing at Jesus. A plaque above the thief's cross reads: Dismas Latro. Whilst the thieves remain unnamed in Luke's account, the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus names the good thief as being Dismas.

So today is the Feast of Christ the King. We celebrate the good things of the past year, and reflect on the difficult moments the past year has brought too. But we also look forward to the new liturgical year, which we start in full anticipation of Advent and Christ's light coming into the world.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-23-35-43-2022/