Scripture Scribbles: November 24, 2024

the Gospel

John 18:33b-37

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?" 
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?" 
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? 
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. 
What have you done?" 
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." 
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" 
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. 
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth. 
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

the scribble

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe. How striking it is that the church gives us this solemnity on the last Sunday of the liturgical year before we begin our season of waiting upon his birth in the poor manger.

He is the King of the Universe.

The universe!

The immeasurably vast universe which holds all life, all light, all matter, all energy, all sound.

He is its creator, sustainer and king.

It all obeys him.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God,
"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."

The universe trembles at his name.

And yet, he comes to me with such tenderness, walking with me, comforting me, serving me, leading me to healing, to wholeness.

The King of the Universe knows me. And he loves me. He has given his life so that I can be his. 

And he has done the same for you.

He makes himself vulnerable, small and humble. He makes himself food and drink. He waits endless lonely hours, days, weeks and years for us to glance his way. In tabernacles all around the world, he aches for his beloved to come and open her heart.

And when she does, even the tiniest bit, he pours in his perfect love with perfect joy.

He doesn’t send her away to make herself presentable. He doesn’t remind her of all of the times she turned away from him or the ways she hurt him. He gathers her close to his heart just as she is and he bathes her clean in his tears of joy and in his precious blood. He heals her wounds and he adorns her with his own glory. And his is the glory of the King of the Universe.

Open your heart to him today. Let the King of the Universe come close to you. Let him speak the truth of your precious, precious identity deep into the most tender places of your heart. You are his beloved. You are his one.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever.  Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Lucia Parker DeMarco