Jesus’ Little Secret: A Reflection by Karen Bell

Today, we celebrate the feast of “Christ, King of the Universe.” It’s a pretty lofty title for a carpenter turned itinerant preacher who died the grisly death of a state criminal.  Jesus is portrayed any number of ways in the Scriptures.  Today’s readings highlight two in particular.  

In the first reading, we hear that the Lord will come as a shepherd to rescue, bind up and heal the sheep.  In the second reading, Paul exalts the risen Christ in king-like terms:  Christ will destroy every sovereignty and power, and after subjecting everything, He will hand the kingdom to his Father. In Matthew’s Gospel, Christ refers to Himself as both king and shepherd AND includes one more identity, that of “the least one.” This last role seems to be a source of confusion for both the righteous and the damned.  They ask Christ: “ When did we ever see you hungry…