Canada and the Commonwealth have a new king, Charles the third. All the laws of the land are made when he signs the legislation into law. The laws are named with his name and enacted with his authority.
In a constitutional monarchy the rule of law depends on the signature of the sovereign as leader of the nation. Although at his ascension to the throne some held placards that read “He is not my king”; for the most part he was well received and cheered at the coronation as our law maker and rightful king. Most love his laws and love him as law maker because they recognize that the laws guarantee our freedom and enhance our happiness. Most of us will never meet the king in person but for all who do there is a protocol to be followed when you are presented that shows respect and honour that should be given because of who he is and what he represents – even friends and other members of the Royal family when addressing him bow and call him Your Majesty. Out of sight they can joke around and be informal but all that is within the limits of remembering who he is and showing proper respect.
This reflection on the new king reminded me also of the one who is called King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the relationship we should have with him. This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday when we acknowledge Jesus Christ as the supreme Lord of the Universe and the only king and head of the church. Paul, in 1 Timothy 6:13-15, says:
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Jesus is also Lord over all evil and he will destroy it in the end of history. Writing of the end days, John, in the book of Revelation 17:14, says of the evil beast and the wicked 10 kings that They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.
The called, chosen and faithful are those who are friends of Jesus, the king ,and will have his protection and companionship. That is a friendship that will not only be displayed in the end times, when for a period, great wickedness will prevail, but also now in the trials we suffer from wars, rumours of wars and natural disasters and other man-made crises. Like all kings he cannot be commanded nor are his ways even always clear to us but the God of love makes clear that as friends of Jesus we can be certain that his love will see us through every situation that challenges us. So I shout with all the voice I have : “Hail to the King, Lord of lords and King of kings. Praise to Jesus my best friend and saviour!”
