“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (NRSV, Luke 19:38)

Our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week brought out into the open those who were for him and those who were against him.  Had he come only as a prophet and not as a King, then the choice would have been either to listen and approve or to turn an unheeding ear.

But by proclaiming himself as their King, he forced the issue on those whom he claimed as his subjects – and that meant in particular the Jewish chief priests and rulers.  They were obliged either to accept that royal claim by their allegiance, or to reject it by their hostility; to submit to him or to overthrow him.

The issue was not really a political one but a moral one, a question of right and wrong, for the Jewish rulers were primarily religious and not political leaders.  Even though no one realised that Jesus was God made Man, everyone recognised that he was an incomparable spiritual leader and one who could always be relied on to do what was right and just, without fear or favour.  Therefore allegiance to him involved acceptance of what was right; equally, opposition to him meant the rejection of the rule of righteousness, therefore of the rule of God.

The first reaction was not slow in coming.  No sooner had Our Lord’s followers from Galilee, the most enthusiastic being his Apostles, no sooner had they shouted with patriotic fervour, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” (NRSV, Luke 19:38), than at once some Pharisees pushed their way to the front and curtly requested him to call his disciples to order, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop”.  And he answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out” – at such a suppression of the truth (NRSV, Luke 19:38,39,40).

This division between his supporters and his opponents did not stop there.  As was inevitable, it grew until it ended in total allegiance on the one hand and total rejection on the other.  That was the fateful choice which forced itself on all those who took part in that momentous drama which centred on Our Blessed Lord.

Thus in the end there were left those whose hatred led them to engineer his death; and those who, out of love for him, finally embraced death itself for his sake.  Each one, by his very attitude to Our Lord, revealed himself in his true colours and thereby passed judgement on himself.

That same choice must in the end be irrevocably made by everyone who knows Our Blessed Lord and what he stands for.  “What do you think of Christ?” (Matthew 22:42) is a question which is answered by each one’s attitude to him.  Is it to be the answer given by the people in the parable, “We do not want this man to rule over us”? (NRSV, Luke 19:14).  Or is it to be the answer given by the aged Bishop Polycarp in around 155 AD when offered the choice of cursing Christ or of being put to death, “Eighty-six years have I served Him,” was his steadfast reply, “and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” (1)

There are those, however, who attempt to evade the issue by claiming to be Christians but without taking the necessary step to back up that claim.  For a Christian is one who, having been christened, is not ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified; and to follow and own him, publicly if need be, as his or her absolute Lord and Master.  Our Blessed Lord himself has given the answer once and for all to the futile attempt to avoid taking sides, “Whoever is not with me is against me…” (NRSV, Matthew 12:30).

Those who by their actions reject Christ, no matter with what plausible excuses they may try to disguise the fact, stand self-condemned before God.  The Day of Judgement, which the forthcoming season of Advent brings before us, will make it all too plain whether our answer to Christ’s claim, to exercise full sovereignty over our hearts and actions in this life, has been Yes or No – and it has to be one or the other.

Those who have turned down that claim will have their decision confirmed by Our Blessed Lord himself, when as Judge of the living and the dead he will pass sentence on all.  It will be completely fair and completely just.

Those who by their own deliberate choice have kept themselves separate from him in this life will be separated from him for ever in the next.  As they have invited him to depart from them, so will he take them at their word and they will hear his final verdict on them, “Depart from me” (Matthew 7:23).

Even those who have been ashamed of Jesus Christ will share in that condemnation as he himself has explicitly warned us, with no exceptions, “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words…of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (NRSV, Mark 8:38).

And likewise he promised, again with no exceptions, “Everyone…who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven…” (NRSV, Matthew 10:32).

What exactly does acknowledging Christ before others mean in practice in one’s daily life?  It means being at the same time both frank and humble; courageous, yes – conceited never.  It means that one should never pretend that one is not a Christian when in company with anyone who is attacking or ridiculing the Christian religion.  On the contrary it means bearing witness to Our Blessed Lord when the situation calls for it, not by heated argument, but by calm discussion, as being an instrument in the hand of God.

That is particularly applicable when Christian moral principles are under attack in our present secular society.  For example, when abortion or euthanasia is being approved or advocated, one must speak out plainly on the side of right and stand up for the sanctity of human life.

What acknowledging Christ before others does not mean is ramming religion down people’s throats, let alone adopting a ‘holier than thou’ attitude.  Rather it means encouraging and helping, with tact and understanding, those who inquire about the Christian Faith and Sacraments, or as St Peter put it, “Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness…” (NRSV, 1 Peter 3:15,16).

And St Peter adds, “Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16 our emphasis).

For in the end it is actions that speak louder than words.  So, acknowledging Christ before others also means being a good advertisement for Christ by being faithful to one’s principles, sincere, good humoured, unresentful and always ready to lend a helping hand.

As Our Blessed Lord put it, “…let your light shine in such a way before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Reference

1. The Encyclical Epistle of the Church at Smyrna (2nd century A.D.) cited in Aquilina, M. (2006) The Fathers of the Church.  An introduction to the first Christian teachers, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.