The One You Feed Wins

11.23.2025 Christ the King Sunday

Texts

• Jeremiah 23:1–6 – The shepherd and righteous Branch who brings justice

• Psalm 46 – “I will be exalted among the nations” (v.10)

• Colossians 1:11–20 – Hymn to Christ, firstborn of creation; peace through his blood

• Luke 23:33–43 – Jesus crucified between two thieves: “You will be with me in Paradise”

God’s peace and grace to you. 

Today feels a little like New Year’s Eve for the Christian community. We call it Christ the King Sunday.

So, what is Christ the King Sunday about?

It began in 1925, when Pope Pius XI set aside this feast to remind the world that Christ reigns above all powers and nations even in times of division and uncertainty. At first, it was celebrated in October.

About forty years later, the Catholic Church held a worldwide gathering called the Second Vatican Council. In the 1960s, bishops and leaders came together to help the Church speak more clearly to modern life and open its doors wider to the world. After that council, Christ the King was moved to the very last Sunday of the year, right before Advent begins.

Christ the King was placed at the end of the year to show that all of history finds its fulfillment in Christ’s reign. But just as important is how it speaks to us: it’s like ending the Lord’s Prayer with God’s vision (For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever)… like ending a year with hope for what’s next (Celebrating what has enriched our lives that will be built upon more for the coming year)… or ending a gathering with a farewell that carries meaning forward (Expressing our grateful hearts for the lives together and praying for what blessings God will unfold in our lives).

Christ the King Sunday helps us look back at the year through Christ’s reign, and then turns us toward Advent, ready to begin again.

That makes Christ the King Sunday both an ending and a beginning. It’s like a relay race. One runner passes the baton to the next, running slowly just enough to make the handoff, steady enough to trust, hoping and cheering each other on to win the race.

(Example: From Transition Team to Call Committee - Future Pastoral Leadership)

And today, the theme of winning runs through all our readings:

• Jeremiah names winning as justice and care.

• Psalm 46 proclaims winning as God’s strength and honor.

• Paul in Colossians shows winning as reconciliation and peace.

• Luke shows winning as mercy and forgiveness at the cross.

At the cross, Jesus wins by forgiving and opening the door to paradise. His victory shows us love that is stronger than hate… mercy that is stronger than despair, peace that is stronger than anger.

It reminds me of a story many people know: The Tale of Two Wolves. 

A Cherokee elder tells his grandson that inside each of us there is a battle. One wolf is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, resentment, and lies. The other wolf is joy, peace, love, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.

The grandson asks, “Which wolf wins?”

And the elder replies, “The one you feed.”

So here’s the question for us today:

What have we fed ourselves this year? 

What is it like to be fed with hate, despair, and anger? What difference does it make to be fed with love, peace, and mercy?

Let’s try something together. Pretend you are very angry and desperate and full of hate—make fists, scrunch your face, and tighten your shoulders for 10 seconds.

What do you notice? We almost stop breathing! That shows how much hate, despair, and anger can hurt our bodies without oxygen. And we only did it for 10 seconds.

In today’s story, one of the criminals feeds his hate, despair, and anger as he mocks Jesus. The other man feeds on Jesus’ love, peace, and mercy and asks to be remembered. And Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” 

Jesus was telling the man on the cross, “You’ll be with me today.” That means right away—no waiting—he would be with Jesus in God’s presence. Some people call that heaven. Others say it’s being close to Christ until He comes again. But the heart of it is this: being with Jesus.

And when Jesus says “paradise,” He’s talking about God’s victory. That victory started with His resurrection, and it’s been with us ever since.

And every week, when we gather at the communion table, we taste that victory over and over again. We are fed with Christ’s love, mercy, and peace—not just as a memory, but as a living presence of Christ. The bread and cup remind us: paradise is not far away. It’s here. It’s now.

We believe, as scripture teaches, that God’s kingdom and paradise are both already here and still to come. Jesus said the kingdom is in our midst (Luke 17:21; John 5:24). Paul reminds us that we already share in eternal life (Colossians 1). Yet Revelation points to the day when every tear will be wiped away and all creation made new (Revelation 21).

So we live in this holy tension: tasting God’s reign now in love, peace, and mercy, while awaiting its full fulfillment when Christ returns.

So as we end this church year, Christ the King Sunday reminds us that winning is not about rushing ahead or triumphing over others. It is about being slow enough to keep hope alive, but steady enough to keep trusting—like runners in a relay, just as St. Paul described the race of faith (2 Timothy 4:7–8; 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Hebrews 12:1–2).

Remember the story of the Tale of Two Wolves.

When the grandson asks, “Which wolf wins?”

The elder’s answer is, “The one you feed.”

So as we come to the end of this message, and the end of the church year, let’s remember: We don’t want to be the winners of hate, despair, and anger. We want to be the winners of love, mercy, and peace.

And if we feed what is good, then we will notice it when love breaks into our lives, when mercy softens our words, when peace shines through all we say and do.

That is the victory of Christ the King. That is the feast we share. That is the race we run. And that is the kingdom we begin again with Advent, which is next Sunday.

Closing Prayer of Blessing 

May God feed us with love, with mercy, and with peace.

As we run the race of faith, may we be slow enough to trust, steady enough to endure, and joyful enough to shine.

And may the victory of Christ— love stronger than hate, mercy stronger than despair, peace stronger than anger— be ours today, tomorrow, and always.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours.

Now and forever.

Amen.