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A Meditation for the Solemnity of Christ the King: Christ’s Kingdom, visible or invisible?

Categorised as Featured and published Saturday, November 21st, 2009
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St Peter's Square, Rome, with the facade of the Vatican Basilica, and (right) the Apostolic Palace, where the Holy Father lives

In late 1842 John Henry Newman preached a series of sermons on the relation of Christianity to Judaism, and on the nature and mission of the Church. We publish here an extract from ‘The Christian Church an Imperial Power‘ in which Newman explains that whilst Christ is ‘invisible’, governing his Church from heaven, his Kingdom on earth may be seen and found:

When [Christ] was ascending, He said, “All power is given unto Me in heaven, and in earth.” We believe in His power in heaven, but, strange to say, it is usual with us to grudge Him His power upon earth. We believe that He exercises His powerful intercession with the Father in heaven; but we seem to think that the Mediator has no earthly kingdom. As God indeed, of course, we accord Him a rule upon earth; but that rule He had from the time He created land and sea, and all things therein. But on His resurrection as Mediator, a kingdom was given unto Him; do we believe that He has a kingdom?

We know what is meant by a kingdom. It means a body politic, bound together by common laws, ruled by one head, holding intercourse part with part, acting together. We know what is meant by the kingdom of Chaldea, or of Persia, or of Rome, which the Prophet Daniel mentions; do we believe that Christ now has a kingdom, as those earthly powers once had? “Yes;” we reply, “He has a kingdom; it is an invisible kingdom.” An invisible kingdom on earth? what is meant by an invisible kingdom? A kingdom is an organized body: do we mean then a secret society? no; what we really mean by the words is, that He has no earthly kingdom at all. We admit a truth and explain it away. We explain away His words into a mere metaphor, as when we speak of the animal kingdom, or the vegetable kingdom. When we say that Christ has an invisible kingdom, we mean, I suppose, that He has servants on earth, and gives them laws; that He interposes in the world’s history, and punishes the guilty; but all this surely He did before He came in the flesh; and all this surely does not come up to the idea, does not answer to the name, of kingdom. It is as unmeaning to speak of an invisible kingdom on earth, as of invisible chariots and horsemen, invisible swords and spears, invisible palaces: to be a kingdom at all it must be visible, if the word has any true meaning.

But it may be said, that Christ Himself, the King, is invisible, and therefore His kingdom may well be invisible also. It is true, He is the invisible King of a visible kingdom; for it does not at all follow, because a monarch is withdrawn from view, that therefore His kingdom must cease to be a fact in the face of day also. It is seldom that the monarch of any kingdom is seen, and then not by many, except on certain occasions. Kings are within their palaces, yet their power is in the public world. It is seldom they rule by themselves; they rule by instruments. Such is Christ’s mode of governing; He is away; He has not resigned His rule; He does not simply abandon it to His servants: but still He rules through His appointed servants, and has committed His subjects to them. He resembles earthly sovereigns, not only in having a kingdom, but in His mode of governing it.

Now this description of Christ’s kingdom is what He gives us of it Himself. “The kingdom of heaven,” He says, “is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one.” [Matt. 25:14-15] Another parable, spoken in warning, represents the officers of the kingdom under the image of a steward: “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?” [Luke 12: 42]

So much is spoken in general; but next who are spoken of as the rulers in the kingdom, Christ’s viceroys? the Twelve Apostles, and first of all Peter. To him our Lord addressed these wonderful words: “I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” [Matt. 16: 18-19] By the “Church” must be meant a community or polity of men, and you see that St. Peter had the keys of this Church or kingdom, or the power of admitting into it, and excluding from it: and besides that, an awful power of binding and loosing, about which it does not fall within our present subject to inquire.