Wednesday, September 14, 2022

“Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift of just rule to the crown prince. May he judge your people rightly,  be honorable to your meek and lowly. Let the mountains give exuberant witness; shape the hills with the contours of right living. Please stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy, come down hard on the cruel tyrants.” (Psalm 72: 1 -4. The Message Bible)

                The Queen is dead; long live the King.

                That seems to be  the traditional outcry after the death of a monarch – at least in the fantasy books I read. But with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we now have a king after a very long while.

                A recent poll came out yesterday finding that the majority of Canadians are indifferent to the change in monarchs. Most of us said that it has no impact on the way we live. I would probably include myself in that majority, which isn’t to say that I don’t care or am not interested in this historic change. But King Charles III, God bless him, doesn’t make a whole lot of difference in my life, except in remembering to sing “God save the King” on the very rare occasion I might have to sing the anthem, which is hardly ever.

                Perhaps once upon a time, kingships mattered in ordinary people's lives. Take Psalm 72, for example, one the Royal Psalms. There are high and lofty expectations placed on the King’s shoulders. The King is probably King David, who, as we know, became the model or paradigmatic  king for all Jews of all time. Even the concept of Messiahship finds its roots in the kingship of David.

                Psalm 72 is impressive in the scope of the King’s responsibilities towards his people. King Charles should take note, although he has set a tone of promising “selfless service”. The proof will be in his actions. The Psalm points to the necessity of “right living” for the King. It exhorts the King to “stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy and come down hard on cruel tyrants.”  Kingly power is to be  used for justice, compassion, generosity and hope. “In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.” (v.7, New Revised Standard Version)

                We need to note verses  12 to 14: “He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.” (New Living Translation)

                Selfless service indeed!

                Words like these remind us why Jesus carries the mantle of kingship. He embodies these words in his own life, ministry and vision for the world around him. We hear the Psalm echoed in Jesus’ words: “God’s Spirit is on me; he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the burdened and battered free,    to announce, ‘This is God’s time to shine!’” (Luke 4: 18 – 19, The Message Bible)

                Good kings love their people beyond measure and prove it by their actions and words and deeds.

                Such a king is worth following, being obedient to and accepting his authority in our lives. Many of us could use a good change of ruling values in our personal lives, needing a new style of kingship from those things that have taken over and have gained sovereignty in harmful and negative ways. One cannot be or should not be indifferent to the kingship of Jesus. He makes a difference and has a lasting impact upon us when we allow him to have authority on our lives.

                “Jesus had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.” (Philippians 2: 6 11, The Message Bible)

                Long live the King!

Dale