Reflections
Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (Read)
“All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.”
Our psalmist speaks about a perfect king –
a king who judges like God, governs his people
with justice, and his afflicted ones with right
judgment. But where is such a king to be found?
Not likely among the kings of Israel.
The psalm speaks of a king that is to live as long
as the sun endures, like the moon through all
generations. So there is a mystery about him –
“He rules from sea to sea, from the River to the
ends of the earth.”
The verses of the psalm recall for us the Epiphany –
“The Kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.”
(See also this Sunday's Gospel, The Visit of the Magi,
Matthew 2:1-12)
The more we read the Psalm, the more it tells us
about the Messiah to come – “May all kings bow
before him, all nations serve him.” We see the light,
just as the prophet Isaiah said we would. (Isaiah 60: 1-3)
The mystery is revealed to us, poor in spirit though
we are: “He rescues the poor when they cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.” This is what
our Good Shepherd, Jesus, is sent to do, to shepherd
God’s people. This is why we join the magi in paying
homage to our newborn King and join with our psalmist
in singing, "Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist describes a powerful king who will rule from sea to sea.
Yet this king stoops to rescue the afflicted and has pity on the lowly and
the poor. In what way do these verses speak to you about our Lord and Savior?
2. The psalm mentions that all the kings of the civilized world shall offer gifts
to this newly endowed king. Are you also inspired to bring tribute to our
newborn Savior, and what sort of gift will you offer?
Who is a perfect king? What kind of qualities does he need to rule over his people? Our psalmist speaks about our Messiah as the perfect, powerful king who rules the nations justly and wisely. He can rule and judge his people in righteousness. He will defend the afflicted, the weak, and the poor because they are precious in his sight. Since he cares for the needy, the people who are miserable, how can I ignore them if I love God ?
ReplyDeleteGod sent Jesus, our newborn King, to shepherd us, heal, and love us. With gratitude, I join the Magi in paying homage to our newborn King, and I bow down to worship and praise Him, born as our Savior to redeem us.
Instead of presenting Him with a gift of gold, or of incense or myrrh, as the Magi did, I will offer Him my willingness to serve and to obey and to care for the needy. From now on I will treat our neighbors fairly with love and patience.
Our Messiah is merciful and compassionate toward his people. He treats us equally. His Kingdom extends to the ends of the earth. Jesus Christ will reign forever. I will anticipate his rule with hope.