Read
About David's Son
(Matthew 22.41-46; Mark 12.35-37)
41Jesus asked, “Why do people say that the Messiah will be the son of King David? 42 In the book of Psalms, David himself says,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right side
43until I make your enemies
into a footstool for you.’
44David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord, so how can the Messiah be his son?”
Jesus and the Teachers
(Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-54)
45While everyone was listening to Jesus, he said to his disciples:
46Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes, and they like to be greeted in the market. They want the front seats in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets. 47But they cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. These teachers will be punished most of all.
Reflect
David was just the second king Israel, a fledgling nation that still had birthmarks of being set apart for God. But when David set up the Ark of the Covenant and made Jerusalem Israel’s centre of religious worship and political power, it became Israel’s golden age.
Israel’s so called shepherd king was far from perfect. He showed remarkably poor judgement with family relationships. His attempted cover-up of his affair with Bathsheba was like that of a common killer. Even so, David was called a man after God’s own heart because of his abiding servant’s attitude.
A thousand years later, under the thumb of Roman dominance, Jews were especially yearning for a new Davidian age. This is what Jesus works with during this match of wits with religious leaders of the day. By bringing David into the discussion, Jesus not only alludes to these deep national longings, but he also alludes to the truth that Israel’s mightiest king was first and foremost a servant of the one Lord God.
This is what the religious scholars didn’t see. They wanted the glamour of Israel at its zenith, but not the humble service that made that possible. This is why they were stumped by how David could be called both Lord and subservient to another Lord. It’s also why, Jesus then immediately warned his disciples against behaving like these religious scholars, always clamouring for public attention.
After bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, David had prayed for his many descendants, men and women from years in the future who he would never even meet. He asked that God would make them kings in their own right, with rich blessings. Believers can accept this prayer as if it were for us even now, 3,000 years later. But only in the spirit of humility and service of that one Lord.
Respond
Loving Heavenly Father: You are the one Lord who rules even the rulers. Help me to let you rule my own fickle heart and my own desperate life. For in this, I will also become royalty, one who lives in your courtyard, in service with blessing and joy.
Thomas Froese
Thomas Froese is a storyteller and veteran journalist of 30 years. The Canadian author and columnist writes about news, travel and life, often from his experiences in the Arab World and Africa, where he lived for 15 years and where he still returns to teach literature. His work, which has garnered numerous honours, has appeared often in the Hamilton Spectator. Thomas also writes about fatherhood and family life. Find him at www.thomasfroese.com