PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your
righteousness.
2 May he judge
your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
3 May the
mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of
righteousness.
4 May he defend
the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor.
5 May he endure
as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all
generations.
6 May he be like
rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
7 In his days
may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon
is no more.
8 May he rule
from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of
the earth.
9 May the desert
tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings
of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him gifts.
11 May all kings
bow down to him
and all nations serve him.
12 For he will deliver
the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to
help.
13 He will take
pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue
them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his
sight. (Psalm 72:1-14, NIV)
Most of us desire a strong sense of justice in our leaders. Most politicians these days work hard to portray the competition with the opponent as a battle between right and wrong. Often the challenger runs for office to challenge and injustice. We, like the psalmist, pray for a leader who will be just, righteous, and a defender of the weak. If we perceive a leader as being unfair or manipulative of the system, there is little grace for him or her.
Why do Christians and non-Christians alike value justice so highly? Perhaps because right and wrong are most clearly demonstrated by injustice. We can debate moral issues, but when people are treated unfairly or taken advantage of, the behavior is not deemed acceptable. This psalm is an earnest prayer of support for one who longs to rule with justice—whose priority is the well-being of people. This desire stands in stark contrast to another king we consider during this season of Epiphany—King Herod. A puppet king of an occupying Roman Empire, Herod demonstrates the horrific lengths to which he will go to protect his own interests. Those lengths include not only dishonesty and conniving but mass murder as he flails about in a desperate attempt to keep the promised Messiah from usurping his power.
Although King Solomon (the name associated with this psalm) does not live up to all the desires expressed in this prayer, the psalmist paints a wise picture of the archetypal just leader. But would the world accept a leader who delivered the needy and the afflicted, took pity on the week, and rescued them from violence because “precious is their blood in his sight” (verse 14)? In this season of Epiphany we celebrate that the Prince of Peace has fulfilled the psalmist's prayer: “May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice” (verse 2).
PRAYER:
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your justice and mercy. Strengthen and inspire us to live with your heart for justice. Enable us to see others with your eyes, taking notice of the needs all around us. Help us to understand how we might be instruments of your justice, and empower us to join with you in righting the wrongs in our world today.
WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and I am so grateful for the ways that Jesus has demonstrated his kindness, justice, and mercy to me.
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