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Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
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Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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LESSONS OF JOB
(Part 37)
JESUS, JOSEPH, JEROBOAM
December 18, 2009
Today’s readings
Jeremiah
23:5-8
Psalm 72:1-19
Matthew 1:18-24
Crucial to
the life of the world are the decisions and actions of those who rule
or govern. In the world we often experience rulers who are corrupt,
unjust and unmindful of the welfare of the people. But this is not how
God intends it to be. God rules the whole universe, and He intends
that humans who rule parts of it would do so according to His ways.
Today’s readings lead us to three rulers--one of the home, one of a
kingdom, and one of the whole world.
They are Joseph, Jeroboam[1] and Jesus. Joseph is the head
of his family and rules his home; the Israelite king in Psalms rules
the kingdom; Jesus is the descendant of David prophesied by Jeremiah
who as messiah would reign over the whole world.
What is the common denominator? It is justice and righteousness.
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Joseph
was a “just” (Mt 1:19,RSV) and “righteous” (Mt 1:19,NAB)
man.
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The
Israelite king was to rule with justice and righteousness. “Give
the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal
son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor
with justice.” (Ps 72:1-2,RSV).
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The
messiah “shall do what is just and right in the land.” (Jer
23:5,NAB); he “shall execute justice and righteousness in the
land.” (Jer 23:5,RSV).
We also
see that justice and righteousness not only go together, but they are
often interchangeable.
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“This
is the name they give him: ‘The Lord our justice.’” (Jer
23:6b,NAB); “And this is the name by which he will be called:
‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” (Jer 23:6b,RSV)
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“O
God, give .... your justice to the son of kings” (Ps 72:1,NAB);
“Give .... your righteousness to the royal son!” (Ps 72:1,RSV)
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“That
he may govern your people with justice” (Ps 72:2a,NAB); “May
he judge your people with righteousness” (Ps 72:2a,RSV)
Further,
justice and righteousness are of the very essence of a person. It is
something that you are; it is something that you do.
There is no dichotomy. There is no hypocrisy. One walks the talk.
Joseph was a just and righteous man (Mt 1:19). The messianic
king “shall do what is just and right” (Jer 23:5). Being
and doing need to go together. And so Solomon prayed: “O God, give
your judgment to the king; .... so “that he may govern your
people with justice” (Ps 72:1-2).
What is the result when we have a just and righteous ruler? Because
justice and righteousness are of God, and because we act like God when
we are just and righteous, the result is salvation.
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“he
will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21b).
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“In
his days Judah shall be saved” (Jer 23:6a).
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The
king will “save the poor” (Ps 72:4b) and “saves the lives of
the needy” (Ps 72:13b).
With
salvation comes bounty and great abundance (Ps 72:3), defense against
oppressors (Ps 72:4), help and rescue for the poor and oppressed (Ps
72:12-13), freedom from violence (Ps 72:14). Now are these not what we
are looking for, as we live in a world of darkness and injustice and
evil?
These good things can happen, as we look to justice and righteousness.
God the Almighty is just and righteous. God reigns with justice and
righteousness. We too are to imitate Him. We are to be just and
righteous in all our ways -- in our home, in the nation, in the world.
[1]
Jeroboam is not actually mentioned. But Psalm 72 was written by
Solomon. It is a prayer for the king. Solomon certainly prayed it for
himself, but since he did not use the first person in the psalm, then
he was praying it for those who would succeed him as king. Because
Solomon was unfaithful, God took the kingdom from him and gave it (10
out of the 12 tribes of Israel) to Jeroboam (1 Kgs 11:31).
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