Today's Scripture Reading (November 22, 2025): Psalm 72
In our enlightened state, or perhaps
in our skepticism, we often question the notion that the King, or later a Pope,
could be thought to have ruled in the place of God. Our skepticism likely stems
from the numerous failures of those in positions of power. I recently commented
on the number of Pastors that I followed a couple of decades ago, who have
since fallen off their perch and been removed from their ministries due to moral
failures. Maybe power really does corrupt. It is a principle that we see almost
daily in our headlines, as King Charles struggles to punish his brother, Prince
Andrew, for his alleged misbehavior, as he supposedly participated in the sex
scandal that surrounds the late Jeffrey Epstein.
The reality is that we have missed
the central message of our belief about ruling in the place of God. Kings and
leaders were thought to rule in the place of God, not as a reminder of their
power, but as a reminder that they were designed to be a fountain of justice.
After all, if a King or a Pope did not dispense justice with the power that
they possessed, then no one would. If those who could not afford a bribe could
not get the justice they needed from the King, then justice would be
unavailable to anyone. It is why, even today, the idea that a politician can be
bought is one of the worst crimes that can be brought against our political
leaders.
And it is one of the worst
charges that can be brought against a pastor. A friend who was responsible for
dispensing tax receipts in a congregation shares a story about a pastor who
asked him for donation information so that he would know who to visit, wanting
to ensure that he only visited with significant donors. My friend was rightfully
offended by the request, believing that it was just another example of a "pay
to play" philosophy.
There is some question of
whether this Psalm was written by Solomon or to Solomon. I think it might have
been the latter. The Psalm somehow feels like it is the prayer of a father who
wants to leave his son with a positive thought that stems from what was
believed to be the central responsibility of a King. If it were David, maybe we
could rephrase the prayer as "God, make the new King a fountain of your
justice; Lord, please give to my son your righteousness that he might genuinely
be your King.
Today, maybe we can't depend
on the Kings to be a fountain of justice. And maybe our leaders will let us
down, but as Christians, that is who we must be. We must stand up against
injustice wherever it may be found. And when our leaders refuse to be the "Fountain
of Justice," we must step up and declare a righteousness that is for
everyone, regardless of the economic and social realities that might want to
point us toward something less.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Psalm 132
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