Dear Rose Park,
This past Sunday we started a series entitled “A House Built Upon Rock.” It draws inspiration from Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount; the house that is built upon rock will endure and withstand the storms. Similarly, the Church when it is built upon the rock of Jesus will be able to endure and withstand any storm. To help us do this, we’ll join with the global church and lean into the guidance of the Lectionary.
The Lectionary is a pre-selected collection of scriptural readings for every day of the week. For the month of January, our preaching on Sunday, our writing on Wednesday, our studying on Thursday, and our devotion on Friday will all be drawn from the lectionary. It’s our hope that by collectively standing on the Rock of Jesus, the Church will find unity and strength. The Psalm selected for Wednesday January 5 is Psalm 72. As an aside, I’d encourage you to follow along with the daily readings so that you might embody this same spirit of unity (a link can be found at the bottom of this letter).
Psalm 72 is one of the nine royal psalms, highlighting specifically Christ’s kingship and authority over the world. The author of Psalm 72 is Solomon; Solomon is most commonly known as the son of David and perhaps the wisest man whoever lived. Solomon tells us that He [Christ] will judge with righteousness, crush the oppressor, deliver the needy and the poor, have dominion from sea to sea, and His name will endure forever. In reformed theology, we identify Christ as Prophet, Priest, & King. One aspect of Christ’s Kingship is that He will rule and reign with mercy and justice. In other words, Christ as King is an embodiment of grace and truth. He offers unconditional forgiveness, yet at the same time He will not allow for injustice. He offers unrivaled love, yet at the same time He must stand against the oppressor.
As we begin a new calendar year let us live in the tension of mercy and justice, grace and truth. Jesus holds these two in perfect balance. Without the presence of both grace and truth, Christianity either becomes a set of rules that must be followed or a wide-open path that betrays Christ’s call to “enter through the narrow gate” (Mt. 7:13). But when grace and truth are equally present and embraced, we can faithfully and with integrity echo the benediction that Solomon offers to close Psalm 72:
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wonderous things. Blessed be His glorious name forever; may His glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.”
Grace & Peace,
