[Mcgregorpage] Pentecost 7 "Surprised By God's Promise"

[rmcgregoralbq at aol.com]

(Note I am sending this ahead of time because I'll be traveling.)

Pentecost 7 (July 23, 2006)

2 Samuel 7:114a
Ps. 89:2037
Ephesians 2:1122
Mark 6:3034, 5356

Surprised By God's Promise

God makes a generous promise to David.  "When your days are fulfilled 
and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring 
after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish 
his kingdom...  I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to 
me."   (2 Samuel 7:12,14a)

  The Psalmist hears a more exuberant promise, outrageous when you stop 
to think about.  "I will establish his line forever, and his throne as 
long as the heavens endure."  (Psalm 89:29)

The outrageousness of the promise in Psalm 89 goes with the 
outrageousness of the cross.  It won't be King Solomon who lays an 
eternal foundation for David's line.  He built a magnificent house for 
God in Jerusalem, but he missed the mark.  He built a temple made by 
human hands.  It would take a different son of David to make good on 
the promise in the Psalm, one who replaced the temple with his risen 
body.  Only he can lay claim to God's promise: "I will make him the 
firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth." (Psalm 89:27)  He is 
highest of the kings for all time because he transcends time.  The 
kings of the earth can't compete with him because they can't get their 
hands on him.

Paul celebrates the new transcendence of David's descendent:  "...in 
his flesh he has made both groups [Jew and Gentile] into one and has 
broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us."  
(Ephesians 2: 14)  This is how Christ rises above the kings of the 
earth.  He unifies their subjects under his heavenly reign.  When our 
borders disappear, so does the power of the local king.  The reign of 
Christ is like the rise of the Internet in that it dissolves national 
boundaries and challenges provincial rule.

The subjects of this heavenly king flock to him.   "...they hurried 
there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.  As he went 
ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because 
they were like sheep without a shepherd..."  (Mark 6:33-34)  Earthly 
leaders push.  Jesus pulls.  He draws all people to himself, as John 
puts it.  The risen Lord is the only plausible fulfillment of the 
promise of God in Psalm 89, the only way the line of David can be 
eternal and transcendent.

David set out to build God a house.  But God had a better idea.  He 
would build David a house, not a house made by human hands but a house 
that over-arches history.  No Babylonian army can conquer this house 
and raze it to the ground.  Instead it stands forever in the midst of 
human history drawing its subjects home.  "Joseph also went from the 
town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called 
Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 
  He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was 
expecting a child.   (Luke 2:4-5)

Thus the promise that the Psalmist heard and proclaimed came true in a 
way he couldn't have anticipated.  Likewise God's promises to us will 
come true, not as we anticipate, confirming our designs, but rather as 
God designs, confirming God's glorious creativity.

May these thoughts strengthen you.

An Open Letter to Fellow Pastors
>From Roland McGregor, United Methodist Pastor
 (an e-mail service)

[See Web Page address below for a Children’s Message coordinated with 
these lections.]

http://www.webspawner.com/users/ChildPage/

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      --Copyright 2006, Roland McGregor, all rights reserved—
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