King of the Universe

2 Samuel 5:1-3; Col 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43

In this passage, the elders of Israel have invited David, who is the king of Judah to be their king, thus uniting the two kingdoms of Israel under one ruler. There are three steps to the kinging of David; a) the elders gather, b) agree to holdup the covenant, and c) anoint him king over a united Israel; a process of both negotiation and ceremony. (5) They claim David “bone and flesh,” a condition of kingship that’s required to prevent foreign rule as outlined in Deuteronomy 17 (1). They also acknowledge his military might and remind him of the divine promise: he rule over Judah and Israel

In reference to Jesus’ Passion ‘transferring’ or ‘bringing us over’ into the Lord’s Kingdom, Paul uses Greek word methistemi (4).This word refers to the tradition of the conquerer transporting conquered people, lock, stock and barrel, into his own land. This is exemplified in the Babylonian and Syrian captivities, when the ancient Jewish people were removed from their own lands and exiled into the land of their conquerers. It was this situation that the Israelites were hoping to avoid by inviting David to be their king.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he uses the word eikon, translated as image and refers to Christ representation and manifestation of an invisible God. The word a) reminds us that God says in Genesis that He has made man in His image, b) is translated to indicate that Wisdom is the visible manifestation of God, c) is used by Philo in reference to “Logos of God,” the Word, Jesus. In addition, at the time of the Early Church, eikons referred to a description of distinguishing characteristics of those involved in legal agreements, so to avoid identity fraud (4). While all of these layers are in play, we are clearly invited to imitate the model, the image.

Through His death Jesus issues a different judgment and sentence; the wrongly judged becomes the Righteous Judge. One job of a king is to render judgement. Jesus typically offers forgiveness simultaneously to rending judgment. Jesus forgives the penitent thief his sins, but asks God to forgive the ignorance of those who kill Him. “They know not what they do.”

We typically have only partial stories and a smattering of details at best, knowing little of the contexts and backgrounds of what we observe or witness. This is what a king does-responses to others with mercy by offering forgiveness for intentional sin, and unintentional ignorance. While we all need such a King, not everyone knows this King. Because we are the image, the likeness, if we imitate this King they will want ask us to reveal Who we are imitating.

Journal Questions:

Which situations in my life could I identify as a methistemi? To what else, besides the faith, have I been “brought into?”
How do I imitate Christ? When do I fall short? Who else do I imitate? How does imitating this person connect to imitating Christ?
While we know forgiveness and compassion is desired, when have I forgiven intentional sin? When have I forgiven other’s ignorance? Are there conclusions I can draw by the similarities in these two different sorts of experiences?

References:
1- The Collegeville Bible Commentary: Old Testament. Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1992.
4- The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians, Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminister Press. Philadelphia, 1975.
5- The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentarty on the Bible. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1971.

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