20241224 RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM OF DAVID
First reading |
2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16 |
Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 88(89):2-5,27,29 |
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever
and set up your throne through all ages.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
‘He will say to me: “You are my father,
my God, the rock who saves me.”
I will keep my love for him always;
with him my covenant shall last.’
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Morning star, radiance of eternal light,
sun of justice,
come and enlighten those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 1:67-79 |
'You, little child, shall be the prophet of the Most High'
John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel
for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue
and he has raised up for us a power for salvation
in the House of his servant David,
even as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all who hate us.
Thus he shows mercy to our ancestors,
thus he remembers his holy covenant
the oath he swore
to our father Abraham
that he would grant us, free from fear,
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and virtue
in his presence, all our days.
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare the way for him,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins;
this by the tender mercy of our God
who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us,
to give light to those who live
in darkness and the shadow of death
and to guide our feet
into the way of peace.’
24 December 2024, Tuesday, 4th Week in Advent
RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM OF DAVID
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Sam 7:1-5,8-12,14,16; Luke 1:67-79]
As we are on the eve of Christ’s birth, we cannot but marvel at God’s love for us. God has shown Himself to be faithful in His love for us. He is faithful to His covenant with the People of Israel. God’s love is unconditional. He did not ask that Israel build a temple for Him to live in. This is because He is the Lord of heaven and earth. This was what the Lord told the Prophet Nathan when King David wanted to build a Temple to house the ark of God which was dwelling in a tent. The Lord said to David, “Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be a leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House.”
However, it is not just the physical house that the Lord wanted to build for David but to establish the Kingdom of David forever. “And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established forever.” It is this promise of God that kept Israel waiting throughout the centuries for the reestablishment of the Kingdom of David in spite of the fact that Israel was under foreign powers, one after another. This hope for restoration never died down even during the time of Jesus, whom some thought was the Messiah that would overthrow the Roman Empire.
This hope is summed up in the Benedictus of Zechariah. The first stanza of the canticle speaks of the fulfilment of the hope of Israel that God would visit them once again and come to their rescue. The enemies of Israel were the foreign rulers. Israel wanted to claim back their sovereignty with God as their king. With the birth of John the Baptist who was named as the forerunner of the Messiah, it appeared that this dream would eventually be fulfilled as God would raise up a “power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times, that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us.” Indeed, this is because God was always faithful to Israel, even when they were unfaithful. In this way, Zechariah proclaimed, “he shows mercy to our ancestors, thus he remembers his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies.”
But what is the purpose of this liberation if not “to serve him in holiness and virtue in his presence, all our days”? It is important that this objective be underscored. Very often, we too pray for good health for ourselves, peace in our family, community and nation. But we pray in a selfish manner. It is about our well-being, comfort and luxury. We do not realize that if God grants us good health and peace, it is in order that we can serve Him in holiness through our service to others. God gives us His blessings, not for ourselves but for the service of our fellowmen. So it is important that we have the right motive when we pray for our health and well-being. Are we ready to use our wealth and health for the glory of God? Zechariah was sincere in his prayer. Luke mentioned earlier, that he and his wife “were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.” (Lk 1:6) The only reason why Zechariah hoped that the Messiah would help them to overcome their enemies was so that they could serve the Lord faithfully and in peace.
Little did he realize that the kingdom of David which the Messiah came to establish was not a physical kingdom but a spiritual kingdom. The Messiah would be a Son of David as promised. Jesus, whose foster father was Joseph, belonged to the House of David. The Son of God would establish the throne of David forever as promised by God because His sonship is eternal. Indeed, with the birth of Jesus, He would be the One who would restore Israel. But this restoration is a spiritual restoration which has effects on the social and political order of the people. But the primary restoration is spiritual because if the heart is not pure and sincere, no amount of physical restoration could bring them peace and happiness. Indeed, true peace and happiness starts with us, not with our relationships, career, wealth or circumstances in life. Jesus’ coming is to show us the way to live a blessed life, as enumerated in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount. His coming at Christmas in lowliness, born in a stable already indicates how His kingship would be established, not in power and might, but in humble service.
To this end, the next part of the Benedictus outlines the role of John the Baptist. “And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him. To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” John was called to be a prophet of God and to prepare the way for the Lord by making them aware of their sins and the need for forgiveness.
The first necessary thing is to make men aware of the salvation that is offered to them. Some of us are not aware of our need for salvation because we think we do not need to be saved. This is the attitude of the modern man. He does not realize his emptiness until when faced with death or a tragedy in life. This is because they do not know God and they do not know what greater things await them. The world is satisfied with giving what people want. But God wants to give people what they do not know they want. So, to lead people into knowledge of salvation is to reveal to them their emptiness, their vain pursuits in life and what they are missing and how God can fulfil their eternal dreams and desires. Jesus is the rising sun from on high. He is the One who will enlighten us in the truth, for He is the light of the world. He gives us light in darkness and hope for those who are downcast and discouraged. Through Christ, we will see the path of life for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Secondly, this knowledge of the need for salvation is satisfied by forgiveness of their sins. Salvation is not merely knowledge of salvation. One can know that they need salvation but have not discovered God’s mercy. Salvation is only possible when one experiences the tender mercy of God. Christ is also the bearer of forgiveness. He comes to reconcile us with God. He is the One who will guide our feet into the way of peace. Jesus, by His death on the cross, will reveal to us the depth of God’s mercy and forgiveness. This explains why Jesus always spoke about forgiveness, mercy and compassion. He comes to heal our soul, heart and mind so that we can take courage to love again.
In the light of God’s fidelity to His covenant and to us, we are called to sing with joy the mercy of the Lord. With the psalmist, we say, “I will sing forever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts forever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your dynasty forever and set up your throne through all ages” Truly, as we await for the birth of Christ, we would best purify our hearts to welcome Him through receiving His forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and sharing in His life and love, by offering ourselves as a gift to others, not just through giving but also showing them God’s mercy and forgiveness in our lives. There is no better way to welcome the Lord than to give light to those who live in darkness and courage to those who are in the shadow of death. Living a holy and righteous life is what will bring peace, not just to ourselves but the world.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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