3/9/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
Our passage from Psalm 45:7-17 speaks of the centrality of the Lord in His temple. Here, Christians understand that God the Father has placed an anointing on God the Son, who dwells in the temple to which all nations come.
The procession described in our Psalm is astounding. If we think about the ceremonial acts done before the king, some make little sense. From a pragmatic standpoint there's little reason to bring gifts to the king, who is rich and commands a nation. The costly shows of honor also take away from the overall ability to give gifts. The king, in turn, regularly gives benefits which exceed the value of the tribute brought. The king is supposed to give a blessing.
In the end, the passage points us to something far greater than an earthly parade or an earthly king. We realize that the Psalm speaks of people from all nations bringing tribute to God, who is the God of all blessings. He himself is sitting on his throne. He has no need for any of the gifts we could bring. Meanwhile, our Lord is present in His mercy, pouring out forgiveness, life, and salvation on us. He is truly the present Lord.
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