Psalm Reflection: The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - Cycle B

“The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.” - Psalms 93

The Lord is king, and when we forget that we get into trouble. 

Everyone worships something, and whether a person believes in God or not, they might find themselves prioritizing their love for watching their sports team over making sure they get to Mass. People will scream the lyrics and raise their hands in song at concerts for their favorite artist, but they will not lift their hands in worship when they pray to God. Fans will line up to meet celebrities at red carpet events and conventions, but then they show up late to Church, if they show up at all. Republicans and Democrats get into heated debates about their allegiance to their chosen candidate and explain away all of their flaws, but they will not talk about their faith to evangelize others.

When we prioritize earthly things over worshiping the one true God and King of the universe, things become disordered and destructive. God is the one and only king with a rightful place on the throne of your heart. Is something or someone else sitting in his seat?

In the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel led the Hebrew people as they sought to obey the Lord and claim the Promised Land. He leads them well and faithfully to worship God as their king, but eventually they want an earthly king like every other nation around them, rejecting God as their king:

“Therefore all the elders of Israel assembled and went to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, like all the nations, to rule us.” Samuel was displeased when they said, “Give us a king to rule us.” But he prayed to the LORD. The LORD said: Listen to whatever the people say. You are not the one they are rejecting. They are rejecting me as their king. They are acting toward you just as they have acted from the day I brought them up from Egypt to this very day, deserting me to serve other gods. Now listen to them; but at the same time, give them a solemn warning and inform them of the rights of the king who will rule them. - 1 Samuel 8:4-9

Time and time again, our hearts are tempted to fall into idolatry instead of trusting in the only king who is worthy to rule over our hearts and deserves our worship. No matter who they would appoint as king, no earthly leader could ever match what the Lord could do if they served Him.

If you stand in a garage it does not make you a car. A king is not a king simply because they have a throne and a palace . The Lord is not a king because He has power and simply demands the role, He is our king because He is worthy of honor, glory and praise. We witness His majesty and are moved to worship Him as a king.

When we forget this, when we forget to give God the glory and honor He deserves, our lives fall into disorder and we start to give our time and attention to other things that do not completely fulfill us and end up demanding more and more of our hearts. Samuel warns the people of Israel about what an earthly king will do to them:

Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full to those who were asking him for a king. He told them: “The governance of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. He will appoint from among them his commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He will make them do his plowing and harvesting and produce his weapons of war and chariotry. He will use your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will tithe your crops and grape harvests to give to his officials and his servants. He will take your male and female slaves, as well as your best oxen and donkeys, and use them to do his work. He will also tithe your flocks. As for you, you will become his slaves. On that day you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.” - 1 Samuel 8:10-18

When we turn away from the Lord and worship other things, we will continue to justify our behavior and devotion as long as possible, instead of swallowing our pride and admitting we were wrong. We will convince ourselves that we can hold onto our sin and our false idols and still believe in God and “be a good person.” 

Despite Samuel’s warnings, the people persist and demand a king for themselves:

“The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “No! There must be a king over us. We too must be like all the nations, with a king to rule us, lead us in warfare, and fight our battles.” Samuel listened to all the concerns of the people and then repeated them to the LORD. The LORD said: Listen to them! Appoint a king to rule over them.” 1 Samuel 8:19-22a

And if you read the rest of the Old Testament story, you will see how the events of having a false king played out for the Hebrew people. It seemed great at first with the glorious rules of Saul, David, and Solomon though they all made mistakes and had their flaws. Eventually, however, the kingdom splits and begins tearing itself apart from within to the point that they are not ready when an enemy empire invades, and they lose everything and are taken away into exile.

That is what we risk when we reject Christ as our King, we risk losing everything and spending eternity separated from Him, all for the sake of some earthly obsession, sin, or idol that cannot ultimately satisfy the longings of our hearts.

Where do you spend your free time and money?

What do you worship in your life? Will it be there when you are sick or suffering? Will it help you in moments of loss, grief, and confusion?

Is God the number one priority in your life? If not, what needs to be reordered to ensure your worship is being placed in the right things?

We all worship something, make sure it is the right thing.

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, November 24th, 2024, The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - Cycle B: Psalms 93:1, 1-2, 5.