King Jesus by Becky Gossett
May the poor and humble have an advocate with the King, may the King consider the children of the poor and crush the cruel oppressor.
(Psalm 72:4, The Passion Translation)
As I understand it, this passage has been attributed to King David as a prayer for his son Solomon who would succeed David as the next leader. It is also suggested that we read it as a reference to our King Jesus, our greatest leader.
Our King Jesus started life as a sweet baby born into a working-class family with meager earthly riches to a young, inexperienced mom in a stinky place intended for livestock. Maybe God set this up as the most natural way to start the life of a “king” who would be the greatest advocate for the poor and humble.
It is easy for me to consider Jesus as an advocate for the poor and humble when I read the MANY stories he told and the acts he performed. Do you need examples? Read through the book of Luke. You’ll see what I mean. We learn how to behave in an empathetic and loving way by studying the life of our King Jesus. We watch him “crush the cruel oppressor” in simple, kind, one-at-a-time ways.
For several years, I worked for a leader who made it clear that he was an advocate for “the poor and humble” and every other kind of different-than-average person. The decisions he made were based on the needs of the neediest, not just the average or majority. He challenged us to do the same in our work. He made it clear we would not take the easy path, but the most impactful path. We all worked hard, and it was very rewarding to work. One of the things I know about this leader: he is a follower of Jesus in all the parts of his life, even his secular work-life. Imagine if all leaders inspired the followers to make their impact upon those with the greatest needs.
Praising Jesus is one thing; practicing Jesus-like behaviors in our life is quite another thing (…or wait—is Jesus-like behavior a form of praise?). Jesus provided examples for us to follow, emulate, be, and do. It isn’t an easy path, but the most impactful path.