Faith Daily | 4 June 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - PENTECOST APBA p547

Almighty and everliving God,

increase in us your gift of faith,

so that, forsaking what lies behind

and reaching out to that which is before us,

we may run the way of your commandents

and win the crown of everlasting joy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen. .

GOSPEL for the Day: Mark 12: 35-37

35While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

37David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Meredith Nicholls

The religious authorities had been giving Jesus a hard time with their questions designed to ensnare him. Jesus now asks them why Israel’s theologians speak of the Messiah as the son of David implying that David had precedence and authority over the Messiah.

In Judaism, the ancestor "outranks" all his descendants. It would follow, then, that the Messiah, who would be the descendant of King David, would be subordinate to David. So, tradition would state that while the Messiah would be a significant figure he would be a man no more special than David.

Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1 where David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaks of the Messiah as his Lord, his master. David’s son could not also be his ‘Lord’.

Jesus wants to prove that the Messiah is more than just David's son. He is fact David's Lord.

The crowd listened to Jesus with delight as he befuddled his opponents. The Pharisees, it seems to me, were so concerned about the letter of the Mosaic law and their malicious focus on disproving Jesus at every step that they were blinded to the Messiah who stood in front of them, the one their ancient prophets spoke of and the one of whom David himself prophesied.

FINAL PRAYER:

For by you Lord all things were created,

You are before all things and in you all things hold together.

You are the head of the body, the church and in

everything you have supremacy.

Help us continue to stand firm in our faith,

not moved from the hope that we have in you.

Keep us in steadfast faith and trust we pray,

Amen