Save the Poor

December 17, 2009

Thursday of the Third Week in Advent

The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, while tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people's homage. He tethers his donkey to the vine, his purebred ass to the choicest stem. In wine he washes his garments his robe in the blood of grapes. Genesis 49:10-11

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, that the mountains may yield their bounty for the people, and the hills great abundance, that he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the poor and crush the oppressor. Psalm 72:2-4

Piety

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.

“He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” Luke 1:46-55

Study

“The lowly and oppressed shall be saved.” From the Magnificat and throughout the seasonal readings, we hear this theme echo through the dark stillness of the December nights. Advent continues to promise fulfillment of the covenant made with Abraham and a key part of that covenant is to lift up the poor – economically, politically, spiritually and socially.

The passage from Genesis foretells the supremacy of the tribe of Judah, which found its fulfillment in the dynasty of David and ultimately in the Messiah, the Son of David, Jesus Christ. Not merely a political line or monarchy, the king descended from the House of David is expected to restore power to Israel. Justice shall flow to humanity from the rulers put in place by the Lord.

In ancient Palestine, it was the king’s duty to care for the “anawein” – the poor, the widows, the orphans and the elderly. The New Testament adds that responsibility to all of our job descriptions as Christians.

We witness how Jesus loved the Anaweim, the little ones! When Jesus came He would declare, “Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Yesterday, we saw Jesus deliver love-in-action on the pledge made as part of the Nazareth manifesto (Luke 4:18-22) as he cured the sick, the lame and the blind. Today, the mantle of action passes to us…the people…because of our connections. This is not just a history lesson or family genealogy. The Gospel connects the current generation back to David and David’s generation back to Abraham in order to show that we are all children of God. The promise of this passage Matthew 1:1-17 (http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew1.htm) is God’s pledge of justice and bounty delivered both first by Jesus and then, by us to each other.

Action

Jacob called his family together and told them the history of his tribe. Who knows your story? Whose story do you know?

As you gather with family and friends this holiday season, take the opportunity to learn more about your family’s story through the ages. Have older relatives talk about their life. Capture these stories so you can pass them down to your children and your children’s children. Once their minds forget, there will be no way to recover these memories, locked forever away like a buried treasure. Once their minds forget, there will be no one who can put the captions on the back of the shoebox full of photographs tucked away in the attic.

Write down your own story of your spiritual journey and struggles. My friend Debora included hers with her Christmas card and then asked people to share their story with her. Take the first step and capture your own story. Then, be like Jacob and share it when you are ready.