Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The New Testament quotes one Old Testament verse more than any other. It is Psalm 110:1, which says, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”
(“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” from Leviticus 19:18, comes in second.)
It seems apparent that the divine author of the Scripture thinks those are pretty important concepts, foundational even. But if you are reading these words and can remember sitting through a sermon on Psalm 110:1, I would like to shake your hand, as you are the church-going version of a unicorn.
One reason this doesn’t get preached often is that it doesn’t fit with the current, hip preaching trend, which demands that pulpits address “felt needs” in the pews. Not a lot of regular folk feel a need to take time to think about the relationship of Jesus to his Father. Whatever one Lord says to the other is not about to pay my electric bill, so why bother?
I can understand that kind of pragmatism. However, what the Father says to the Son in Psalm 110:1 explains the whole world you live in, and why. The verse may have the initial look of ivory-tower, speculative theology, akin to asking about angels dancing on pinheads. But when we see what use the New Testament makes of it, it becomes (in the words of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”) the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything. There’s nothing more pragmatic.
The whole world is being subdued under the kind and merciful rule of King Jesus the Christ. He has the power, mind you, to conquer all his enemies by force, instantaneously; but he has chosen to make this victory happen by gentle persuasion, through the amazing grace found in the good news we call the Gospel.
I was once the Lord’s enemy, but I have been conquered, as was the apostle Paul, who called himself the Lord’s slave.
But, pastor. On every other page of this newspaper, we see evidence of a world that is patently not subdued to Christ, and apparently getting worse by the day. How can you promote the use of such rose-colored glasses and still want to be called a realist?
If that’s your objection to the Bible’s explanation of what’s going on around you, you need to understand that the Bible addresses it specifically and repeatedly. It frankly acknowledges that we do not yet see this worldwide defeat of the enemies of God. Not all things are subdued to Jesus. We look for ultimate victory while acknowledging that the bad guys occasionally get their shots in and cause great harm.
The ultimate authority of Christ is, in fact, the foundational concept for the whole mission of the church. The so-called Great Commission in Matthew 28 is prefaced by the claim of the risen Jesus that he possesses all authority in heaven and on earth.
On the strength of this claim, you and I are supposed to go and disciple the nations. We walk by faith and not by sight.
As the old hymn says, “This is my Father’s world.”
Gordan Runyan is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Tucumcari. Contact him at:
