The Blessed Man's Cross

Em and I began the year of grace 2010 by reading Ps. 1 together a few times and thinking through its implications for this year.  It speaks of the path and means of God's blessing.  The man who turns from the way of the wicked and instead delights himself in the law of the LORD will be fruitful and prosper.  Stated categorically, "In all that he does, he prospers" (Ps. 1:3).  Wonderful.  We'll sign up for that.  As for me and my house. . . .

Then we read the next six psalms in recent days.  Psalm 2 talks about how God's chosen, anointed king is opposed by the world's greats and rulers.  Pss. 3 and 4 show that same chosen and loved son surrounded and buffeted by enemies.  David continues to cry out in Ps. 5 because of enemies (v. 8) whose mouths are without truth and whose inmost being is destruction, whose throat is an open grave and whose tongues are full of flattery (v. 9).  Pss. 6 and 7 see David still surrounded by workers of evil and enemies and crying out for deliverence.

Wait a minute.  I thought that the blessed man would be perpetually comfortable, have a nice white picket fence, surrounding a huge house, paid for by his cushy, well-respected and high-paying job.  He would surely have the world's goods, cute puppies, fat babies, nice vacations, the favor of all.  In all that he does, he prospers, right? 

Well, now, we see God's ways are not ours, ours not his.  The way of the cross is the portion of the blessed man who delights in and follows God's Word (see Mt. 10, for example).  And since David--God's anointed one and a man after God's heart--suffered so miserably, should anyone have thought that God's Son and Anointed One par excellence would not have enemies and suffer at the hands of wretched men and devils?  What about those who follow him?  "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household" (Mt. 10:24-25).  "And whoever does not take his cross and follow [God's Christ] is not worthy of [him]" (Mt. 10:38).