“And they anointed him king of Israel.” 2 Samuel 5:3b
Every four years there is an added excitement in my household, an excitement that can only be brought on by one thing, the Summer Olympics! There is just something so special about this worldwide event. We witness people who have trained for most of their lives to be the best in their sport. We watch their stories. We cheer for them. We feel a sense of unity from the opening to the closing ceremonies. The Olympics bring a unifying perspective into this world and into our households. For those two weeks, we cheer for all Olympians.
We encounter a similar unity in our reading for today as King David is being anointed as the king of Israel. This is not the first time that David was anointed king. When David was a boy, Samuel anointed him as a promise to what David’s life would be (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Later David is anointed king of the tribe of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4) and now we encounter a time after King Saul’s death where God’s chosen people need to be unified once again. We see this unification in 2 Samuel 5:3b, “And they anointed him king of Israel.” A nation cannot stand divided and David, the king chosen by God, is the perfect unifier.
And just like David unified God’s chosen people, we encounter Jesus bringing all things under him. Jesus tells us that he is the vine, and we are the branches (John 15:5). We have been created to be a branch on the vine of Christ, to be unified with Jesus. And just as branches continue to grow and produce fruit, we too are called to grow and share this love and unity we receive from God to those around us.
Questions for reflection:
- What are ways you feel union with Jesus?
- What are ways you feel disconnected from God?
- What is one way you can help bring this unity we experience through Jesus to those who are around you?