The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever. Proverbs 29:14 “Good King Wenceslas” may be the most popular Christmas carol to which the fewest people actually know the words. It has an interesting historical background. It is based on stories from the life of Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia in the early 900s. Revered in his day as a just and noble ruler, one biographer wrote that he rose “every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered the father of all the wretched.” Regardless of how much detail has been lost through the intervening centuries, there is no doubt that when Wenceslas cared for the needs of poor widows and orphans, he was following the pattern established by Jesus. James wrote, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). The birthplace of Jesus—in a manager for animals rather than a palace—was no accident. Nor was it an accident that His birth was announced by the angels to humble shepherds rather than to the leaders of the nation. Jesus came not to impress the high and mighty, but to rescue the perishing. In a day when the poor were often looked down on and riches were seen as a sign of God’s favor, Jesus spent most of His time with simple, common people. Many of His miracles worked directly to benefit those in need. Jesus came to be a King for everyone—including those who were ignored by society. Today’s Proverbs Precept: When we reach out to encourage the poor and help meet their needs, we are following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:52:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015