My scripture reading today brought me to the last chapter of Proverbs where King Lemuel is speaking with his son,

“Speak out for the one who cannot speak,
    for the rights of those who are doomed.
 Speak out,
    judge fairly,
        and defend the rights of oppressed and needy people.” (Prov. 31:8-9)

This is what the king was to be about, the benefactor of the poor, the doomed, the voiceless.  He was not to take bribes or act in behalf of those who were able to benefit him.  He was to look out for the needs of the drown trodden, who could nothing in return except “Thank you.”

Even as the king who would be named Jesus, grew larger in Mary’s womb, so she enlarged her praise of the Lord.  For her son would be a king who would scatter those who proudly imagined they were great and bragged about their own greatness.  He would pull down the powerful from their high thrones.  He would lift up the lowly, for he himself would be lifted up first on the cross and then to the high throne of God’s presence. He would fill the hungry with the good things of life even as he would give his body and blood to satisfy our hunger for a world set in proper order according to God’s will.  Through the king in her womb God would remember to show mercy to the doomed, oppressed and needy.  Those who came before him self-satisfied with themselves but looking for more would be sent away empty handed.  Those who came with empty hands, empty lives, empty hopes were given an overflowing abundance of grace.