A homily for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, by Fr. Daniel Suelzle.
When Jesus asks the Pharisees how the Messiah can simultaneously be David’s descendant and David’s Lord (referencing Psalm 110:1), he silences his critics by pointing to a profound paradox: the Promised One must be both fully human and fully divine. As David’s son according to the flesh, Jesus fulfills God’s ancient covenant promise of an eternal kingdom born from David’s royal line, while also stepping in as the true “seed of Eve” required to represent humanity. However, a mere man could never conquer the inherent corruption of sin or defeat death. By demonstrating that David himself addresses the Messiah as “Lord,” Jesus forces his listeners to confront his divinity—revealing that he is the eternal God who existed before David and possesses supreme authority at the Father’s right hand.
The understanding of the two natures in Christ is not just a clever piece of theological apologetics; it is the absolute bedrock of our salvation. To satisfy divine justice and rescue humanity, the Savior had to be a real man to suffer and pay the penalty for human sin, but also true God so his perfect sacrifice would accomplish victory over sin, death, and the devil. Because Jesus is both David’s Son and David’s Lord—the one and only God-man—his death fully pardons our transgressions, and his resurrection establishes an unbreakable, eternal kingdom. In Christ, God has kept every promise, bringing divine forgiveness and eternal life directly to us through Great David’s Greater Son.
Listen to the full homily below.