ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tokonaki ‘Okatopa 7, 2023

The Kiss

Ko e Fekita

PSALM 85:10

STEADFAST LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS MEET; RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE KISS EACH OTHER.

SAAME 85:10

Ko ‘Alo‘ofa mo Mo‘oni kuo na fetāiaki kinaua; ‘A Angatonu mo Melino kuo na fekita.

When Aaron reunited with Moses, he met (pagash) him and kissed (nashaq) him (Exod. 4:27). These same two Hebrew verbs are used in Psalm 85, where "steadfast love and faithfulness meet [pagash]; righteousness and peace kiss [nashag] each other." As the two brothers embraced and kissed before heading to Egypt to announce the Lord's liberation of his people, so the "four brothers" named Love, Faithfulness, Righteousness, and Peace unite to bring us salvation and liberation. To nashag is to kiss those whom we love, especially family, but also those we worship - as we "kiss the Son" (Ps. 2:12) or Baal worshipers kissed his idol (1 Kings 19:18). The Song of Songs, the poem between Christ and his bride, opens with the church proclaiming, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!" (1:2).

Of course, not every kiss is to be trusted, for "deceitful are the kisses of an enemy" (Prov. 27:6 NASB). Judas Iscariot told the mob with him, "The one I will kiss is the man; seize him" (Matt. 26:48). And so it was. The Son of Man was betrayed by a kiss (Luke 22:48). But in Jesus, righteousness and peace had already kissed each other. He united them both in himself, along with love and faithfulness. The kiss of Christ is peace and liberation.

Lord of the church, embrace us as your own and kiss us as your beloved people.