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uotes
The Quotes page emerged several years ago from repeated requests to JDM for Junior's original quips, sayings, analects, brief commentary, even hilarious one-liners, to be compiled into a book or webpage. It is often commented how these concise remarks replay in the mind for years to come, giving simple humor or piercing perspective or new growth. All content here and sitewide is the intellectual and copyright property of JDM. All rights reserved.
The Cathexis for a King
The word cathexis means an emotional and mental fixation on an idea, person, or object. Humans have a cathexis, a visceral and recurring craving, for a king. Modern sophisticated minds, however, would not say it this way. We use lexica far more sublimated and beautified than "king". Still, the deeper cathexis remains: humans crave a reality definer, a decisive actor, an obvious leader, a protector, a creator and maintainer of group identity. That de facto king might be an assertive or aggressive spouse (like Jezebel to Ahab), a family ruler (like the pater familias), an influential leader in a certain field (like a scientist or politician or religious leader), an influential friend or associate or literally anybody with the kingly aura and ability to pull people into them (like Joseph or Absalom or Peter or Diotrephes), etc. However a person vocabs those they look to and follow, the deeper force at work is the instinct and cathexis for a king.
In Scripture
The Word describes this concept with an illustrative roundabout. It says, often, that humans are sheep without a shepherd, wandering and wanting exactly that (Num 27:17, 1Ki 22:17, 2Chr 18:16, Ps 49:14, Isa 13:14, Eze 34:5,6, Zec 10:2, Mt 9:36, Mk 6:34). Notice, then, how the Lord uses the term shepherd to illustrate king (2Sam 5:2, Isa 44:28, Jer 23:4,5, Eze 37:24). They are very different jobs on paper, but function identically emotionally and socially. Psalm 49:13,14 describe this dynamic (Amplified Bible): This is the fate of those who are foolishly confident, and of those after them who approve [and are influenced by] their words...Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol...Death will be their shepherd...
This scripture describes a kingish individual listened to and followed by sheep looking for a shepherd. Because the kingish person is not healthy and godly, these sheep will be shepherded, poetically speaking, by Sheol and Death. Whatever this kingish person is called--shepherd, king, consul, caesar, president, pastor, wife, husband, friend, lover, coworker, prophet, teacher, professor, expert, coach, mentor, role model, etc.--the dynamic at work is that all people have a God-given hunger for a king, and, there are plenty of opportunistic men and women who will gladly insert themselves into that pedestaled space. Those who do not understand this hunger and rightly respond to it, this instinct and cathexis for a king, end up letting Sheol and Death shepherd them.
A God-Given Hunger, Rightly or Wrongly Managed
If we follow this theological roundabout full circle, we arrive back at the starting ontological truth: our Maker designed us to want a king, a reality defining shepherd. That king is Jesus, the King of kings, the Shepherd King who leads whosoever will to drink from still waters and lie down in green pastures. When that existential cathexis is not satisfied daily and ongoingly through a direct relationship experience with Him, we try to fill it with the next best thing: a human with kingly qualities. Hence the perpetual human tragedy of listening to people we shouldn't, looking up to people we shouldn't, getting close to people we shouldn't, falling in love with people we shouldn't, giving money to people we shouldn't, supporting and following leaders we shouldn't. We are not in a state of soul to set up kings in our life or group or organization unless we are first enjoying a daily, ongoing experience with the kingship of Jesus. When we are not living and moving and having our being in Him every day, Hosea 8:4 happens (NIV): They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction.
8/5/26
Scriptures
This is the fate of those who are foolishly confident, and of those after them who approve [and are influenced by] their words...Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol...Death will be their shepherd...
Psalm 49:13,14 (AMP)
They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction.
Hosea 8:4 (NIV)
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