feeling down and the psalms

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your torrents;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because the enemy oppresses me?”
As with a deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

Psalm 42; NRSVue

I most always have thought of this psalm being all about a longing for God, for God’s presence. The NRSVue heading for the psalm is a better descriptor of the psalm’s content.

Longing for God and His Help in Distress

It almost seems like the psalms more often than not are the words of those who are reaching out in faith, but hardly finding. That surely in part is what draws many of us to the psalms. They’re realistic. Not “pie in the sky” or “God is great!” stuff. And yet they do point us to God’s goodness and yes, greatness.

What I might like best about Psalm 42 at the moment is how what might seem to be among the worst of times in our experience can become among the best of times. As we think about the words and direct ourselves accordingly. Surely also a posture in which we’re to live as followers of Christ.

the importance of imagination in reading, studying and meditating on Scripture

“You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

John 5:39-40; NRSVue

One of the frustrating things I’ve experienced in Bible studies in books and in groups is cut and dried, fill in the blank answers to questions formulated for Bible study. Sometimes the questions were better than that, trying to help us grapple with what usually an individual application of the passage might be. But oftentimes it was little more than fill in the blanks with what the Scripture says, maybe with our paraphrase of such. There was usually not a sufficient step back to consider what it meant in the time written, and after that what it might mean in our context today. Instead, a rather flat reading, and ending there. 

We need to begin with a straightforward reading of the Bible, the particular passage we’re considering. But we won’t do well at all if we stop there. Jesus told the devout Jewish experts on Scripture (remember, this was an inhouse dispute, not what Christians over the centuries have made it out to be) that their work on Scripture did not go far enough. There was a lack of openness by them to see Scripture in a new light, that light actually being Jesus himself in what Jesus taught and did and how he lived. And especially in light of the way of the cross, which made no sense at that time, and still makes little “common” sense today.

We too need to listen to that same word. It applies every bit as much to us as it did to the ones Jesus was speaking to. If we don’t grapple with all of Scripture in light of Jesus, we too will fail. And as we see in Jesus’s consideration of the Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible, which is what Scripture was to them, as well as what follows in our Bibles in the New Testament, it is not a straightforward one to one correlation of Scripture as in the texts. That actually makes the text to its original readers a desert, at least dry, and all the more so to readers later and in the present. 

We must especially together consider all of Scripture in light of Jesus, the gospel’s testimony of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), imagining together what it might mean for us, what God’s word is for us through our consideration of it.

pay attention, listen (Juneteenth)

When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled;
Jordan turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.

Why is it, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the LORD,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.

Psalm 114; NRSVue

All slave owners and white supremacists or whoever they are who think they’re superior: Pay attention. Listen. God’s heart and hand is for the redemption of all the oppressed and enslaved, all the marginalized and despised, against all prejudice and against all hate.

Those who need set free the most in a true sense are those who look down on others, those who see themselves as superior and do not accept the equal participation of all. But that’s not to diminish for a moment the suffering of those who are oppressed and all that has meant and still means right up to the present day.

God is at work. God’s image in the world cannot be ignored or changed into something it is not, although it can be all but lost in all that is contrary to it. God came in Jesus and took on God’s self our full humanity and became a slave for all, sealing that in Jesus’s death on the cross. And the victory after that? Resurrection. But we must not skip over the evil of injustice that God suffered in Jesus and what that means.

God is especially present in all human suffering. God’s movement is to redeem all, to bring full reconciliation. But first the truth of injustice, wrong, evil must be faced squarely and unflinchingly. Only through full disclosure of truth can there be true reconciliation.

God in Jesus has shown the way. It is a way fraught with difficulty, challenges and setbacks. But it’s a way that nevertheless is destined for victory in the end. In God’s love for all, a love that is just and true, redemptive and reconciliatory. But requires a commitment to what God has opened up through the cross, through Jesus’s death and all that means. Those humbly on the side of truth (John 18:37-38) paying attention, listening and responding accordingly. With the promise of resurrection into the full love and life of God.

the yoke of Jesus

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30; NRSVue

“Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30; CEB

If there’s anything we need as individual believers and followers of Jesus, it’s the yoke of Jesus. The life of discipleship is both following in the way of Jesus and getting to know him as a person. The yoke suggests a closeness to Jesus and being in a place like none other.

We have to take or put on that yoke ourselves, alongside Jesus. Two yokes, but Jesus is the one who makes it easy to bear as we find rest and learn from him.

it takes a while for the needed change to come

If mortals die, will they live again?
All the days of my service I would wait
until my release should come.

Job 14:14; NRSVue

If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Job 14:14; KJV

There’s nothing more difficult in not being where one needs to be and also lost on top of that. Trying, trying, trying then wanting to end all trying.

For the believer, the follower of Christ what is then needed is imagination (the Spirit), prayer, Scripture, and this over and over and over again. Not stopping.

As we do that, the needed change will come. Not just death or whatever is meant that Job was looking for. In a sense death, yes, into a new existence and life.

As in the case of Job, this comes with difficulty. And time.

living in the power that comes from weakness

It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10; NRSVue

It is certainly paradoxical to imagine strength and power coming out of weakness. But that’s what we’re left with in Paul’s testimony here. Without this “thorn…in the flesh,” this “messenger of Satan” to “torment” Paul, he would have become proud. The revelations he had received, being taken into the third heaven, being told things there he was not permitted to speak on earth, evidently that would have gone to his head, to his heart. He would have been lifted up, “exalted above measure” (KJV), “too elated” (NRSVUE), “conceited” (CEB).

Whatever strength Paul would have had would have been his own, not the Lord’s. And such was the case with the “super-apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:5; 12:11) he had to contend with, who were actually “false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:13). To follow Christ means to live in a weakness out of which comes Christ’s indwelling power, strengthening us. It is the weakness of following the way of the cross, of whatever is troubling (NET) to us.

The power of Christ enables us to continue on in God’s will and stabilizes us in that will. To be human is to have weaknesses and to be a follower of Christ is to take the way of the cross. A study of 2 Corinthians alone brings this out clearly in the life of Paul. Yes, a lot and one might argue even most of his weaknesses came out of his following of Christ. But Paul includes all weaknesses, of course excluding sin, in his consideration of this in the letter. Always “for the sake of Christ.”

Whatever the weakness, as we accept such as somehow coming from the hand of God, Christ’s power will rest on us, indwell us and help settle us so that we can continue on in God’s will in Jesus.

God’s doing: a new world breaking into the old

Thus says the LORD God:

I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of the cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender shoot
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will transplant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
On the mountain height of Israel
I will transplant it,
and it will produce boughs and bear fruit
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the LORD.
I bring low the high tree;
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the LORD have spoken;
I will accomplish it.

Ezekiel 17:22-24; NRSVue

Jesus said that he will build his church and the gates of Hades (“the underworld”- CEB) will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). God is bringing into being a new world in the midst of the old world. The old world: full of greed, lust, and power with violence accompanying that to maintain the “peace” for the old world to stay intact. Breaking into that world which God cares about and loves is a new world in the calling of Israel and fulfilled in the Jew, Jesus, and at work in the world today directly through the church and indirectly through God’s hand and working on people, peoples and entities, all broken, none of which will ever be the answer. It is God who is putting this all together, the church, broken as it is, too, being the witness of this in its life, testimony and good works, in and through Jesus.

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:6-17; Mark 4:26-34

Thus says the LORD God:

I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of the cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender shoot
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will transplant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
On the mountain height of Israel
I will transplant it,
and it will produce boughs and bear fruit
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the LORD.
I bring low the high tree;
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the LORD have spoken;
I will accomplish it.

Ezekiel 17:22-24; NRSVue

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High,
to declare your steadfast love in the morning
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the LORD;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the LORD is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15; NRSVue

So we are always confident, even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive due recompense for actions done in the body, whether good or evil.

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we no longer know him in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!

2 Corinthians 5:6-17; NRSVue

He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.”

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Mark 4:26-34; NRSVue

Revised Common Lectionary

 

don’t give up!

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when you are punished by him,
for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves
and chastises every child whom he accepts.”

Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children, for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Hebrews 12:3-13; NRSVue

The writer to the Hebrews was addressing a congregation that was weary, discouraged, more than ready to give up. Their exact issue is different than ours and most people who have heard or read this letter or book. But the message rings true to us today. No matter what we’re up against, no matter what the situation, we’re not to turn back or turn away, but continue on in Christ.

In the passage above, coming after “the faith chapter” and reference to the race that Christ ran and pioneered for us to run as well, we’re told to endure trials as God’s discipline, that we’re to accept such as God’s children as training for our own good. That can seem trite to us, or like a broken record, heard again and again.

But no. We’re told to get out of our lethargic condition. For many, that might seem like a departure from grace. But again, no, we’re to lift up our drooping hands, strengthen our weak knees and make straight paths for our feet, so that we will be healed.

There’s hope in that. It can seem unimaginable indeed that any healing might be possible. But it is a certainty if only we will just look up, not give up, and keep going. As long as we do that, the help and needed healing will come.

“little faith”

Immediately he made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:22-33; NRSVue

1. 6:30 Of little faith: except for the parallel in Lk 12:28, the word translated of little faith is found in the New Testament only in Matthew. It is used by him of those who are disciples of Jesus but whose faith in him is not as deep as it should be (see Mt 8:26; 14:31; 16:8 and the cognate noun in Mt 17:20).

NABRE footnote on Matthew 6:30

A fascinating passage. Jesus walks on the water in the gospel accounts of Mark and John, but only in Matthew does Peter join him. Impetuous Peter. Like the other disciples, they were fully in it in the faith they had, but they had to learn that they were in over their heads. Their faith needed growing or as the NABRE footnote points out above, deepening.

Peter, seeing Jesus walk on the water, asks if he can join him, to which Jesus replies, “Come.” And yes, Peter walks on the water toward Jesus. But then he sees the effect of the wind on the water, becomes frightened and begins to sink, crying out, “Lord, save me!” Of course Jesus does, and then they get into the boat.

There’s no escape from the winds of life. If you’re alive and alert, you’ll notice them possibly anywhere at any time. This is all the more true and pressing when you feel responsibility for others.

When I’ve looked at this passage in the past, I’ve mainly considered the point that Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and onto the waters, and then lost the faith needed to walk on the water. The main idea was looking at Jesus. Maybe my thoughts were more than that, but it’s important to make this point: We need faith in Jesus to carry us through the inevitable winds of life. We need the lifeline too, when at times we find ourselves sinking.

That doesn’t diminish for a moment our need to keep our eyes on Jesus. But just what does that mean? Surely everything we can imagine. In a mystical, Spirit-led sense; in our study of the gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of Jesus’s life, teachings and works; of the study of the rest of the New Testament considering what more is said and the light the gospel accounts cast on that.

When we look at a passage like this, or any number of them in Scripture, we would like a quick fix. After all, didn’t Peter get out of the boat and all the suddenly walk on the water of all things toward his Master who by walking on the water had emboldened Peter to do the same? That seems a tremendous leap of faith, a big enough faith. But Peter soon sinks.

Let me suggest that it takes time for faith to grow. In the narrative which follows, Peter is not given lessons on walking on water, like Jesus did. Such was rather a lesson of faith, for Peter, the disciples, and for us all. We need to believe that no matter what the winds of life bring, Jesus will see us through them as we have faith in him. Jesus will rescue us in our little, weak faith. But he wants us to grow in our faith. Learning to look at him, finding the wherewithal in him to continue on, to live, yes above the wind and the waves, to be strengthened and established in our faith. That with practice over time, that would be more and more our experience from a more and more settled disposition of faith.