Epiphany 7 / Ordinary Time 7
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret -- it leads only to evil.
-- Psalm 37:8
These verses become a beautiful reflection on the story of Joseph, his journey into slavery, and his rise to a position of power in Egypt. It is natural for people to be disturbed by the apparent success of people who do evil deeds. This psalm counsels patience in such circumstances. "Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers." It is important to recognize that the psalmist is not counseling passivity in the face of wrongdoing. Rather the psalmist is warning against becoming consumed by one's reaction to such wrongdoing and, therefore, doing even further harm to oneself.
Consider what would have happened to Joseph if he had been consumed with anger or even self-pity at what his brothers had done to him. "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices." Joseph became a living example of the psalmist's admonition: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security." When one combines the narrative story of Joseph with the psalmist's exhortation, one recognizes the power of the beatitude that Jesus drew from this psalm. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). See Psalm 37:11 for the foundation for this beatitude. If the meek to which Jesus referred were those depicted in this psalm, then their strength is derived from the power to not allow the actions of wrongdoers to dissuade them from trusting in the transforming power of God.
While we may not all have the almost magical outcome that Joseph did in his life, we can work to prevent ourselves from being consumed by our envy of others by developing a greater trust in God for the unfolding of our life.
-- Psalm 37:8
These verses become a beautiful reflection on the story of Joseph, his journey into slavery, and his rise to a position of power in Egypt. It is natural for people to be disturbed by the apparent success of people who do evil deeds. This psalm counsels patience in such circumstances. "Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers." It is important to recognize that the psalmist is not counseling passivity in the face of wrongdoing. Rather the psalmist is warning against becoming consumed by one's reaction to such wrongdoing and, therefore, doing even further harm to oneself.
Consider what would have happened to Joseph if he had been consumed with anger or even self-pity at what his brothers had done to him. "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices." Joseph became a living example of the psalmist's admonition: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security." When one combines the narrative story of Joseph with the psalmist's exhortation, one recognizes the power of the beatitude that Jesus drew from this psalm. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). See Psalm 37:11 for the foundation for this beatitude. If the meek to which Jesus referred were those depicted in this psalm, then their strength is derived from the power to not allow the actions of wrongdoers to dissuade them from trusting in the transforming power of God.
While we may not all have the almost magical outcome that Joseph did in his life, we can work to prevent ourselves from being consumed by our envy of others by developing a greater trust in God for the unfolding of our life.
