Monday Of Holy Week
Preaching
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring The Message
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Alternate Image
The Singer complains. She and her neighbors complain. They
complain about the high cost of living. They complain about the
lack of integrity among politicians. They complain about the
hypocrisy of church members. They complain about that lack of
vision of the country. They complain about the pain of
childbirth. They complain about the incredibly high costs of
medical care. They complain about the lack of housing for street
people. They complain about inequity of food distribution in the
world. They complain about the lack of equal justice in the
courts. They complain about a lack of safety in factories. They
complain about the unreasonable demands of unions. They complain
about the preposterous salaries of business executives. They
complain about the lack of positive role models for children.
They complain about the bizarre
contracts of professional athletes. They complain about poor
education. They complain about deteriorating ecology and poor
stewardship of the land. They complain about the rich and the
poor. They complain about people of color and colorless people.
They complain about complainers. They feel miserable. The Singer
goes home.
Their conversation has left the Singer with a bad taste in her
mouth. She goes to the faucet and fills a glass with water and
drinks from it. She gazes at the glass and the water and marvels.
How wonderful to merely turn a tap and have pure clean water fill
her glass, water that refreshes. Water that God has made in such
abundance in creation. This Singer goes to the phone and calls
her complaining friends and invites them over for water. Around a
pitcher of water and brimming glasses they create a litany of
thanks. They give thanks for blessings God heaps upon them in
such abundance that they cannot begin to number them; but they
try. Smiles replace the frowns and peace invades their chamber.
Reflection
Depravity abounds in this world. It does not take great
insight or analysis to discover and list our multitude of sins.
The author of this Psalm was well aware of the corruption and
sinfulness of his countrymen. John Calvin believed that David,
after writing about his people's depravity, was aware of the
infectiousness of their example. Calvin maintained that David, to
protect himself from this epidemic of moaning and groaning,
grasped another theme. That theme is the theme of God's steadfast
love (hesed) that pervades all of life, that is the connective
tissue of God's plan of salvation. The world is good because of
God's goodness. It is far better for us to reflect on God's
loving providence than to limit our views to human depravity.
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Alternate Image
The Singer complains. She and her neighbors complain. They
complain about the high cost of living. They complain about the
lack of integrity among politicians. They complain about the
hypocrisy of church members. They complain about that lack of
vision of the country. They complain about the pain of
childbirth. They complain about the incredibly high costs of
medical care. They complain about the lack of housing for street
people. They complain about inequity of food distribution in the
world. They complain about the lack of equal justice in the
courts. They complain about a lack of safety in factories. They
complain about the unreasonable demands of unions. They complain
about the preposterous salaries of business executives. They
complain about the lack of positive role models for children.
They complain about the bizarre
contracts of professional athletes. They complain about poor
education. They complain about deteriorating ecology and poor
stewardship of the land. They complain about the rich and the
poor. They complain about people of color and colorless people.
They complain about complainers. They feel miserable. The Singer
goes home.
Their conversation has left the Singer with a bad taste in her
mouth. She goes to the faucet and fills a glass with water and
drinks from it. She gazes at the glass and the water and marvels.
How wonderful to merely turn a tap and have pure clean water fill
her glass, water that refreshes. Water that God has made in such
abundance in creation. This Singer goes to the phone and calls
her complaining friends and invites them over for water. Around a
pitcher of water and brimming glasses they create a litany of
thanks. They give thanks for blessings God heaps upon them in
such abundance that they cannot begin to number them; but they
try. Smiles replace the frowns and peace invades their chamber.
Reflection
Depravity abounds in this world. It does not take great
insight or analysis to discover and list our multitude of sins.
The author of this Psalm was well aware of the corruption and
sinfulness of his countrymen. John Calvin believed that David,
after writing about his people's depravity, was aware of the
infectiousness of their example. Calvin maintained that David, to
protect himself from this epidemic of moaning and groaning,
grasped another theme. That theme is the theme of God's steadfast
love (hesed) that pervades all of life, that is the connective
tissue of God's plan of salvation. The world is good because of
God's goodness. It is far better for us to reflect on God's
loving providence than to limit our views to human depravity.
