Proper 27 / Pentecost 25 / Ordinary Time 32
Preaching
Hear My Voice
Preaching The Lectionary Psalms for Cycles A, B, C
It is not possible in a single sermon -- or even a psalm -- to answer the question, "What is the meaning of life?" That is one of those complicated and complex questions that require a lifetime of reflection, prayer, study, and some trial and error. However, it is possible to ask and answer a different question that may be just as important. The writer of Psalm 127 seems to be trying to answer such a question: "How do we find a life that is really worth living?"
In order to answer this question, the psalmist draws on the imagery of a "house." He identifies several necessary activities that are essential to successfully building a house: building, protective care, and meaningful work. While these are important, there is a central component that is absolutely essential: "Unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain" (v. 1).
But what does that mean -- that the Lord must build the house? If the Lord builds the house, does that mean we are called to a life of passive and idle waiting? Are we merely the raw materials of an actual house? Are we the boards, bricks, and mortar, which lie inanimate until the builder comes for them? Is that what the psalmist means by "the Lord builds the house"?
It seems not. There are "builders" who are seemingly at work with the Lord in doing the building. The Lord builds with the builders. What are we to make of that?
Several years ago, my wife and I built our first home. We hired a general contractor who in turn hired subcontractors -- carpenters, brick masons, painters, electricians, plumbers, and so on. All these workers were employed to "build" our house. However, it was the general contractor who supervised their work. Everything the builders did had to first meet his approval. Any work that did not measure up to what the general contractor was looking for was not accepted and had to be re-done.
That is what the psalmist is trying to say. God is the general contractor and we are the subcontractors. We are the builders of our own lives using the raw material provided to us by God. We are free to build any sort of life we want. We can take our time and build something lasting and beautiful. We can create a lasting structure of faithfulness, wisdom, and integrity. Or we can take shortcuts and end up with something less than what God has in mind for us.
God remains the critical standard. If what we build does not measure up to the blueprint God has in mind for us, our lives will be less than satisfying. Building a life without resort to God's goodness and wisdom is a monumental waste of time.
-- J. E.
In order to answer this question, the psalmist draws on the imagery of a "house." He identifies several necessary activities that are essential to successfully building a house: building, protective care, and meaningful work. While these are important, there is a central component that is absolutely essential: "Unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain" (v. 1).
But what does that mean -- that the Lord must build the house? If the Lord builds the house, does that mean we are called to a life of passive and idle waiting? Are we merely the raw materials of an actual house? Are we the boards, bricks, and mortar, which lie inanimate until the builder comes for them? Is that what the psalmist means by "the Lord builds the house"?
It seems not. There are "builders" who are seemingly at work with the Lord in doing the building. The Lord builds with the builders. What are we to make of that?
Several years ago, my wife and I built our first home. We hired a general contractor who in turn hired subcontractors -- carpenters, brick masons, painters, electricians, plumbers, and so on. All these workers were employed to "build" our house. However, it was the general contractor who supervised their work. Everything the builders did had to first meet his approval. Any work that did not measure up to what the general contractor was looking for was not accepted and had to be re-done.
That is what the psalmist is trying to say. God is the general contractor and we are the subcontractors. We are the builders of our own lives using the raw material provided to us by God. We are free to build any sort of life we want. We can take our time and build something lasting and beautiful. We can create a lasting structure of faithfulness, wisdom, and integrity. Or we can take shortcuts and end up with something less than what God has in mind for us.
God remains the critical standard. If what we build does not measure up to the blueprint God has in mind for us, our lives will be less than satisfying. Building a life without resort to God's goodness and wisdom is a monumental waste of time.
-- J. E.
