Today’s Scripture
Psalm 41 Leviticus 19:9-18 Colossians 1:1-14 Luke 10:25-37
Today we
continue the series of summer messages based on Old Testament readings. Today is Psalm 41, a Psalm of David in a time
of suffering. He was ill for about 4
years during which time he was unable to gather either the strength or courage
to counter Absalom’s treachery behind his back.
This Psalm appears to be written before Absalom pulls off the coup that
runs David and his followers out of Jerusalem. It ends with Absalom’s death and David’s
victory and return to his throne. Verse
9 speaks of his trusted associate and confidant, Ahithophel, who betrayed him by
joining with Absalom during the take over.
This verse is also prophecy to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.
There is
the expression, “There, by the grace of
God, go I,” that is said with compassion on someone who appears less
fortunate, someone who suffers outside of what we call “normal” life
conditions. God’s grace, his mercies
that he heaps on each one of us is also connected with his command and
expectation to pass those mercies, that grace to others also.
Psalm 41
concludes the first of 5 “Books of Psalms” that we have divided the Book of
Psalms. The beginning and ending Psalms
of this “book” [1 and 41] are called the “blessed” Psalms. “Blessed
is he who has regard for the weak,” [v. 1] takes us the beatitudes in Matthew
5:7, “Blessed are the merciful for they
will be shown mercy.” It also takes
us to the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us,” [Matthew 6:12/Luke 11:4].
The term
“blessed” is Scripture is reserved for man.
The state of blessedness is being happy and enjoying favorable
circumstances. Being blessed by God is
two-fold, the earthly blessings we receive and the eternal joys of his
blessings in heaven. To be blessed, man
has to do something. To be blessed is
also a gift from God. As God instructs
us with this command to have regard, to have compassion on the weak, we learn
how to please God and how he intends us to live in blessedness, the joys he has
in store for us. To be blessed is one who
trusts in God. As you pray this Psalm
God has given through David, that trust is poured out in God’s promises to
protect, preserve life, bless in the land, and not surrender you to the desire
of your foes. You are sustained on your
sickbed and restored from your illness.
Next is
confession. David cries out in verse 4, “O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I
have sinned against you.” That is
our confession too as we pour out our hearts to God that we are “poor,
miserable sinners.” In our sinful state,
we have already earned nothing but God’s anger and wrath. But, by his grace we walk in the forgiveness
of sins knowing we have life everlasting in Jesus’ blood shed on the
cross. When we share the peace in our
services, we rejoice living in this grace, we rejoice that each other lives in
this grace, and our joy is not complete until we have shared this grace with
others that brings glory to God by their living in the joys of that grace, that
blessedness too. Jesus’ body and blood
is not something that we hide behind walls here. That body and blood of Jesus is to keep the
remembrance of his suffering, death and resurrection alive in all who receive
it trusting in what that body and blood has done.
Living in
mercy. So many times we focus on the Samaritan,
the Priest or the Levite. Today, focus
on yourself being the one attacked and beaten by robbers. You are stripped of your clothing. You are stripped of your dignity as you are
naked and helpless to the world. You are
left alone to die. Satan and his
adversaries are the ones who have done this to you as you writhe in the guilt,
shame, and helplessness of sin. The
Samaritan who has mercy on you restores your life. And note that this Samaritan does not just
take you so far, but promises continued support until you are completely
restored. Jesus is this Samaritan to
you.
Restored by
him, he sends you out to do likewise to others.
In that he sends you out not saying, “By the grace of God go I,” but, “I
go carrying the grace of God to others.”
Providing
food for the hungry. Providing shelter
for the homeless. Giving encouragement
to the troubled and weary in this life.
Refraining from doing others harm.
Remembering that our neighbors are everywhere in this earth. Remembering that everyone in this earth is
our brother and sister. All of this is
not of our initiative or will, but the grace of God he has given to us, in us,
and through us as we are his instruments in this earth as was the Good Samaritan.
That is the
closing of this Psalm. It is praise to
God that he has had mercy on us, raised us up, and kept the enemy (Satan and
his buddies) from triumphing over us. He
has set you in his presence not just today, but forever. Let us read the last verse of this Psalm
together again:
Praise be to the Lord,
the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.