
Scroll down for Psalm 31
LITURGY FOR ENTERING - This liturgical psalm of praise combines both corporate
and individual praise into a memorable, inspiring entrance poem celebrated by both
Christian and Jewish communities. The individual psalm of praise in found in vv. 5-14,
17-18 that leads up to our lesson. The liturgical action begins with v. 19-27, but
especially in vv. 20-24.
JUBILATION - The words that form this Sundays lesson gives us a hint of the vivid
and liveliness of ancient Israels worship-full of jubilation, happy shouting and
even dancing. Entry into the Temple (vv. 19-20) was a high and festal occasion,
accompanied with choirs singing in an apparent antiphonal style. [1] The stone which the
builders rejected has become the chief corner-stone (v. 22) is a phrase of which the
original meaning is all but lost to us, yet through the lens of the New Testament, the
saying becomes for Christians the aha of the gospel-surprise! the rejected one has become
the center of Gods saving activity.
NIB ON PSALM 118 - Psalm 118 can be seen as a focal point for discerning the
continuity between the Old and the New Testament witnesses that God is "for us"
(vv. 6-7; Romans 8:31) and that Gods "steadfast love endures forever" (vv.
1-4, 29; see Romans 8:38-39) . . . Not surprisingly, the special appeal that Psalm 118 had
for the Gospel writers has continued throughout the centuries of Christian interpretation
. . . Given the rich historical allusions and open-endedness of the psalm, as well as the
history and currency of its use in Judaism and Christianity, one might make the same
conclusion of Psalm 118 as a whole-all the saints have sung it and will sing it to the
end. [2]
Why
do you suppose that Luther called this his favorite psalm?
Do you feel part of a spiritual community that has gone through "distress"
(vv. 5-14)?
Who is the "us" in your "Lord, save us" (v. 25)? Where do you need
help right now?
This
psalm will typically combine with choirs, antiphonal calls and response, processions, and
great hymns like, All Glory, Laud, and Honor. On this day, Psalm 118 is majestic, festive
even as it foreshadows the gospel.
One homiletic idea might be to simply walk through the psalm as it connects with the
gospel accounts of Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. EX: Shouts of joy and
victory (v. 15) could be heard in relationship to similar shouts among the throng that
welcomed Jesus into their city. You could conclude your meditation on the psalm where the
poem naturally ends: with the phrase, "Gods love endures forever" (v. 29),
for that phrase is the rock-bottom, powerful word of promise that God gives to all
generations.
_____________________________________
[1] Claus Westermann, The Living Psalms (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1989), page
275.
[2] The New Interpreters Bible IV (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), page 1156.
I AM IN DISTRESS - Most of the formulaic language in
this lament is shared throughout Jeremiah, Lamentations, and even from within the great
fishs belly by a lamentable Jonah: "I am in distress . . . my eye wastes away .
. . my strength fails." There are times in the rhythms of distressed life when such
prayers from deep within us.
CS LEWIS - The Father can be well pleased in that Son only who adheres to the Father
when apparently forsaken. The fullest grace can be received by those only who continue to
obey during the dryness in which all grace seems to be withheld. [2]
SUFFERING BECAUSE OF - The language of our lesson is open-ended; it seems to suggest
simultaneously grief, sickness, depression, and persecution. This descriptive language of
suffering is especially poignant in the phrase, "a broken vessel" (v. 12), or
more literally, "a perishing vessel." Perhaps despite-or because of his/her
suffering the psalmist is experiencing what is to be reserved for the wicked. Like
Jeremiah who also suffered because of his trust and his faithfulness in proclaiming
Gods word, so this psalmists very life is extinguished because of his/her
faithfulness to Gods will. [1]
St. John of the Cross describes
the lament periods of our spiritual journey as being a dark night of the soul (which is
also the title of his work). Succinctly stated, God sometimes allows us to feel abandoned
by God and all others so that we will grow in faithfulness regardless of our emotions. In
what way might this be at least somewhat true in your own spiritual journey?
On the continuum of 1. orientation (life is orderly and stable); 2. disorientation
(abrupt changes upset the equilibrium of our lives); 3. reorientation (some sense of
normalcy returns, but were never the same again), where do you find yourself at this
time in your life?
Begin with an anecdote about Dag
Hammarskjöld (Secretary-General of the Untied Nations and considered one of the most
outstanding and highly respected international leaders of the 20th century): "On his
travels around the world Hammarskjöld always took three items with him. These items were
found in his briefcase that was recovered after the plane crash that took his life in
September 1961: a copy of the New Testament, a copy of the Psalms and a copy of the United
Nations Charter."
Segue into Psalm 31-Hammarskjöld understood clearly that the book of Psalms presents
nothing short of Gods claim upon the whole world. Even when our world falls
apart-even when Christs world began to fall apart, the Psalms formed his final
words.
Describe the nature of lament-that over 60% of the psalms are lament; structure:
opening address, O Lord (or "Help!!!!") / Description of distress / Plea or
petition for Gods intervention / Reasons why God should jump in and help out /
glimmer of hope and confidence in God / Promise to do-be better as a result of Gods
deliverance.
Introduce St. John of the Crosss "Dark Night of the Soul" if familiar
with it
Shift to the passion of Christ - perhaps use the Gibson film as a way into the story of
Jesus; but get us there where we can hear-and see-Christs lament.
Offer the lament of Psalm 31 to become our place in times of suffering and hold out the
glimmer of hope that we find in vv. 19-24.
____________________________
[1] C.S. Lewis, in The Quotable Lewis, Wayne Martindale and Jerry Root, eds.
(Tyndale, 1989), p. 461.
[2] The New Interpreters Bible IV (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), page 807.

|