S -
Psalm 79:1, 6, 8-9, 12-13 (NIV): "O God, the nations have invaded your
inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to
rubble. … Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the
kingdoms that do not call on your name; …
Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come
quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of
your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. …Pay back into
the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O
Lord. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise."
O - The
historical context of these words is the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon and
resulting destruction. There is however one glaring silence this psalm doesn't
mention. Israel had been defiling the
temple for generations and reducing to “rubble” the worship and lives of the
people. Asaph is asking for retribution
against those who hurled reproaches at the Lord yet the Old Testament Prophets
called Israel to account for this same tragic activity. This psalm assumes only
Israel is included as the Lord's people; another blind spot the Prophets speak
to correct. Finally, this psalm promises
something religion/culture often promises but never delivers … forever loyalty
from generation to generation. O yes and
one more cultural religious blind spot: forgive our sins but don't forgive
theirs.
A - The
religious, cultural mindset of this psalm is that which Jesus came to
transform/destroy. It examples the
blindness of the Pharisees who claimed to see and reveals the filth of the
inside of the cup he calls all people to admit and address. I admit that I am vulnerable to this sad way
of thinking and responding. The remedy?
Jesus' daily help with getting and keeping the plank out of my own eye and a
focus on keeping the inside of the cup clean.
P - Lord
who transforms,
I do admit my capacity to
want mercy for my sins and judgment for others. I am asking for help … for
transformation! I need the yeast of your kingdom and to have the yeast of the
Pharisees expelled from my life. I present
the inside of the cup to you for transformation and for your ongoing help in
getting and keeping the plank out of my own eye. Jesus, thank for having sheep
from other folds. I want to be among them.
Calling to you,
Steve
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