Psalm Meditation 837
Proper 9
July 3, 2016

Psalm 49
1 Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life, there is no price one can give to God for it.
8 For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice,
9 that one should live on forever and never see the grave.
10 When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together
and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot. Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their houses increases.
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them.
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy—for you are praised when you do well for yourself—
19 they will go to the company of their ancestors, who will never again see the light.
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
(NRSV)

At some point in each of our lives we convince ourselves that the rules by which everyone lives do not apply to me. I will be the one lives forever. At the very least, I will be the one who gets to take all I have with me when I die. Whether I live forever or take my stuff with me, I will have bested everyone else through my life. It is a delightful fantasy in which to engage, however the psalmist reminds us that each of us will die and when we do we take none of the wealth of the world with us. While fame, fortune and long life are a good thing in this life those credits don’t transfer into the presence of God.

Wealth that lasts from one life to the next is the wealth of relationships. To know and be known by God is more important than all the years and all the wealth we can amass in this life. Loving relationships with others gives us another kind of immortality as those who survive us remember us fondly and do all in their power to preserve our memory for those who come after us. It is much better to be remembered by God and by those around us than to have great stores of treasure and many years to enjoy those treasures.

Given the choice between piles of treasure and treasured relationships the psalmist reminds us to make the choice that carries over into the fully realized presence of God. Yes, people are praised for having great stores of treasures in this life, however there is so much better available to us. It is better to create memorable relationships, especially a relationship with God.

June 27, 2016
LCM