Psalm Meditation 1031
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2020

Psalm 9
1 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before you.
4 For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.
5 You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins; their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.
7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever, he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with equity.
9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. Declare his deeds among the peoples.
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O Lord. See what I suffer from those who hate me; you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may recount all your praises, and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance.
15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
16 The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah
17 The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
19 Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail; let the nations be judged before you.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord; let the nations know that they are only human. Selah
(NRSV)

It is possible to influence a human judge with pleasantries, a smile, and respectful clothes. I was involved in an accident years ago, and the other driver contested his ticket. He had been convinced by those around him that because the actual impact had taken place on the road that crossed the highway, it must have been my fault instead of his. I arrived at court in a suit and tie. He and his people arrived in much more casual clothes. We each told our side of the story, the judged asked if we had any more to add, declared the one who had received the ticket guilty and assigned fine and costs. The clothes had something to do with the judge's decision. It helped that I was in the right.

God is not influenced by our clothes, our smiles and pleasantries. God sees through our external trappings, as well as our self-delusions, to the heart of each one of us. We can’t convince God of our sincerity by showy externals, including the words we use. Though we might be able to convince ourselves, God sees through us and judges us by a deeper standard than we could possibly use. God stands in support of those whose hearts are pure even if their actions are faulty. God stands in judgment of those whose hearts are hard even if their actions are good. In each case God loves us and wants to support us and prod us into wholesome and integrated lives.

When it comes down to it, it is not up to us to judge others or to call down God’s judgment on them, though we will continue to do both. Our task is to live as closely as we are able to the path that leads to God. We will not always be right. God will willingly nudge us back on the way. Our actions will not always match our intentions. God will direct our path. We may not feel close to God. God is and will be with us no matter what.

March 16, 2020
LCM