Psalm Meditation 1049
Proper 12
July 26, 2020

Psalm 12
1 Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind.
2 They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is our master?”
5 “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now rise up,” says the Lord; “I will place them in the safety for which they long.”
6 The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
7 You, O Lord, will protect us; you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among humankind.
(NRSV)

It is probably tempting in every age to believe that godly folks have disappeared from the earth. Those who are most vocal about their faith are the ones who have taken some aspect of faith, twisted it to fit their particular agenda, and announced it from the mountaintops that this is the way to live out the faith. Oh, and if anyone disagrees with their way of thinking, acting, and talking they are going to hell so there is no need to pay attention to them at all.

However, the folks who are faithful to God are working with the poor, the downtrodden and the oppressed. They have no desire to be applauded, their desire is to serve. And every age makes some progress in the care of the outcast as folks rise up to “place them in the safety for which they long“ for the glory of God. They are not making gobs of money telling people what they want to hear, they are making sacrifices and doing to hard work to make it possible for people to live in the world.

People will continue to see themselves as faithful as they splash the words of God in big, noisy, public places. They will miss that the words are taken out of context so that they lead to personal gain for themselves and some of their followers. Damage will be done to the reputation of God, but it will not last. Folks will eventually swing back to seeing the servants, whose lives are lived quietly and faithfully for the glory of God.

July 20, 2020
LCM