Psalm Meditation 1123 ¶First Sunday After Christmas ¶December 26, 2021 ¶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) ¶When athletes make millions of dollars, there are folks who say that no one is worth that kind of money to play a game. When business people make billions of dollars running a company, there are folks who say that it is shameful to make that kind of money. Other folks believe that at least one of these types of wealth is justified. I find myself in the ’if someone is willing to pay that much, that is the justification for the pay scale. Are we envious of the skill that commands that kind of money, or do we echo Luke 26: 8-9, “Why this waste? For this ointment [salary] could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.” ¶Many of those who earn or win large amounts of money end up with even less than they had at the beginning within five years after their windfall comes to an end. In the event that one has the wherewithal to have money left to pass on the heirs, they will often use it as if it is an eternal fountain of cash without doing anything to replenish the funds and will be penniless soon. The psalmist joins in this chorus, reminding us that no matter how much money there is, it does no good after a person dies. They are neither rich nor powerful in death. If they were generous in life, we may remember them a little longer than those who were not, but not forever. ¶The psalmist lets us know that it is better to depend on God than on riches in this life so that we have a life far into the future in the presence of God. Money, influence and power are nice in this life, however they will not buy us a future of any consequence. Better to practice kindness, work for justice, and build a relationship with God. “God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.” ¶December 20, 2021 ¶LCM